Lalgarh Palace, Bikaner

The sandy desert of Bikaner has several antiquities to boast of, among which the Lallgarh palace occupies an important place. The palace, which has now turned into a residential hotel, still reveres as a historical monument that makes Bikaner a well sought destination among the tourists from all around the world.

History
The Lallgarh Palace was built in the year 1902 by Maharaja Ganga Singh in the memory of his father Maharaja Lall Singh.


Significance
It was Maharaja's intellectual vision, which prompted him to build this impressive monument in the memory of his father. The palace was built with two purposes - on first hand it was raised to boast of the economical strength of Bikaner, at the same time it also established a link between the traditional past and the prosperous contemporary present.


Architecture
Designed by a British architect Sir Swinton Jacob, the grand Lallgarh palace reflects a synthesis of the British, Rajput(Indian) and Mughal architectural style. The place, which has been entirely built of red sandstone, presents an excellent work of art with its delicate lattice screens covering the windows, arches, chatris and domes, thereby giving the magnificent structure a romantic touch. The facade of the palace has been made of the jaalis - pierced stone screens. These jaalis, which are prominent feature of the Rajasthani architecture, keep the hard sun rays out of the interiors, thus giving it a soothing environment.

Inside the palace, one comes across a vast collection of well maintained paintings and hunting trophies, nicely preserved in the palace museum. The fort museum, whi9ch is also built of red stone, houses a unique collection of miniature paintings, rare manuscripts, weaponry and even a Bi-plane belonging to the World War first(1914-1918). Besides, the Lallgarh palace in its library is also said to possess the largest collection of original Sanskrit manuscripts inscribed on parchments, copper, gold and silver plaques. Further, the bougainvillea bushes in the terraced lawns along with scrolling peacocks adds to the beauty of the palace.

How to Reach
» By Air - The nearest airport is at Jodhpur, 243 kilometers away. The Jodhpur airport is connected by daily flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur and Udaipur.
» By Rail - The railway station of Bikaner is well linked to Mumbai by the Ranakpur Express, to Delhi by the Bikaner Mail and the Shekhawati Eexpress, to Kolkata by the Howrah - Jodhpur Express and to Jaipur by the Intercity and the Jaipur-Bikaner Express.
» By Road - Bikaner, which lies on the western end of National Highway number 11, is easily accessible by road from other districts of Rajasthan and other major cities of India.