Kote Gate

Bikaner is a golden city established in the year 1488 AD by a Rajput prince, Rao Bika Ji. The city has every bit of Rajput territory and houses various havelis, places, museums, temples, and many other places of interest that bring to one mind the magnificence of pastime. Offering a brief look of the stunning architectural work in Bikaner, Kote Gate is the main entrance gate of the city. This structure is an excellent example of intricate artistry of the workers of the olden days. Made of bricks and red sand stones, Kote Gate is standing tall in the middle of the road and separates the old town, and the new town of Bikaner. While one side of the gate is the modern city, the other side has beautiful old havelis or mansions that are the finest architectural pieces. Many visitors from all across the country and even from other parts of the world visit this place to experience and admire the old world charm. This place is most frequented by history buffs, photo fanatics and shopaholics.

Things To Do Here:

One of the most popular activities to do near Kote Gate is to go for shopping in the local market (bazaar) that is situated around it. The noisy street beside the Kote Gate is filled with plenty of shops and you can shop for some stunning stuff in this market. Attractive options are abundantly offered here. Things you must purchase from here include beautiful accessories made from camel hide, and open-toed shoes that are worn traditionally by the men. Other interesting things that you can fetch here are utensils, miniature paintings, handicrafts, colorful attires, beautiful khadi items like kurtas, wooden carvings or artifacts, Kundan jewelry, fragrant spices, and much more. You can find a number of big hand-loom showrooms and high-end shops in the market, but some of the finest wares can be found and bought from the smaller shops and street stalls.

This popular street market in Bikaner has something for everyone. You should use your bargaining skills to a great extent when you enter this market. You never know you might end up purchasing the most exclusive souvenir at never-before prices in this market. And when you get tired of from shopping, you can enjoy some local delicacies here. You also find some eating joint selling specialties like Bikaneri bhujiya, Bikaneri sweets, tea made from camel’s milk, etc. in this street market.

The Best Time To Visit Here:

Bikaner is a place which experiences extreme climate throughout the year. While the summers of Bikaner are hot and humid, winter days are chilly. So, the best time to visit Kote Gate and the other places of interest in Bikaner is from month of October to March when the climate remains cool and pleasant.

Nearby Places To Visit Here:

As Bikaner houses many forts, havelis, temples and many more, visitors can explore many interesting places while visiting Kote Gate. Some places of interest near Kote Gate are Ganesh Mandir, Matyasadarshini, Karni Mata Mandir, Ratan Behari Temple, Narsingh Bhagwan mandir, Junagarh Fort, Lallgarh Palace, kharnada Hanuman Mandir, Jagdish Mandir, Bhandsar Jain Temple, Shiv Bari Temple, Kodamdeshwar Temple, Shri Laxminath Temple, Bhandeshwari Jain Temple, Karan Mahal, Phool Mahal, Anup Mahal, Chandra Mahal, Gajner Palace, National Research Center on Camel, Imperial Art Gallery, Visakha Museum, Ganga Golden Jubilee Museum, Prachina Museum, Sadul Singh Museum, Gajner Wildlife Sanctuary, Ramakrishna Beach,etc.

How To Reach Here:

Bikaner is well-connected with all the major cities of the country like Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Chennai. Once you reach Bikaner, you can easily reach Kote Gate as public transport is abundantly available at all parts of the city for easy commutation.

• By Air- The nearest airport to reach Bikaner is the Jodhpur International Airport that is at a distance of about 251 km from the place. You can hire private taxi or cab from the airport to reach Bikaner and Kote Gate.

• By Train- Bikaner Junction (BKN) and Lalgarh Junction (LGH) are the two railway junctions in the town. As Kote Gate is situated at a walking distance from Bikaner Junction (BKN), you can take public transport like buses, taxi, cab, auto rickshaw to reach the place from this railway station.

Visiting Time For Kote Gate:

The timings for shopping at Kote Gate market in Bikaner is from morning 10:30 am to evening 8:30 pm. The suggested duration for shopping in the market is around 1 to 2 hours.