Around Bikaner

Devi Kund:
Devi Kund is an exemplar of Rajput architecture. It is a collection of royal cenotaphs of the Bikaji Rathores. For the cenotaphs of royal men, each chhatri has the name and portrait engraved on it while the cenotaphs of their wives has footmarks resembling those with henna patterns. The chhatri of Maharaja Surat Singh is one of the most imposing cenotaphs here.

Rickshaws are available from Bikaner to Devi Kund. A return rickshaw will cost you around Rs 100.

National Research Centre on Camels:
One of the very few such institutes in the whole of Asia, National Research Centre on Camels has around 230 Camels belonging to three different breeds. You can feed the baby camels or just observe their habits by moving around the centre. There is also a camel museum built within the research centre.

Return taxis will charge you around Rs 200 to/From Bikaner.

Gajner Wildlife Sanctuary:
32 km from Bikaner, Rajasthan has a major wildlife sanctuary, which has dense forests and a wide variety of conserved wildlife species including Black Bucks, Chinkaras, Blue Bulls, Boars, Antelopes, Foxes, etc. Built as a royal hunting ground, it today has a plethora of nurtured species of fauna, including migratory birds that fly from far off lands. For the wildlife and adventure freaks, forest camping as well as jeep safari options are available.

Daily buses as well as return taxis are available for Gajner Wildlife Sanctuary from Bikaner.

Kolayat:
Kolayat is a holy village situated 54 km from Bikaner. It has a sacred lake and a temple dedicated to Kapil Muni, who is believed to have done intense meditation or tapasya here for the liberation of mankind. The Kolayat lake has 52 ghats and banyan trees surrounding it. It is the venue of the famous Kolayat festival, which is celebrated each year on the day of kartik purnima, which generally falls in November. On this day devotees, in large number, amass at the Kolayat ghats and take a holy dip in the lake. The festival holds a great religious importance for the Hindus.

Buses as well as trains are available from Bikaner to Kolayat.

Deshnok:
Deshnok is a tiny village, 30 km from Bikaner, known for the famed Karni Mata Temple situated here. The temple is devoted to Goddess Durga, who came to Earth in the 14th century as Mata Karni. The temple was built by Maharaja Ganga Singh. It is ornate with gold and silver domes. The doors possess images of the prime deity.

The temple's unique feature is its rodents, who inhabit the temple complex and move around fearlessly. Legend has it that one night the Maharaja of Bikaner had a dream in which Goddess Durga asked him to protect the rats. For this reason these small creatures are considered holy, even to this day and are fed by devotees as well as the temple authorities.

A 30 minutes bus journey from Bikaner will take you to Deshnok. A taxi will cost you around Rs 250.