Junagarh Fort

En un regard

Le château en bref

In the heart of Bikaner, in the middle of the Thar Desert, Junagarh Fort is distinctive in that it does not occupy a height. It was built on flat ground, and it compensated for the lack of relief with a moat and a red sandstone curtain wall nearly one kilometre long. Built from 1589 to 1594 for Raja Rai Singh, sixth ruler of Bikaner and general of the Mughal emperors, it was, according to tradition, never taken by force. The main entrance, the Karan Pol, opens to the east, flanked by the Suraj Pol, a gate of golden sandstone guarded by sculpted elephants. Behind these gates stand palaces built over nearly four centuries: the Phool Mahal, the oldest, decorated with mirrors; the Karan Mahal; the Anup Mahal, with its sumptuous decoration; the painted Chandra Mahal; the Badal Mahal; and the Ganga Mahal, which dates from the twentieth century. The decor blends Rajput tradition, Gujarati influences and European elements. A museum founded in 1961 displays weapons, howdahs, manuscripts, miniatures and even a biplane from the First World War.