Historical

The famous fort of Junagarh was constructed by Raja Rai Singh in 1593. The fort is one of its kinds with a strong, innovative and formidable structure which is encircled by a water moat which is believed to have bred crocodiles in the past. An amazing network of havelis with courtyards and balconies, watch towers, armory, halls and other the fort exudes an aura of red sandstone (Dulmera) and marble. The grand fort has a long rampart which is almost a 1000m long and is studded with 37 bastions and two entrances.

Kodamdesar Bhainru Ji was installed by Rao Bikaji during the first three years of his arrival from jodhpur. It is another place of worship and is situated 24 kms from Bikaner on highway leading to Jaisalmer.It was here Rao Bikaji, the founder of Bikaner, first choose to lay foundation of Bikaner. But later in consultation with Napo, a Sankhla Rajput who was great believer in omens, he chose another site. Every year a huge fair is held here in the month of Bhadrapad. Temple is built in white marble. Here are also two Sati cenotaphs.

The Lallgarh Palace named after Maharaj Lal Singh is an architectural marvel in red sandstone, dedicated by his loving son, Maharaja Ganga Singh. The palace has been tastefully designed and decorated with liberal help from the British designer Col Swinton Jacob.

Best part about the Palace is its unique blend of architecture which amalgamates the unique styles of the Rajputana, Islamic and European culture. Further, the architectural poetry has been adorned with exquisite latticework as well as filigree work.

The palace walls are replete with memories of past etchings, hunting trophies and some nostalgic life size paintings. Leisure and shooting facilities for trap and skeet shooting have been specially installed by the Maharaja for his visitors.

This royal edifice is a fusion of the Mughal and Rajput architectural styles with magnificent apartments and intricately designed floor tiles having interesting patterns. One can marvel at the ancient exhibits displayed in the museum in the central pan of the palace.

Situated just 32-kms away from Bharatpur is the Deeg Palace. A strong and massive fortress, Deeg Palace was the summer resort of the rulers of Bharatpur and houses numerous beautiful palaces and gardens.

A few of the eight imposing towers still stand erect within the glorious ramparts of the fort. Especially two of them - Jawahar Burj and Fateh Burj are of special interest. These were built by Maharaja Suraj Malto commemorate his victories over the Mughals and British respectively. The coronation ceremony of the Jat rulers of Bharatpur was also held at the Jawahar Burj.

Lohagarh Fort (Iron fort) got its name from its invincibility wherein it withstood repeated attempts by the British to conquer it. Constructed by the Bharatpur Jat ruler King Suraj Mal in the early 18th century Lohagarh is considered to be one of the strongest fort ever built in Indian history. The Lohagarh fort scores a little less on lavishness and splendor but makes up the same with the highly creative defense system that protected it every time. The monuments of Kishori and Moti Mahal and Kothi Khas are worth spending time in.

The name Sindhudurg in Marathi means a Fort build on Ocean or Ocean Fort. Constructed within a span of 3 years from 1664-1667 by King Shivaji by deploying 100 Portuguese architects, specially invited from Goa and over 3000 strong workforce the fort stands tall on the "Kurte" island.