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Situated
adjacent to the public park, its turrets pointing
skywards, Junagarh fort is a magnificent sight to
behold. It was constructed between 1589 and 1594 by Raja
Rai Singh, a general in the army of the Mughal emperor
Akbar. It was in 1585 that an old extant Mughal farman
(decree) refers to Rai Singh of Bikaner, upon whom Akbar
conferred the district of Bhatner. It was the next year
that Rai Singh ordered work on the ‘great jewel of
Bikaner’, the Junagarh fort. Work finally began in 1589
when the king sent instructions to that effect from his
camp at Burhanpur to his minister Karam Chand. Finished
five years later, its battlements jutted out proudly,
although they were untested.
¤ The Fort Premises
The fort has a 986 metre long wall, fortified by a long
range of exquisite pavilions, 37 in all, silhouetted
against the skyline. The palaces inside are ethereal,
and comprise of royal public court buildings and
intimate zenanas (women’s quarters), for purdah (veil)
decreed that women be hidden from sight of courtiers.
Consequently, women walked behind stone screens carved
by expert artisans of Barmer and Bikaner. Theirs was a
closed world, and although women played an important
part in the royal household, they played no role in the
administration or politics of Bikaner.
¤ The Interiors of the Fort
The fort is beautifully embellished with Rajput
paintings, mirror-work, and lacquer-work. Lines of
windows and balconies impart a harmonious domestic
character to the austere strength of the structure. You
need to take a recce of the fort and feel the atmosphere
to get an idea of the indolent lifestyle of the Rajput
royalty, in medieval times.The regalia and opulence of
the palaces will take your breath away.
¤ The Picturesque location
The unique feature of Junagarh fort is that it is one of
the few Rajasthani forts not constructed on a hilltop,
or any raised surface but on plain land. This provided
the fort with a natural camouflage as it blended into
the sandy desert surrounding it, enabling it to remain
unconquered for close to 400 years. In the fort you’ll
find raised platforms made of swords, on which the
fakirs of Bikaner would dance. The Viceroy’s wife, Lady
Reading described the scene in 1922: "A wizard walked
with bare feet on swords I could not touch, so sharp
were their points. It was hopelessly uncanny, but
wonderful and gorgeous." The fort also contains an
excellent library of Persian manuscripts and ancient
Sanskrit books and an impressive armoury. Nearby is a
well over 450 feet deep.
¤ The Main Fort Enterences
The fort has two entrances; the Karan Pol on the east
and the Chand Pol on the west. As soon as you enter the
Karan Pol, you come across the Sati Sthambs, a gory
reminder to the practice of sati (a widow’s self
immolation on her husband’s funeral pyre) prevalent
among the Rajputs who preferred ‘death before dishonour’.
On the vertical slab which is the Sthamb are imprinted
symbolic hands, a reminder of the royal ladies who
committed sati. Some more sati symbols are found on the
left side of the next gate, called the Daulat Pol. The
practice of sati was mercifully abolished during
Maharaja Sardar Singh’s reign between 1851 and 1872.
Walking past Daulat Pol you run into Fateh Pol. Each of
these gates provided a strong defence to the fort. The
gates were fortified with heavy wooden doors with iron
plating. A further precaution was taken to fit iron
spikes into them to prevent an elephant charge in case
of war. Suraj Pol or the Sun Gate used to be the main
entrance before the other gateways were built. The Suraj
Pol was built in 1593 in front of which in the courtyard
lies the Joramal Temple. The other gates were
constructed as an extension probably during the rule of
Maharaja Gaj Singh. The Sun Gate is a common occurrence
in Hindu fort architecture, the concept being to let the
first rays of the sun enter the house. On entering the
Suraj Pol, you come across the statues of Jaimal and
Patta atop elephants, the guardians of the fort. The two
were teenage generals in the army of Maharana Udai Singh
of Mewar who fought heroically during the seizure of
Chittor fort (see Chittor). The statues honouring Jaimal
Rathore and Rawat Patta Sisodia were installed at the
express instructions of the Mughal Emperor Akbar, so
impressed was he with their bravado.
 The
palaces within the precincts were all built by different
rulers. The last portions to the fort were added very
recently, when the new stately staircase was added by
Maharaja Ganga Singh. The stone carvings of the fort and
palaces are indeed exquisite.
Today it is around the fort that the city’s civil,
commercial and social life revolves; its broadest
avenues fronts its entrance, and its rugged grace
overshadows Bikaner’s gardens and parks, its bazaars,
theatres and buildings.
¤ Daulat Pol also Known as Sati
Pol
The literal meaning of Daulatpol is ‘the gate of wealth’
but do not waste your time looking for buried treasure
here. The wealth they refer to is different – it is
honour not money. As Rajput wives preferred death to
dishonour, the practice was to burn oneself at the
funeral pyre of one’s husband. The practice was called
Sati, and the Daulatpol pays homage to all the sati
wives of Bikaner’s soldiers fell in battle. The
handprints you will see nearby bear a poignant reminder
to this custom which was fortunately outlawed by the
Britisher William Bentinck in 1829. But sati is still
revered in many areas of rural Rajasthan, and that can
be illustrated by the glorification of Roop Kanwar, the
widow who committed sati as recently as 1987, at Deorala
in Rajasthan. Clearly some habits die hard, and the
Daulatpol is treated as a reverential site by many among
the local populace of Bikaner.
¤ Urmul Trust
Inside Junagarh fort you will run into Bikaner’s well
known crafts shop called the Abhivyakti, which is a
handicrafts shop with a difference. Here you will find
remnants of a dying art. These items are manufactured by
skilled workers residing in 70 villages around Bikaner.
They are helped by a local charitable organisation
called the Urmul Trust which assists the artisans with
marketing, design consultancy and loans. The object of
the exercise is to eliminate the middleman, and enable
the artisans to reap the full benefit of their labour.
¤ The Great Shopping
Attractions At Bikaner
The outlet specializes in the traditional folding chairs
of Rajasthan called pidas. Also available are handloom
shawls called pattus, cushion covers, hand-printed
garments, puppets and lots more. Some of their products
are also exported to Europe via OXFAM, the British
charity organisation. The profits go straight into their
education and family welfare projects. You can window
shop here without hindrance. Remember if you are part of
a guided group, your guide might try to deflect you from
Urmul Trust to a shop where he gets his cut. However, it
is worthwhile browsing through Urmul at your leisure.
Abhivyakti is a wonderful concept that works hard to
keep the ancient crafts of Bikaner alive.
Timings :
Open daily from 10.00 hrs. to 17.00 hrs. |
