The Rampuria Haveli Street in the old city is the best place in Bikaner to understand the domestic architecture of its prosperous merchant class. These ornate townhouses were built by wealthy traders in the 18th and 19th centuries, their facades covered in carved red and yellow sandstone with delicate jali screens, overhanging balconies, and intricate floral and figural work.
Walking the street takes about an hour and rewards slow attention — look for the differences in decorative style between buildings of different eras. Some havelis remain in family ownership; others have been converted to guesthouses or stand empty. The Rampuria family's cluster of havelis is the most concentrated and spectacular, but the whole neighbourhood merits exploration. Go in the morning when the light is on the facades and before the heat builds.