Gaj Kesri Bikaner – An Enchanting Hotel In The Desert

Hotel Gaj Kesri Bikaner, Rajasthan – An Enchanting Abode In The Desert

Gaj Kesri Bikaner was our destination in Bikaner, Rajasthan, India. The drive to Bikaner from Jaipur was an exhilarating one. Both sides of the rainwashed road were filled with lush greenery. If not for the milestones that we passed, we could hardly believe that we were in the Indian desert state of Rajasthan and driving towards the fringes of the Thar desert to the city of Bikaner.

The sun which played hide and seek with the clouds cast an ethereal glow as the long desert day drew to an end. Our minds flew back a couple of years to a road trip across Rajasthan when we had taken the same route and had driven across vast barren and arid stretches of land on either side. But this time around this was a new avatar of the landscape that we were witnessing and a very happy one at that.

The evening was so beautiful that in spite of an early morning flight from Bangalore to Jaipur and the flight from Jaipur to Bikaner getting canceled, we were still in high spirits. The serendipity of travel had once again ensured that we enjoyed the thrill of an unplanned road trip in Rajasthan complete with wayside stops for delicious local food and cups of steaming hot tea.

Hotel Gaj Kesri Bikaner – Love At First Sight

Darkness had fallen. Still, some kilometers from the city of Bikaner we took a turn onto the Jodhpur Bikaner bypass road. We then took a sharp right turn to come bang in front of a massive gate. The gate opened and we drove in. We turned around a round-about and gasps of awe resonated through the car. Right in front of us, she stood, her perfect features silhouetted against the dark sky. A golden glow enveloped her like a halo giving her a surreal aura. It was love at first sight. We fell in love with the magnificent facade of Hotel Gaj Kesri.

The facade of Hotel Gaj Kesri Bikaner seems to have materialized straight from the annals of the history of Rajasthan. A fort, a castle, a royal mansion, it could have been anything depending on your own flight of imagination. We almost expected a Maharajah to emerge in all his regal finery!

Hotel Gaj Kesri Bikaner India – Heritage Recreated

Gaj Kesri is like a musical composition etched with the perfect notes borrowed from the rich heritage of the Rajputana style of architecture. The Rajputana style itself is an endearing blend of the best of Hindu and Mughal architecture. The red facade of Gaj Kesri Bikaner looks like a shining red ruby placed with great love in the midst of lush green vegetation on the outskirts of Bikaner.

The structure evokes the best of the Rajputana style of architecture and evokes memories of the Hawa Mahal of Jaipur and other famous forts and palaces that bedeck the land of Rajasthan. Two turrets, one on each side frame the central structure which houses a long porch. The turrets are topped with stylish Chhatris. The Chhatris which are dome-shaped porches are of course one of the iconic elements of Rajputana architecture. Arches and exquisite Jharokhas complete the picture of the grandeur of a glorious page of the history of Rajasthan and India.

But the facade is just the threshold that beckons you to enter a different world, a world of grandeur, elegance, and style. A world of rooms and passages ornamented with art drawn from the heritage of Rajasthan as well as contemporary artworks. The Hotel Gaj Kesri is more than just a hotel, it is a museum of art with every nook and corner amazing you with the meticulous detailing that has gone in designing the interiors. The walls, many of them hand-painted and adorned with murals add to the surreal aura of the place.

Rajasthan shines as a region where art in all forms has thrived. Bikaner is famous for the iconic Utsa art form which originated from Iran but was patronized and thrived in the Bikaner region especially during the reign of Raja Rai Singh. Miniature painting is another form that proliferated in Bikaner. The Hotel Gaj Kesri is a treasure trove where the works of these art forms have found expression. The best part is that these have been commissioned and made exclusively by local artists at their in-house workshop at the Bhanwar Niwas Haveli located in the heart of Bikaner City.

The Return Of The Prodigal – Mr. Sunil Rampuria

Before we go ahead and talk more about the heritage Hotel Gaj Kesri Bikaner, it is but in the fitness of things to talk about the man whose dream and passion gave birth to the hotel. The man is none other than Mr. Sunil Rampuria, a scion of the famous Rampuria clan of Bikaner. His life story is in itself fascinating and has all the makings of a classic novel or movie. Mr. Sunil Rampuria grew up in the city of Kolkata, where his forefathers had migrated to more than 150 years ago.

In his own words, Mr. Sunil Rampuria took a radical decision in the year 1991 to return to the land of his forefathers to give wings to a dream of converting a heritage haveli into a hotel, much to the chagrin of his parents and other family members. The blend of passion and hard work saw him refurbish an old Haveli and open it up to the world as Bhanwar Niwas. The only one of the famous Rampuria Havelis that one can actually see from the inside today. But this was just the trigger and Mr. Sunil Rampuria had bigger dreams. Bhanwar Niwas Bikaner was an ancestral property and Mr. Rampuria wanted to build his own hotel from scratch. Thus blossomed the idea of Hotel Gaj Kesri.

Dusk has just given way tonight as we have a tete a tete with Mr. Sunil Rampuria in his office at the Hotel Gaj Kesri. “There was nothing here, no trees, just sand and sun, fierce sandstorms would rage here in the summers”, said Mr. Sunil Rampuria as he reminisced about the days when he started his dream project of building Gaj Kesri. Looking around the verdant property full of foliage and trees one can scarce believe that this very land was once filled with the sands of the desert.

However, when you chase a dream, they do turn into reality and that is what happened, the dreams materialized as he worked tirelessly to give shape to the Hotel Gaj Kesri, a heritage hotel with a contemporary twist and one of the best 4 star hotels in Bikaner.

“It was a great day, a happy day when the Hotel Gaj Kesri opened on the 25th of January, 2006”, says Mr. Sunil Rampuria with a smile of satisfaction that belies the sheer hard work that went into turning his dream into reality.

Mr. Sunil Rampuria is a man of many dimensions. He is an artist with a keen interest in architecture. Talking to him you realize the deep spiritual bend of his mind, he is a man who connects with art and nature and these aspects of his personality reflect in the ambience of the Hotel Gaj Kesri. Mr. Sunil Rampuria is also an educationist and involved in the management of many educational institutions of Bikaner that have been set up by the Rampuria family. These include the B.J.S. Rampuria Jain College that was established in 1934 by Seth Bhanwarlalji Rampuria, the SBJS Rampuria Jain College which has a state of the art facility for Management education, and the B.J.S. Rampuria Jain Law College.

Matching Strides – Mrs. Anju Rampuria

Mr. Sunil Rampuria emphasized the importance of teamwork and how both Bhanwar Niwas and Hotel Gaj Kesri were the results of focused teamwork and passion. One of the key members of the team is none other than his wife Mrs. Anju Rampuria who herself is a lady who wears different hats. Her benevolent presence can be felt in the hotel as she enquires about your comfort and also ensures that the best food is served from the kitchens of Gaj Kesri.

She is passionate about jewelry and this passion led to the genesis of Fanfare Jewelry which she founded about thirteen years ago. Fanfare Jewelry makes exquisite and handmade Jadau jewelry which is made with the utmost care, using the best quality stones. Jadau jewelry which is a style that involves embedding was brought to India by the Mughals and blossomed in Bikaner and has since spread across to other places including Gujarat. However, the Jadau jewelry of Bikaner is in a class of its own.

Mrs. Anju Rampuria has held exhibitions of her jewelry collections in various cities including Kolkata, Delhi, Nagpur, Pune, and Surat. Her specialty is reversible jewelry.

Mrs. Anju Rampuria also manages a more than 100-year-old girls school, the LKSI Jain school run by the Rampuria family trust. She has been actively working with the school since 1993 and spearheaded its growth. The school which was established by Seth Bhanwarlal in the memory of his four sisters, today educates more than 750 girls till the 12th standard with very nominal fees.

Rooms At Hotel Gaj Kesri

There are 41 rooms at the Hotel Gaj Kesri and each one is a work of art. As soon as you open the door of your room, you are swept away into another aesthetically grand era. Arched doorway, study table, lamps, mirrors, bed, and other furniture in the rooms evoke a sense of luxury and art which are at once contemporary as well as drawn from the rich heritage of the land of Rajasthan. The rooms are complete with all luxurious amenities including Television, Wi-Fi, footwear, Coffee Maker, Refrigerator, and complimentary toiletries The rooms provide nice views of the hotel grounds.

Hotel Gaj Kesri also has drawing rooms that are the epitome of magnificence. These rooms can be used by guests for relaxation. These rooms which are enveloped in an aura of royalty are a feast to the eyes. The rooms are treasure troves of art and antiquity. A plush carpet, chandeliers, huge paintings, gilded furniture, and Objets d’art that grab your attention with their exquisite workmanship complete the picture of being surrounded by royalty.

The Chowk

There is a delightful and spacious courtyard known as Chowk which is open to the sky. The place is a delightful place to chill during the evenings. As you look upwards the evening sky casts its mesmerizing glance while the exquisite Jharokhas and arches in red have your attention riveted.

As the ethereal glow of twilight streaks in and bathes the courtyard, the Chowk at the Hotel Gaj Kesri resonates to the soothing and soul-stirring music from Team King Dreams. The evening assumes a surreal hue as the band transports you into the romantic realms of classic and evergreen Bollywood numbers that touch the core of your heart.

The voice of Raja Kiradoo binds you in a spell as a musical aura envelops Hotel Gaj Kesri.

The Grounds of Hotel Gaj Kesri

The beauty of the Hotel Gaj Kesri is not restricted only to its interiors. The hotel is located in a sprawling 25-acre area. The grounds of the hotel is indeed a green oasis right on the fringes of the desert. Days begin and end with the excited chirping of thousands of birds who have made the verdant gardens of the hotel, their home. If you are staying at Hotel Gaj Kesri, do get up early and take a walk in the grounds, you shall feel one with nature as you are greeted by the music of birds stirring from their nests. As the grass and surrounding foliage shimmering with the early morning dew, your spirits are sure to rise in cadence with the sonorous sounds of the birds.

As you walk around the grounds, you get the feeling that you are in a medieval castle, right opposite the main hotel building stands another facade in brick red that looks like a fort. steps lead to the top from either side where a bench has been strategically placed to get a lovely view of the hotel’s facade. Below is a patio with lovely arches. In front stands a circular pond with a fountain.

Swimming Pool At Hotel Gaj Kesri

The rays of the early morning sun caress the shimmering blue waters as you gaze at the swimming pool that stretches out in front of you. The pool is set in the midst of greenery and one feels connected with the elements here. At one end of the pool stands another facade complete with arches and minarets on either side. The facade renders the pool with a regal style.

Dining Area And Food At Hotel Gaj Kesri

Fragrant candles cast an ethereal glow as guests troop in for dinner. The table is laid with elegant and stylish cutlery. An enigmatic painting graces the wall at one end of the long dining table. Helpful staff serve you with the warmth and hospitality that is synonymous with the state of Rajasthan.

The food served at the Restaurant in Hotel Gaj Kesri is completely vegetarian and the menu features not only traditional Rajasthani and Indian dishes but also selections from Continental and Chinese cuisines.

Service At Hotel Gaj Kesri Bikaner

The service is what elevates a good hotel to a very good or great hotel. The service at Hotel Gaj Kesri is not only prompt but always with a smile. The staff is ever ready to help and attend to your every need.

Location And How To Get To Hotel Gaj Kesri

• Hotel Gaj Kesri Bikaner is located at Naino Ka Bas, Jodhpur Bypass, Ridmalsar Sipahiyan, Rajasthan 334001
• Hotel Gaj Kesri is located about 26 kilometers from Bikaner Airport
• Hotel Gaj Kesri is located about 12 kilometers from Bikaner town center
• Hotel Gaj Kesri is located about 328 kilometers from Jaipur
• One can drive to Hotel Gaj Kesri from Jaipur or fly in from Jaipur, there are flights to and from Delhi also

Hotel Gaj Kesri – An Ideal Destination Wedding Location

The dreamy environs of Hotel Gaj Kesri lend itself well for a wedding or also any other event. Its heritage and royal look are sure to form the ideal backdrop for many an enchanting wedding photo. Its sprawling grounds,  halls, and rooms are sure to lend a royal touch to any wedding.

The hotel holds the promise of curating an unforgettable wedding experience that would leave an indelible imprint in the minds of the couple and wedding guests. The venues at Hotel Gaj Kesri Bikaner are ideal for hosting destination weddings, pre-wedding shoots, and other events.

Nearby Bikaner Attractions

The beautiful environs of the Hotel Gaj Kesri Bikaner are sure to have you enthralled and make you want to spend more and more time in its salubrious surroundings. However, if you still want to explore Bikaner, there are many attractions and experiences awaiting you in the vicinity. The hotel would also be able to curate your exploration of Bikaner on request. Here are some of the Bikaner attractions that are sure to appeal to you.

• The 16th century Junagarh Fort which was the epicenter of the ancient city of Bikaner
• Karni Mata Temple, Deshnoke, famous as the temple of rats
• National Research Centre on Camels
• Rampuria Havelis, a wonderful example of exquisite Rajputana architecture

View our video on Hotel Gaj Kesri Bikaner, Rajasthan

Plan a stay at Hotel Gaj Kesri Bikaner Rajasthan India

Are you planning a trip to Bikaner or a vacation in Rajasthan? You can book flights and hotels right here. You can book your hotels through TripAdvisor or Cleartrip or Booking.com and accrue huge savings. You can book online tours in Bikaner.

Have you been to Bikaner India? If you want to experience Bikaner in a royal style you must stay at the Hotel Gaj Kesri which offers a secluded, quiet, and rejuvenating experience. It is a place where you wake up to the chirping of birds and not to the din of traffic. Though exclusive and secluded the hotel is within easy reach of all the attractions of Bikaner and makes for a great place to stay and wake up in. For us, it is the best hotel in Bikaner city.

If you are looking for Bikaner hotels do check out Hotel Gaj Kesri, a wonderful property in Bikaner. Check their official website for details like hotel Gaj Kesri Bikaner tariff and hotel Gaj Kesri Bikaner contact, etc..

We were hosted by Hotel Gaj Kesri. However, the views and opinions expressed here are our own.

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