Junagarh Fort

The fort, originally called

Chintamani Durg, was built by
Raja Rai Singh; work started on
January 30, 1586 and finished in
1594. For three centuries after

this, the rulers engaged in about

nine battles with their cousins
from Jodhpur state. A dispute
between the two sides had been
simmering since around 1491
when some family heirlooms,
the Rathore symbols of power,
were given away by Rao Jodha
(founder of Jodhpur) to his son
Rao Bika who founded Bikaner in
1465. Descendants of the latter
always emerged victorious, and
these heirlooms remain safe in
Bikaner till date under the care
of the Rao Bikaji Maharaja of
Bikaners Heirloom, Insignias
and Farmans Private Trust. One
of these, a sandalwood throne
dating back to 1212 is on display
at the fort.

Bikaner did not have a hill to

build a fort on for greater
security, but its design still gives
it an imposing stature. Every
generation following the founder
made additions and alterations
to the fort, but the surrounding
moat always remained a dry
one.
Imprints of hands of Satis:
The period around 1200 1600
A.D. was a dark one for Rajput
women in Rajasthan. Widows
had either to lead lives of
outcasts or in confinement, or
were expected to immolate
themselves on the funeral pyre
of their husbands. This act of
committing Sati was preferred
by women whose indoctrination

since childhood taught them life

without their husband was not
worth living. As you enter the
fort, you will see imprints of the
hands of some of the women
who committed Sati. The ones in
marble are those of the last Sati
Kanwarani Deep Kanwar, wife
of Maharaja Kumar Moti Singh
on October 30, 1825, before the
British outlawed this practice..

A Hidden Treasure: Cross the

Suraj Prole (Sun Gate) and pause
on the ramp or Khurra it is
believed Raja Rai Singh buried a
treasure of gold and jewels
under it for an emergency.

And the lights come on: In a

visionary move much ahead of
its time, Maharaja Dungar Singh
engaged an English engineer Mr.
Robinson to install electric
power in the fort. And when the
switch was flicked on, onlookers
were left dazzled with powerful
lamps and arc lights coming

alive simultaneously,
illuminating the whole fort. In
1914, Maharaja Ganga Singh
installed the first elevator,
imported from England, in
Rajasthan.
The Armoury: You cannot but
help get impressed with the
collection of arms, one of the
finest in any fort in India.
Swords, knives, daggers, shields,
maces, armours, bows and
arrows and guns used over the
centuries are all on a well
curated display. You will also see
a World War I DH9-DE Haviland
fighter plane. Actually, the
British presented Maharaja
Ganga Singh parts of two such
shot down planes as souvenirs in
return for combat services

rendered during the war. Around

1985, Maharaja Karni Singh
engaged craftsmen to take parts
from both and put together one
replica of the original. There is a
stand with swords placed
horizontally in it; the sharp
edges face upwards and
members of the Siddh
community would perform
stunts by walking on these. They
do similar stuff on beds of nails
and burning coal.

You have a collection of

palanquins used by the royal
ladies for transportation. The
fort is dotted with temples,
some open to public and others
only for the royal family. The
Badal Mahal or Cloud Palace has
a blue ceiling with clouds and
lightening painted on it to give
a feeling of coolness in the

harsh, dry desert region. The

Chini Burj has tiles made in
China for the European market
the earliest sign of foreign
influence in the interiors. One of
the rooms has a 65 kilo silver
door leading to it. A silver throne
stands in the Karan Mahal and
was used for ceremonial
purposes. A swing known as
Krishna Jhoola is used during
Janmashtami to celebrate the
birth of the Hindu God Krishna.

There is a stand with swords

placed horizontally in it; the
sharp edges face upwards and
members of the Siddh
community would perform
stunts by walking on these. They
do similar stuff on beds of nails
and burning coal.

The beds for kings are

interesting. Paranoid of being
attacked even while asleep,
these were made low to ensure
no conspirators could hide
underneath. The beds were
shorter than the body so the
feet are on the floor; should
someone tie the king in his

sleep, he could still stand up

with the bed on his back and put
up a fight. Question: If someone
got so far as to tie the king,
wouldnt they have
incapacitated him to fight at all?
If yes, at least the king could
have ordered more comfortable
beds to sleep while he still
could.