Bikaner

Bikaner
Bikano
City
Nickname: 
The Red City
Bikaner
Bikaner
Coordinates: 28°01′00″N 73°18′43″E / 28.01667°N 73.31194°E / 28.01667; 73.31194
Country India
StateRajasthan
DistrictBikaner
Established1488 (1488)
Founded byRao Bika
Named afterRao Bika
Government
 • TypeMayor–Council
 • Body
 • MayorSushila Kanwar (BJP)
 • Municipal CommissionerNamrata Vrishni, IAS
Area
 • Total
270 km2 (100 sq mi)
Elevation
242 m (794 ft)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total
644,406
 • Density2,400/km2 (6,200/sq mi)
DemonymBikaneri
Language
 • OfficialHindi
 • Additional officialEnglish
 • RegionalMarwari (Rajasthani)
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
3340XX
Telephone code+91 151 / 0151
Vehicle registrationRJ-07
AirportBikaner Airport
WebsiteBikaner Municipal Corporation
Bikaner District

Bikaner (IPA: [biːkaːneːɾ] ) is a city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is situated approximately 330 kilometres (205 mi) northwest of the state capital, Jaipur, in the Thar Desert region of western Rajasthan. Bikaner serves as the administrative headquarters of Bikaner District and Bikaner division. Formerly the capital of the princely Bikaner State, the city was founded in 1488 CE by Rao Bika, a Rajput chief of the Rathore dynasty. From its small origins it has developed into the fourth largest city in Rajasthan. The Ganga Canal, completed in 1928, and the Indira Gandhi Canal, completed in 1987, facilitated its development.