Pilani

Pilani is a small town in the Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan. It is 200 km west of Delhi and 220 km north of Jaipur. Being a university town, it has little of interest to tourists.

Understand

Pilani is a university town, home to the BITS-Pilani (Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani).

Get in

By road

Direct buses to Pilani are frequently available from Delhi (ISBT, Kashmiri Gate) and Jaipur (RSRTC Bus Stand, Sindhi Camp). It takes about 4 hours by taxi and 6 hours by bus from either of these two cities to reach Pilani. Rajasthan Roadways Bus Service is available for Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, and other destinations all day. Haryana Roadways Bus Service is available towards Delhi and Chandigarh.

From Delhi (via Bhiwani-Rohtak or via Dadri-Jhajjar)

This bus route brings you directly to Pilani. The bus takes 5½ hours to reach Pilani from Delhi. The appropriate buses are those that leave Delhi from ISBT (Kashmiri Gate) for Pilani, Jhunjhunu, Sikar, and Churu as their destination. The bus frequency is about every half-hour during the early part of the day (6-10AM) and is about every hour during the rest of the day. There are no bus between 5PM and 10PM. The last bus is only at 10PM.

From Delhi (via Narnaul-Singhana-Chirawa)

This bus route requires changing bus at Chirawa for Pilani. Chirawa is 16 km away from Pilani. The total bus journey is about 5½ hours by this route. The appropriate buses are those that leave Delhi from ISBT (Sarai Kale Khan) or from Dhaula Kuan (which is about 5 km from Airport) for Jhunjhunu/Churu/Sikar. The bus frequency is about every half-hour.

From Jaipur (via Sikar-Nawalgarh-Jhunjhunu-Chirawa)

The total bus journey is about 5½ hours. The appropriate buses are those that leave Jaipur (Sindhi Camp Bus-stand) for Pilani. The bus frequency is about every half-hour. Private buses to Pilani are also available from just outside the Sindhi Camp Bus-stand.

By train

The nearest railway heads to Pilani are Loharu (26 km away) on the Northern Railways and Chirawa (16 km) on the North Western Railway Delhi-Loharu Route. Sadulpur railway station is also close by, and is connected to Pilani through regular bus service (buses ply to the Rajgarh bus stand, which is close to the Sadulpur railway station). The BITS Pilani website can be referred to for more details.

By plane

Nearest airport is Jaipur (JAI ^IATA) or Delhi (DEL ^IATA).

Get around

In Pilani, the distances are walkable, the roads however are not. A bicycle can be a good way to explore the town. Secondhand bicycles are available owing to the large student community. Auto rickshaws are also available and quite popular, but the price should be negotiated before starting the trip to avoid getting overcharged. They can be hired to go to the Loharu bus stand, alongside cabs. Buses to nearby towns (Loharu, Chirawa, Sadulpur) do stop on the way as per passengers' requests and can be used if your destination is on the way.

See

BITS Museum

• Birla Science Museum. 
• CEERI campus. 
• Durga temple. 
• Khetri Fort. One of the most haunted places in India. 
• Pahari. A small place for trekking also have a temple on top. 
• Panchwati udhyan. Houses animals (mainly deer) made of concrete, popular among local families .It is based on the mythological story Ramayna. 
• 1 Ram mandir temple & garden. 
• Sai mandir bhagina road. 
• 2 Shiv Ganga. BITS Campus 
• 3 Surajgarh Fort. It also has a good resort for stay. 
• Saraswathi Temple. (updated Aug 2016)
• Birla Haveli. (updated Apr 2018)
• Saraogion Ki Haveli. (updated Apr 2018)
• Birla Museum, BITS Campus. (updated Apr 2018)

Eat

• ANC - A place which serves you all the night at minimal charges. (BITS Campus)
• Annapurna Restaurant (BITS Campus)
• Bunty da Dhaba - A family Restaurant where you can eat and spend time.
• Burger Stall - outside Sarla bar (the best burgers you will find in the city)
• Chicken Corner
• Golden Dragon Restaurant - (BITS Campus)
• Green Field Restaurant - (BITS Campus)
• Nobles Bakery - (BITS Campus)
• Sharma's Restaurant - (BITS Campus)
• Sky Lab - near Birla Museum
• Vatika Restaurant
• Choti Ganga (Just outside the BITS campus through the small lane beside SkyLabz near the museum.). It is a good place for quick bites like sandwiches, samosas, different types of maggi. They also offer fruit juices and tea. It is famous among the students for being the only few places that sell "sutta"(cigarette). (updated Aug 2016)
• All the "redi"s in the BITS campus. (updated Aug 2016)
• Looters Truck (BITS Campus, next to SAC): For snacks and midnight cravings.

Drink

• Sarla Bar & Restaurant
• SkyLab - (No Alcohol Served here, Only fruit beer)

Sleep

• Birla Guest House - (01596-242105)
• Maheshwari Lodge - (01596-242967)
• Sitaram Yatri Niwas - (01596-244672)

Go next

Pilani is near the Rajasthan-Haryana border, 170 kilometers from Delhi (by road), the national capital. Jaipur, the state capital, and one of the most popular tourist destinations especially among foreign visitors is 225 kilometers away. Direct buses are available to both Delhi and Jaipur. Those interested in forts and palaces may also visit Udaipur, Ajmer, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, and Jodhpur. For nature enthusiasts, Rajasthan has the Sariska Tiger Reserve, Bharatpur bird sanctuary (in Keoladev national park), and Mount Abu (Rajasthan's only hill station). Gems of western Uttar Pradesh like the Taj Mahal and temples of Mathura and Vrindavan are not too far either. In the North, one can visit Chandigarh and Dehradun.