I left Mandawa at noon heading west to Bikaner. It took five hours on a hot and barren desert road through sand dunes to reach our destination. I kept myself occupied by reading books, meditating, listening to my I-Pod, and journaling, 'India is over populated, poor, noisy, horns blowing constantly, rickshaws and motor bikes driving crazily, poor roads, lousy Internet, unproductive work habits, unsanitary, animals everywhere, ancient, rich in history, cultural, religious, friendly, delicious food, spices and teas, and the most fascinating, colorful, the most different place I've ever experienced.'
I checked into the Hotel Sagar late in the afternoon and went to the courtyard for a beer and to e-mail Kathy back home.
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| Courtyard of Hotel Sagar |
Bikaner is a city of 650,000, and home to several schools and universities. Among the attractions are Fort Junagarh built in 1589 by King Raja Rai Singh, sixth ruler of Bikaner who reigned 1571 to 1612. The fort was the home of 16 kings. Karan Mahal Palace was built in 1630 by King Karan Singh, who is said to have had 365 wives. Both places were fascinating.
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8th to 12th grade Sikh students visiting the fort
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| A beautiful Sikh student whose smile was very moving |
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| Blessing received outside the Fort |
Camel Festival
Another attraction in Bikaner is the camel festival which takes place every year for two days in January, and includes camel races, camel dances, and camel rides. I was told that thousands of people and camels attend this event from all over the world. I visited the track where the races are held, imagining what it's like to be there then.
Camel Research Farm
Although I could not attend the camel festival I did go to the Camel Research Farm, where there are 350 camels being cared for. There are 3 kinds of camels; those used for working, riding, and milking. I took a bumpy ride on a very bog camel: interesting, but I was glad when it was over.
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| The 10 ft camel I road |
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| Some of the 350 camels who live here |
I visited the Bikaner Miniature Arts Studio run by a young artist Shiv Swami. His is in the Guinness book of world record for producing the world's smallest paintings. Here are photos of his painting on my fingernail.
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| Shiv Swami painting my fingernail |
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| The finished painting |
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