Bikaner Travel Guide

Gajner Wildlife Sanctuary

This old royal hunting lodge of Gajner is 20 miles of west of Bikaner was the venue of Maharaja Ganga Singh legendary Shikar Parties. The lodge itself, a sprawling deep-pink affair, ornamented with delicate lattice screens and cupolas is set in lush gardens by the side of a picturesque lake.

A member of a vicarage party that was once entertained here late reminisced, "You can imagine the beauty, it was like Arabian Nights in the desert. Incidentally for all his huntsmanship, Maharaja Ganga Singh was also a dedicated wildlife conservationist. He even had slabs of rock salt tied to the trees on one occasions when it was learned that a certain species of deer was suffering from a salt deficiency.

Today Gajner is a good place to see Blackbuck, Chinkara, Chittal, Sambar, Wild Boar and Bustard. The Maharaja still uses the lodge for weekends, but most of it, like Lallgarh Palace, has been converted into a hotel.