Bikaner as a City of Happiness: A Peep Into the Cultural and Historic Evolution of an Unorganized Initiative to Develop a Happy City

Evolution Of Bikaner City

Bikaner was established in 1488 and it is located on Western Rajasthan (bordering to Pakistan). This city is located in the Thar Desert area and therefore water scarcity has always affected this city. The population of Bikaner is approximately 8 Lakhs. Being a border city, it has always faced challenges relating to infrastructure. It’s connected with Delhi through rail with the distance of 463 km and well connected through National Highway with Jaipur, NCR, Gujarat via Jodhpur. Industries could not be developed due to lack of infrastructure and political will. Still, we may witness limited industries in the field of wool processing, insulators, carpet, edible oil and other industries. The desert climate is its strength as well as weakness. Being a dry climate, this city has the best environment for food production such as lintel, bajra etc. This city has grabbed this opportunity and has become the largest food item producing city of India. Well-known brands of Bhujia (namkeen) such as Bikanerwala, Bikaji, Haldiram, BC, Milan etc. have originated from this city. The city has been producing almost 80% of the country’s Gypsum and POP (Plaster of Paris) requirements. The city has huge milk production and is known as ‘Denmark of Rajasthan’. The city has been known for its crafts including paintings, Usta art, miniature painting, manihari jewelry, jadau, bandhej, doria and The city is also known for its unique culture, heritage and values. Lack of water is a major problem in agriculture. Wherever, Indira Gandhi Canal water is available - there is abundant crop, but its coverage is limited to few places only. Handmade carpets by prisoners are well known throughout the country.