Situated adjacent to the public park, its turrets pointing skywards, Junagarh fort is a magnificent sight to behold. It was constructed between 1589 and 1594 by Raja Rai Singh, a general in the army of the Mughal emperor Akbar. It was in 1585 that an old extant Mughal farman (decree) refers to Rai Singh of Bikaner, upon whom Akbar conferred the district of Bhatner. It was the next year that Rai Singh ordered work on the ‘great jewel of Bikaner’, the Junagarh fort. Work finally began in 1589 when the king sent instructions to that effect from his camp at Burhanpur to his minister Karam Chand. Finished five years later, its battlements jutted out proudly, although they were untested.

The fort has a 986 metre long wall, fortified by a long range of exquisite pavilions, 37 in all, silhouetted against the skyline. The palaces inside are ethereal, and comprise of royal public court buildings and intimate zenanas (women’s quarters), for purdah (veil) decreed that women be hidden from sight of courtiers. Consequently, women walked behind stone screens carved by expert artisans of Barmer and Bikaner. Theirs was a closed world, and although women played an important part in the royal household, they played no role in the administration or politics of Bikaner.

The unique feature of Junagarh fort is that it is one of the few Rajasthani forts not constructed on a hilltop, or any raised surface but on plain land. This provided the fort with a natural camouflage as it blended into the sandy desert surrounding it, enabling it to remain unconquered for close to 400 years. In the fort you’ll find raised platforms made of swords, on which the fakirs of Bikaner would dance. The Viceroy’s wife, Lady Reading described the scene in 1922: "A wizard walked with bare feet on swords I could not touch, so sharp were their points. It was hopelessly uncanny, but wonderful and gorgeous." The fort also contains an excellent library of Persian manuscripts and ancient Sanskrit books and an impressive armoury. Nearby is a well over 450 feet deep.