Nestled approximately 8 km east from Bikaner, Devi Kund Sagar is important as it houses the royal cenotaphs of the mighty rulers who belonged to the Bika dynasty. The members of ruling family of Bikaner succeeding to Jet Singh, the great grandson of Rao Bikaji, have been cremated here. The cenotaphs (chattris) of the early rulers were made of red sandstone, while the later ones are made of marble. The most extraordinary cenotaph is that of Maharaja Suraj Singh, built in white marble. Some of the cenotaphs are inflated with Rajput painting on the ceiling. The structural design of the cenotaphs is the prime attraction of this place.
The cenotaphs of Devi Kund may be classified on the basis of the pattern i.e. the huge and elaborated cenotaphs with canopies, royal portraits and inscriptions about the achievements of the deceased belong to the Bika kings, the others are the smaller cenotaphs dedicated to the Bika queens, each of which bear footprints of the deceased queen. There are a small number of tiny marble cenotaphs at Devi Kund, which are dedicated to royal children who met with an premature death. |
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