Bikaner

This article is about the city Bikaner in Rajasthan, India. For its namesake district, see Bikaner district. For the historical region and state, see Bikaner state.

Bikaner
Bikano
City
Devikund Sagar
Courtyard of The Gajner Palace
Sand dunes of Thar desert in Bikaner
Nickname: 
The Red City[1]
Bikaner is located in Rajasthan
Bikaner
Bikaner
Bikaner is located in India
Bikaner
Bikaner
Coordinates: 28°01′00″N 73°18′43″E / 28.01667°N 73.31194°E / 28.01667; 73.31194
Country India
StateRajasthan
DistrictBikaner
Established1488; 536 years ago (1488)
Founded byRao Bika
Named forRao Bika
Government
 • TypeMunicipal Corporation
 • BodyBikaner Municipal Corporation
 • MayorSushila Kanwar (BJP)
 • Municipal CommissionerAshok Kumar Asija, RAS[2]
Area
[3]
 • Total270 km2 (100 sq mi)
Elevation
242 m (794 ft)
Population
 (2011)[4]
 • Total644,406
 • Density2,400/km2 (6,200/sq mi)
DemonymBikaneri
Language
 • OfficialHindi[5]
 • Additional officialEnglish[5]
 • RegionalMarwari,[6] Rajasthani[7]
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
3340XX
Telephone code+91 151 / 0151
Vehicle registrationRJ-07
AirportBikaner Airport
WebsiteBikaner Municipal Corporation
Bikaner District

Bikaner (pronunciationⓘ) is a city in the northwest of the state of Rajasthan, India. It is located 330 kilometres (205 mi) northwest of the state capital, Jaipur. It is the administrative headquarters of Bikaner District and Bikaner division.

Formerly the capital of the princely Bikaner State, the city was founded by Rao Bika, a Rajput chief of the Rathore dynasty in 1488 CE[8][9] 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, facilitated its development.

  1. ^ Travel, D. K. (7 September 2017). DK Eyewitness Travel Guide India. Dorling Kindersley Limited. p. 25. ISBN 978-0-241-32624-4.
  2. ^ "Bikaner Administration". Bikaner.rajasthan.gov.in. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  3. ^ "Bikaner and its environment". bikanermc.org. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference c2011-66 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b "52nd Report of the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in India" (PDF). nclm.nic.in. Ministry of Minority Affairs. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  6. ^ "Marwari". Ethnologue. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference language was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ "PRACHINA - Bikaner Cultural Centre & Museum, Prachina - Cultural capital of Marwar, Bikaner Museum, Prachina Museum, Bikaner Royal family, Western influence in Bikaner, Contemporary Crafts, Bikaner Period Room, Ritual Crafts, Aristocratic Textile & Costumes, Royal Portraits, Glass and Cut Glass Objects, Decorative Wall Painting, Aristocratic Locomotive, Museum Galleries". Prachinamuseum.org. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  9. ^ kalaloda. "Bikaner History, India". Travelgrove.com. Retrieved 12 September 2013.