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TRAIN ANER
The main train station is Bikaner Junction, with
a computerised reservations office (h8am-
10pm Mon-Sat, 8am-2pm Sun) in a separate build-
ing just east of the main station building. A couple
of other useful services go from lalgarh station in
the north of the city (₹50 in an autorickshaw).
For Jaisalmer, an evening train with reserved
ticketing options runs only on Tuesdays (sleeper
₹178, 5 hours, 6.30pm) from Bikaner Junction.
On all other days there is only a morning train
with unreservable seats. it leaves from lalgarh
station at 7.20am and takes around six hours.
The desert views are superb and there are al-
ways plenty of seats. Turn up 30 minutes or so
before departure, buy an unreserved ‘general
ticket’ (₹76) and climb aboard.
Four daily trains go to Jodhpur (12.35am,
6.15am, 9.30am and 11.05am) in around five
hours.
Three daily trains go to Delhi (9.15am, 7.45pm
and 11pm). They usually take seven to eight
hours, although the 7.45pm takes more than 11
hours.
Three daily trains go to Jaipur (6am, 6.45pm
and 11pm) in around 6½ hours.
There are no direct trains to Ajmer for Pushkar.
A round Bikaner
National Research
Centre on Camels
The National ̈Research ̈Centre ̈on ̈Cam-
els (%01512230183; indian/foreigner ₹20/50,
camera ₹30, rides ₹30; h2-6pm) is 8km
southeast of central Bikaner. While here
you can visit baby camels, go for a short
ride and look around the small museum.
There are about 400 camels, of three dif-
ferent breeds. Guides are available for
₹50-plus. There’s an on-site Camel Milk
Parlour dishing out small plastic bags of
camel milk (₹5) for you to sample through
a straw. Camel grazing time is 3pm to 6pm
and is the best time to come. The round
trip, including half an hour waiting time, is
around ₹150/300 for an autorickshaw/taxi.
You could also consider cycling or riding a
moped out here.
THE EMPLE ̈T ̈OF ̈RATS
The extraordinary ̈Karni ̈Mata ̈Temple (camera/video ₹20/50; h4am-10pm) at Desh-
nok, 30km south of Bikaner, is one of India’s weirder attractions. Its resident mass of
holy rodents is not for the squeamish, but most visitors to Bikaner brave the potential
for ankle-nipping and put a half-day trip here on their itinerary.
Karni Mata lived in the 14th century and performed many miracles during her life-
time. When her youngest son, Lakhan, drowned, she ordered Yama, the god of death,
to bring him back to life. Yama said he was unable to do so, but that Karni Mata, as an
incarnation of Durga, could restore Lakhan’s life. This she did, decreeing that members
of her family would no longer die but would be reincarnated as kabas (rats). Around 600
families in Deshnok claim to be descendants of Karni Mata and that they will be reincar-
nated as kabas.
The temple isn’t, in fact, swarming with rats, but there are a lot of them here, espe-
cially in nooks and crannies and in areas where priests and pilgrims leave out food for
them. And you do have to take your shoes off to enter the temple.
You can find food and drinks for yourself at the numerous snack stalls outside.
There are frequent buses here from Bikaner’s main bus stand. A return autorickshaw
from Bikaner with a one-hour wait costs ₹350.
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