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BIKANER INFORMATION

Bikaner is a District in the northwest of the state of Rajasthan in northern India. The city is the administrative headquarters of Bikaner District and Bikaner division. It was formerly the capital of the princely state of Bikaner. The city was founded by Rao Bika and Jats as the spot which Rao Bika selected for his capital, was the birthright of a Nehra Jat, who would only concede it for this purpose on the condition that his name should be linked in perpetuity with its surrender. Naira, or Nera, was the name of the proprietor, which Bika added to his own, thus composing that of the future capital, Bikaner. in 1486 and from its small origins it has developed into the fourth largest city in Rajasthan. The Ganga Canal completed in 1928 and the Indira Gandhi Canal completed in 1987 have allowed the farming of crops such as mustard, cotton, Groundnut, wheat and vegetables. Other industries include wool production and the mining of Gypsum, plaster of Paris and bentonite. Bikaner is famous for sweets and snacks (or namkeens in hindi).

Before middle 15th century rule, the region that is Bikaner was a barren wilderness called "Jangladesh". The territory forming the boundaries of Bikaner was ruled by Jat dynasty of Jats : The north-eastern and north-western Rajasthan, known by the name Jangala Desh since Mahabharata times, was inhabited by Jat clans ruled by their own chiefs and largely governed by their own customary law. The chiefs enjoyed a large amount of autonomy, from their nominal overlord, the sultanate of Delhi.

The internal transport system in Bikaner consists of autorickshaws and city buses. Bikaner is connected to some of major Indian cities via broad gauge railway. The city has direct rail connections to Delhi, Mumbai, Kanpur, Agra, Jalandhar, Baroda, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Guwahati, Jaipur, Surat, Jalandhar, Thiruvananthapuram, Chandigarh, Jammu, and Ahmedabad. However, there is no rail connectivity for other major Indian cities like Chennai, Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Gorakhpur and Puri. Bikaner is well served with roads and is linked directly to Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Ludhiana, Bhatinda, Ambala, Ahmedabad, Haridwar, Jodhpur, Indore and many other cities. National highways 11, 15, and 89 meet at Bikaner. Bikaner has a well equipped military airport at Nal and hopes to have a passenger airport in the near future.

Bikaner is situated in the middle of the Thar desert with very little rainfall and extreme temperatures. In summer, temperatures exceed 50 °C and during the winter it dips to freezing point.

Bikaner was and is the centre for Usta Art, a generic term for the Manoti-Naqqashi (embossed and unembossed floral and geometric patterned objects layered with gold) media produced by Usta family master artistans of Bikaner. The Usta artists and artisans also controlled all production of the Bikaner School "miniature" paintings using translucent and opaque vegetable and mineral watercolours from the late-16th to late-19th Century. Famous painters of the Bikaner School were Hamid Rukn-ud-din, Ahmad, Nathu ji, Nure, Rahim, Isa, Iso, Sahab-ud-din, Rehim ji and Murad.

According to the 2001 India census, Bikaner had a population of 529,007. Males constituted 53% of the population and females 47%. Bikaner has an average literacy rate of 66%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with male literacy of 74% and female literacy of 57%. 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.

For notable Universities and colleges see List of universities and colleges in Bikaner:Now there are 4 Engineering colleges as Manda Institute of technology,bikaner(jaipur Road),Engineering College Bikaner,Marudhar Engineering College(Jaipur road),College of Engineering & Technology, Maharaja Ganga Singh University, Jaisalmer Road, Bikaner, Newly opened veterinary University,Jaisalmer Road,Bikaner, Bikaner Technical University,Bikaner, Swami Keshvanand rajasthan agricultute University, ganganagar Road, Bikaner Government Dunger College, jaipur Road, Bikaner M.S. College for Women, Jaisalmer Road, Bikaner Keen college, Rampuria College, Joshiwara, inside kote gate, Bikaner.

Bikaner is well connected by road, rail and air links to the rest of the country.[22] Bikaner has an airport named Nal Airport, which is 17 kilometres (11 mi) away from the city centre and is still not fully functional. However, airports at Jodhpur (254 kilometres (158 mi)) and Sanganer Airport at Jaipur (352 kilometres (219 mi)) within Rajasthan provide the link. Bikaner is served by two railway stations namely Bikaner Junction (BKN) and Lalgarh Railway Station (LGH). These two stations connect Bikaner with other cities and towns in Rajasthan and with the major cities in North India. There is very good network of city roads also where all modes of vehicular transport communications operate.

Aksaye Tritya or "AKKHA TEEJ": the foundation day of Bikaner. This was the day when Rao Bika laid the foundation of the new empire. Every year on this day people from across the social spectrum enjoy themselves by flying kites or "CHANDA". They also enjoy a special meal, such as "Khichra and Imlani".