Welcome to my blog’s very first ‘Travel Guide’. I have chosen to write it on the colourful historical world of Shekhawati in north-east Rajasthan, and tried my level best to keep it relevant from a traveller’s point of view.
It covers four suggested full day routes with Mandawa as a base and what to focus on in each of the towns derived from personal experience. Rajasthan’s Shekhawati region can be pretty overwhelming. It is not uncommon for travellers to be haveli-id out when faced with hundreds of painted havelis [Indian mansions], one after the other. In addition, many are crumbling to dust, being painted over, or turned into ‘heritage’ hotels. This post is a humble attempt to add value to a visit to this open-air art gallery which is a wonder in itself, a region unlike anything else, anywhere else.
Time required: 6 days. These include 1 day to explore Mandawa [the base], and 4 full day itineraries to discover the region at a relaxed, yet in-depth pace. Happy travels! 🙂
Note: This blog post has been written with valued inputs from Om Singh Shekhawat, my guide during my stay in the region.
Table of Contents
[This is a long blog post. If you would like to go straight to any particular section, please click on the links below.]
- Putting the Shekhawati Region into Context: History, Wealth, and Heritage
- Mandawa: Base Camp for Exploring Shekhawati
- Southern Route: Mandawa > Lohargal > Nawalgarh > Dundlod > Mukundgarh > Mandawa
- South-West Route: Mandawa > Fatehpur > Laxmangarh > Mandawa
- Northern Route: Mandawa > Ramgarh > Mahansar > Bissau > Churu > Mandawa
- North-East Route: Mandawa > Jhunjhunu > Alsisar > Malsisar > Mandawa