Junagarh Fort, Bikaner: The Unconquered Red Sandstone Jewel of the Thar Desert

1. The Unconquered Citadel: Raja Rai Singh's Desert Fortress

Unlike almost every other major fort in Rajasthan—such as Chittorgarh, Kumbhalgarh, or Mehrangarh—which crowns high, jagged mountain ridges, **Junagarh Fort** in Bikaner is a rare *Dhanva Durg* (desert plains fort). Originally founded by Rao Bika (the son of Rao Jodha of Jodhpur) in 1488 CE as a mud-brick outpost, the present monumental stone fortress was commissioned in 1589 by the sixth ruler of Bikaner, **Raja Rai Singh**, and supervised by his brilliant prime minister, Karan Chand. Completed in 1594, the fortress was originally named *Chintamani Durg*, before being rechristened *Junagarh* ('Old Fort') in the early 20th century when the royal family relocated to Lalgarh Palace.

Despite being situated on flat desert plains without natural cliffside protection, Junagarh Fort earned the formidable distinction of being **virtually unconquered throughout its 430-year history**. It survived 16 documented sieges by rival Rajput clans and Mughal armies, succumbing only once to a brief one-day occupation by Kamran Mirza (the second son of Emperor Babur) in 1534, before Rao Jait Singh recaptured it within 24 hours. Its invulnerability was achieved through masterful military architecture: a massive moat 9 metres wide and 6 to 9 metres deep encircling a rectangular perimeter of 986 metres, fortified by 37 colossal semicircular bastions, two double-walled curtain defences, and heavy iron-spiked elephant-ramming gates (*Suraj Pol*, *Daulat Pol*, and *Karan Pol*).

2. Anup Mahal: The Zenith of Gilded Gold Usta Craftsmanship

If Junagarh's exterior radiates austere defensive muscle carved from fiery Dulmera red sandstone, its interior conceals the most dazzling decorative palace interiors in all of Asia. The jewel of this ensemble is the **Anup Mahal**, constructed during the reign of Maharaja Anup Singh (1669–1698) as the grand royal coronation and ceremonial hall.

Anup Mahal represents the ultimate triumph of **Usta Art** (*Munawwat*), an intricate plaster-relief and gold-leaf craft perfected by Iranian master artisans brought to Bikaner by Maharaja Rai Singh after his campaigns in the Deccan with Emperor Akbar. The chamber's walls, arches, and vaulted ceilings are smothered in layered embossed motifs of floral vines, peacocks, and hunting scenes, completely covered in 24-carat pure gold leaf highlighted with vibrant crimson vermilion (*hinglu*) lacework. At the centre of the hall rests the consecrated wooden coronation throne upon which every successive Maharaja of Bikaner was anointed with saffron and sandalwood paste, surrounded by imported Italian Carrara marble floor tiles and mirrored glass niches.

3. The Royal Suites: Badal Mahal, Karan Mahal & Phool Mahal

Successive rulers added individual palace wings to the central courtyard, creating a spectacular comparative museum of Rajput, Mughal, and Gujarati artistic influences:

• Badal Mahal (The Cloud Palace): In a desert realm where rainfall was an elusive blessing, Maharaja Dungar Singh created this poetic chamber painted entirely in sky-blue and white billowy clouds. Red lightning bolts, flying raindrops, and musical Ragas are painted across the ceiling, designed to evoke the cooling psychological presence of monsoon storms during blistering 48-degree summer afternoons.
• Karan Mahal (Public Audience Hall): Built in 1680 by Maharaja Karan Singh to commemorate his victory over the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb's forces, this hall features fluted white marble pillars, stained glass transoms, and scalloped arches adorned with delicate plaster stucco work.
• Phool Mahal (Flower Palace): The oldest extant palace suite, commissioned by Raja Rai Singh himself, decorated with mirrored glass mosaics from Aleppo and intricate rose and lotus floral friezes.
• Ganga Niwas: Added in the early 20th century by Maharaja Ganga Singh, this colossal sandstone hall features carved pink sandstone timber-style coffered ceilings and housed state banquets during the British colonial era.

4. Har Mandir & The Royal Sati Handprints at Daulat Pol

At the inner ceremonial courtyard stands **Har Mandir**, the private temple of the Bikaner royal family, dedicated to Lord Krishna and Lakshmi Narayan. Here, royal weddings, Dasara sword-worship (*Shastra Puja*), and Gangaur festivities were solemnized. The temple is surrounded by exquisitely carved Dulmera sandstone balconies from which zenana ladies could witness religious rituals.

Just outside the **Daulat Pol** (Gate of Wealth) entrance lies one of the most solemn historical monuments inside Junagarh: the **Sati Handprints** (*Sati Hatheli*). Carved into red sandstone tablets along the gateway are dozens of small, red-pigmented hand impressions commemorating the royal Ranis and concubines of Bikaner who committed ritual immolation on the funeral pyres of their deceased husbands before the British prohibition of sati in the 19th century. Notable among them are the handprints of the wives of Maharaja Anup Singh and Maharaja Gaj Singh, venerated by local pilgrims as symbols of unwavering martial fidelity.

5. Prachina Museum & The World War I de Havilland Bomber

The **Maharaja Rai Singhji Trust Museum** inside Junagarh houses an extraordinary array of historical treasures spanning four centuries. Beyond its armouries displaying gem-encrusted daggers, camel guns (*zamburak*), and chainmail coats, the museum houses one of the rarest historical aircraft on earth: an original **World War I de Havilland DH-9 bomber**.

The biplane was presented in 1920 by the British government to Maharaja Ganga Singh, commander of the famous Bikaner Camel Corps (*Ganga Risala*), in recognition of his service during the First World War in Egypt and Palestine. The aircraft was dismantled, transported across the Thar Desert by camel caravan, and reassembled inside the palace courtyard, where it stands impeccably preserved today alongside royal palanquins, silver howdahs, and treaty documents signed at Versailles.

6. Visitor Practicalities: Timings, Guided Audio & Best Season

Junagarh Fort is located in the heart of Bikaner city, easily accessible by auto-rickshaw or taxi from the Bikaner Junction railway station (2 km away).

Maharaja Ganga Singh's Modernisation & The Golden Jubilee Museum

While Junagarh's medieval origins date to Raja Rai Singh in 1589, its transition into the modern era was shaped by one of modern India's most visionary rulers: Maharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner (reigned 1887–1943). Ganga Singh was the only non-white signatory of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 ending World War I, represented India at the League of Nations, and transformed Bikaner from a drought-plagued desert into an agricultural powerhouse by constructing the monumental Gang Canal in 1927, bringing Himalayan waters directly to the Thar Desert.

Inside Junagarh, Ganga Singh established the grand Ganga Golden Jubilee Museum, housing priceless historical artefacts spanning 1,500 years of Thar civilization: prehistoric Harappan terracotta seals unearthed at Kalibangan, 4th-century Gupta sandstone sculptures, Bikaner miniature paintings, and the royal gold-plated coronation throne. The fort's ramparts also preserve an exceptional battery of medieval bronze cannons, including the famous Bijli Garbh, positioned to defend the water reservoirs and royal palaces against desert cavalry raids.