The walls
Red sandstone.
Gerd Eichmann — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gerd Eichmann — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gerd Eichmann — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wolfgang Sauber — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gerd Eichmann — CC BY-SA 4.0
Junagarh Fort stands in the city of Bikaner in Rajasthan, India, at the centre of the modern city that grew up around it, less than a kilometre from the city centre in a straight line. It is one of the few major forts in Rajasthan not built on a hilltop. It was first called Chintamani and renamed Junagarh, «old fort», in the early 20th century, when the ruling family moved to Lalgarh Palace outside. Its walls and moat were built between 1589 and 1594 under Karan Chand, prime minister of Raja Rai Singh, and despite repeated attacks it was never taken except for a single day. Long walls of red and pink sandstone with rounded battlements and towers run around it, crowned by palaces with carved latticed windows. Inside are palaces, halls and a museum of the royal family's collections. The interior is usually seen on a guided tour of about two hours. Summers are very hot, so October to March is best, and mornings are pleasanter for walking.
Red sandstone.
Carved lattice.
Royal collections.
Bikaner, Rajasthan, India
About two hours.
October to March.