Shekhawati City Guide

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Shekhawati : Spread over Jhunjhunu, Sikar and Churu districts in north western Rajasthan, Shekhawati as a region is known for its beautifully painted havelis, in its nearly 20 odd towns and villages.

In the beginning, this semi-arid region had only a blank monochromatic palette to offer. No school of painting thrived here but a series of historical, social developments took up this colourless page and made it blossom with art for almost two centuries from 1750 to 1930. Today, this region may well be regarded as the ‘open-air art gallery of Rajasthan’.

Most of the painted towns and villages are concentrated in the west and the north of Shekhawati and can be reached with equal ease from Delhi, Jaipur and Bikaner.

Major Attractions :

The Frescoes : Besides the cenotaphs, wells, forts and temples the majority of frescoes are painted on the walls and gateways of havelis. The havelis are mansions of a unique residential architectural style that evolved around courtyards to serve the purposes of family security, privacy for the women, as also protecting the inhabitants from the long, harsh summers. These enormous havelis housed the families of the merchants for a few generations. The Shekhawati paintings mainly consisted of green, red, yellow, blue, brown and mushroom colours.  

Mandawa : Founded in the mid-18^th century, Mandawa is dominated by a rugged fort-turned-hotel. Of interest are the Chokhani and Ladia havelis as well as the street with the Saraf havelis. A Shiva temple with a rock crystal lingam can also be visited.