Gajner Wildlife Sanctuary (32km)
The lush foliage of woods on the Jaisalmer road are a heaven to nilgai chinkara, black buck, wild coar and folk of imperial sand grouse. The Gajner palace a summer retreat of the king stands on the bank of the lake and has been converted into a hotel.
Lal Garh Palace
The architectural masterpiece in red sand stone, the palace was built by Maharaj Ganga Singh in the palace memory of his father Maharaj Lal Singh. The palace has beautiful latticework and blooming bougainvillea and dancing peacock make it a not-to-be missed visual treat. Part of the palace has been converted into a luxury hotel and a museum known as Shri Sadul Museum. The museum covers the entire first floor of the palace and houses well preserved old photographs and trophies of wildlife.
The Chittaurgarh Fort
The indomitable pride of Chittaur, the fort is a missive structure with many gateways built by the later Maurya rulers in 7th century A.D. Perched on a height of 180m high hill, it sprawls over 700 acres. The tablets and chhatris within are impressive reminders of the Rajput heroism. The main gates are Padal Pole, Bhairon Pole, Hanuman Pole and Ram Pole. The fort has many magnificent monuments - all fine examples of the Rajput architecture. The ancient ruins of the fort are worth spending few moments in solitude.
Eighty Four Pillared Cenotaph
An amazingly magnificent memorial with 84 pillars in a single cenotaph along with a Shiva lingam. It was erected by Rao Anirudh.
Shikar Burj
The royal hunting lodge set amidst the lush surroundings. It is a favorite picnic spot.
Kshar Bagh
An ancient garden near the Shikar Burj with beautiful chhatris of the Bundi rulers and their queens - all examples of the town’s rich architecture. (Prior permission required for visit.)
Devi Kund (8km)
A royal crematorium with several ornamented cenotaphs or “chhatris’ built in the memory of the Bika dynasty rulers. Maharaja Suraj Singh chhatri is the most impressive of all creative entirely in white marble with spectacular Rajput painting on the ceiling.
Keoladeo National Park
Once the royal hunting preserve of the princes of Bharatpur, it is one of the finest bird sanctuaries in the world inundated with over 400 species or water Dims. Exotic migratory birds from Afghanistan, Central Asia, Tibet as well as Siberian cranes from the Arctic, greyleg geese from Siberia and bareheaded geese from China, come here in July/Aug to spend the winters in the warmer climate and they breed till Oct/Nov.
Colonies of cormorants, spoonbills, storks, egrets, herons, pelicans, ebis and grey herons can be spotted all over the park. The raised paths camouflaged by babul trees make their viewing easier.
Puskhar Fair
It is one of the most colorful fairs of India. Lakh of pilgrims throng the lake during the annual cattle fair. Beside trading of horse camels, cows and bulls, there are exciting camel-cart races and cultural cents, clothes household items and leather goods are for sale during the fair on the full moon of Kartik (Nov.), pilgrims take a holy dip in the lake.
Camel Research Farm (8km)
Spend a day with indispensable ship of the desert at their camel research and breeding centre-one of its kind in Asia. Timing 15.00hrs to 17.00hrs (Closed on Sundays and government holidays) Photography prohibited. The farm extends over 2000 acres of semiarid land is managed by the central Government. The camel crops of Bikaner were a famous fighting force during the Raj and are still an important part of the desert warfare and defence through the border security Force (BSF).
Pushkar Lake (11km)
The lake, situated on the edge of desert and surrounded by hills on the three sides is separated from Ajmer by Nag Pahar-the snake mountain. On this mountain the Panchkund and the cave of saint Agastya are located. It is believed that Kalidasa the 4th century Sanskrit poet and playwright, choose the setting for its masterpiece “Abhigyana Shakuntalam” in this forest heritage. According to legend, the origin of Pushkar dates back to the time when Lord Brahma was on his way in search of a tranquil land to perform a “Yagna”, A lotus fell from the hand of the Lord into this valley. A lake spring upon this spot and was dedicate to him. A Brahma temple located here is a popular place of pilgrimage.