Splendour of Shekhawati, Rajasthan

Namaskar, Welcome to India! From Delhi, we'll head to Mandawa, located in the heart of Shekhawati, also known as the "open-air art gallery" due to the sumptuous frescoes adorning the region's mansions (Havelis).

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Arrival in the late afternoon and check-in at the 4-star Vivaana Hotel, a meticulously restored 19th-century haveli, blending Rajasthan's cultural heritage with contemporary decor.

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Meet Dinesh Sharma, your cultural guide (and the co-founder of this agency), who will accompany you throughout your stay.

Today, we will begin our tour of the Shekhawati region with Mandawa and Dundlod.

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Mandawa boasts a remarkable fort and a plethora of havelis. Among these mansions, the most notable is the "Chokhani double haveli," built with two adjacent wings in the late 19th century by the Chokhanis, prosperous merchants from Mandawa.

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In Dundlod, we will visit  the Goenka haveli, dotted with numerous frescoes and objects from the traditional life of yesteryear.

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At the bottom of Dundlod, we will visit the Chhatri (cenotaph) of Ram Dutt Goenka. Built in 1888, the dome features beautiful frescoes depicting the god Krishna dancing with his gopis, interspersed with musicians and peacocks.

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Return to your Vivaana hotel at the end of the day.  

Departure for Nawalgarh, which undoubtedly boasts the most beautiful havelis in the Shekhawati region. You will visit three mainmansions: Podar haveli, which boasts no fewer than 750 murals, Murarka and Bansidar Bhagat ki haveli, which reflect the opulence of the Marwari merchants.

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Apart from these splendid havelis, Nawalgarh boasts "Kua", wells surrounded by four tall Mughal-style pillars decorated with frescoes. This is unique in India! You will visit the finest examples of these wells.

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You will continue your walk through the city, passing through the various markets and passing by other havelis that cannot be visited, but still feature beautiful exterior frescoes combining Hindu mythology and contemporary objects.

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You will also stop at several temples built in the Shekhawati style.

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Return to your Vivaana hotel at the end of the day.    

We continue our exploration of the Shekhawati region.

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We will first visit the havelis of Fatehpur, including those of Singhania and Choudhary (Note: the Nadine le Prince haveli is currently inaccessible).

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We will then continue to Ramgarh, whose main attraction is the cenotaph "Ram Gopal Poddar" which contains beautiful frescoes from the Ramayana. Ramgarh also has many remarkable temples, such as the Shani temple, dedicated to Saturn, decorated with beautiful frescoes and inlaid mirrors.

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We will continue our visit to Churu and its famous Kanhaiya lal Bagla ki Haweli, which has around a hundred windows.

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Return to your Vivaana hotel at the end of the day.

We'll head off to other corners of Shekhawati. We'll start in Bissau, a village that has preserved some beautiful havelis and a palace now converted into a charming hotel.

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We'll continue to Mahansar, which boasts a gem of a haveli (Sone Chandi Ki Dukaan) whose frescoes display great finesse thanks to the use of gold leaf.

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In Jhunjhunu, we'll visit several temples that feature beautiful frescoes, such as the Bihari Mandir dedicated to Krishna. On the outskirts of town, we'll visit the Mertani Baori, a stepwell built in the 17th century.

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Return to your Vivaana hotel at the end of the day.

We head north to the Shekhawati region to discover other treasures.

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Our first stop will be Parasrampura, a village with a 1750 Chhatri dedicated to Shardul Singh, whose dome is adorned with a fresco in brown tones, one of the oldest in the region. In the same village, the small Gopinath temple also houses frescoes in the same style.

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We will then travel to Lohargal, a gem nestled in the heart of the Aravalli Mountains, among century-old banyan and mango trees. It is a major pilgrimage site that contains a temple dedicated to the sun god (Surya). A sacred pool attracts large crowds of worshippers for their ritual ablutions. The place is also famous for its green mango "achar" (condiments).

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We will continue our exploration of this part of Shekhawati with a little-known spot: Kiroriji. This place has two spring water pools, one hot and the other cold. It is said that the Pandava brothers bathed here. Every year in August, Hindu pilgrims make a 74 km parikrama (circumambulation) around the mountains, stopping at this spot.

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We will end the day at the Shakambari Temple, dedicated to the goddesses Brahmani and Rudrani. The mandapa was originally built in the 7th century CE. The Shekhawati-style motifs were added in the 20th century.

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Return to your Vivaana hotel at the end of the day.

Today, we head to the Sikar region to visit several sacred sites.

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Our first stop will be Harshnath Temple, which stands proudly atop a hill in the Aravalli Range. The shrine is believed to have been built in the 10th century CE by the ascetic Shiv Bhavarakta, during the reign of the Chahamana king Vigraharaja I (the Chauhans of Ajmer). It features beautiful sculptures of deities and apsaras.

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Our second stop will be Jeen Mataji Temple, the goddess of power, an incarnation of Durga. This place is said to be thousands of years old and attracts thousands of pilgrims every year.

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We will end this temple tour with Khatu Shyam Ji, one of the most important pilgrimage sites in India. Khatu Shyam Ji is considered to be the 10th incarnation of Lord Vishnu once the Kali Yuga period reaches its final stage.

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Return to your Vivaana hotel at the end of the day.

We head west of Mandawa for more wonders.

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We'll first stop at Laxmangarh, overlooked by a massive fort built in 1862 by Laxman Singh, King of Sikar. While the fort offers little of interest, the town is full of refined mansions, including the Char Chowk Haveli and the Kedia Haveli. The Radhi Murlimanohar Temple, built in 1845, is also worth a visit with its remarkable sculptures of deities.

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On the way to Sujangarh, we will stop at the Salasar Balaji Temple, the only temple in India where the monkey god Hanuman ji wears a beard and mustache!

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In Sujangarh, we will visit the Venkateswaraswamy Temple, a miniature replica of the Balaji shrine in Andhra Pradesh. Its architecture is therefore Dravidian in style. We will also visit the handloom weaving workshops in the surrounding villages.

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Return to your Vivaana hotel at the end of the day.  

We leave our charming hotel for the one in Surajgarh, a 1780 fort built by Thakur Suraj Mal. The frescoes for which Surajgarh is famous owe their existence to the many travelers who have passed through this region.

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Before that, we will visit several artisans, including tie-dye, a local tradition, potters, and makers of "chouria," the famous resin bracelets. Overnight at Surajgarh Fort.

We say goodbye to the Shekhawati region and head back slowly to Delhi. We drop you off at your hotel. This is the end of this journey. Namaskar. We look forward to traveling with you again.