Shopping in Bikaner can be fun because you’ll probably end up bargaining for local fabrics, footwear and the like in the Katla at Kote Gate — the narrow-laned, labyrinthine galis where Bikanerwallas shop for their daily needs. Besides the Katla, most shop on MG Road and Station Road. The best buys are tie-dye saris in crepe, chiffon and georgette. Embroidered jootis can be fitted to size. Also look out for miniatures from the Bikaner school of painting.

A few decades ago, Urmul Trust — a rural cooperative in the villages surrounding Bikaner — was established. This has encouraged quality village crafts, fabrics being one of its principal areas of interest. There is an Urmul outlet at the entrance of Junagarh fort.

A unique Bikaner craft is gesso work. Camel hide is buffed to a level of transparency and then turned into anything from hip flasks to photo frames before being painted using gold. However, it’s difficult to find good examples of the art.