India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (297 page)
Today there are some 30 “painted towns” in the region, but the most essential to include in a first-time itinerary are
Ramgarh
(the town with the most painted buildings),
Nawalgarh
(second in number, but with a superior selection, some better preserved than Ramgarh’s, particularly the restored Anandi Lal Poddar Haveli),
Fatehpur
(together with Jhunjhunu, this is Shekhawati’s oldest town, featuring murals that predate any others in the region as well as the
Haveli Française;
see box below), and
Mandawa
(a quaint town with a number of beautiful painted buildings, and centrally located with the best accommodations in the area).
Armed with a good map (see “Visitor Information,” below) and a car and driver, it is relatively easy to explore the surrounds on your own—not least because of the usual army of small kids eager to accompany you and point out the relevant sights. But to know more about the history of the buildings, the artisans, and the area, you may wish to hire the services of a guide through the hotels listed below. Most of the buildings are uninhabited and caretaker families usually look after the ones that are, with the real owners being in the big Indian cities of Kolkata and Delhi; and are accessible for a small fee (Rs 10/15–Rs 20/25 per haveli to the caretaker or watchman); negotiating payment (and whether you should offer to pay at all) is where a guide comes in handy. (Remember that, as is the case in all temples, you may need to
remove your shoes
to enter the inhabited havelis; ask before you enter.) Although the region evokes real passion in some and has resulted in a number of excellent books, it must be said that many of the murals are mere shadows of their former selves, either defaced by human indifference—posters and graffiti mar many of the walls—or faded by the increased water supply to the region, the rise in the water table creating damper conditions (see box below).
Note that including this area in your itinerary can be tricky, unless you are intent on traveling the long, dusty haul through Bikaner (where overnighting is not advised) to Jaisalmer, or journeying directly from Delhi and then moving on to Jaipur or vice versa, both of which mean many hours spent on a bumpy, nerve-wracking road with virtually no scenery except the brightly colored boulder-laden trucks bearing down on you. You should know that the area has become a European tour groups’ delight and seems to be oversold by French and Italian agents.
ESSENTIALS
VISITOR INFORMATION
Jhunjhunu has a tourist office (
015945/23-2909;
Mon–Sat 10am–5pm; closed Sun and second Sat of the month), but you’ll have more success finding information and arranging a guide through your hotel. Ilay Cooper’s illustrated
The Painted Towns of Shekhawati
(Prakash 2009, or Mapin Guides) is still the original bible, with a concise history of the region as well as a breakdown of towns, easy-to-follow maps, and listings of all the sites worth visiting. You can purchase a copy at Books Corner in Jaipur, at Mandawa Castle, or at Desert Resort. Another book worth considering is
Shekhawati: Rajasthan’s Painted Homes
by Pankaj Rakesh and Karoki Lewis (Lustre Press Roli Books).
GETTING THERE
Public transport is relatively limited, so the easiest way to explore the area is to hire a car and driver in Jaipur or Delhi, stop at a few towns along the way, and overnight at Mandawa or Nawalgarh. Or you could take a 2-day detour to Mandawa en route from Delhi to Jaipur (driving time Delhi-Mandawa 7 hr.; Mandawa-Jaipur 4 hr.) or vice versa; or if driving on to or from Jaisalmer overnight at Gajner Palace to break the monotony.
GETTING AROUND
Again, you will need a car and driver to go from town to town with ease. For a reputable local driver and guide contact Indoarya at011/2651-1634;
[email protected]. Once there, it is relatively easy to explore each area on foot with a guide or by following Ilay Cooper’s detailed, hand drawn maps in his instructional
The Painted Towns of Shekhawati.
DRIVING TOUR
Travel from Jaipur (or Samode Palace) to Sikar, stopping to look at the
havelis
(historic homes or mansions of wealthy merchants) in Nawalgarh. Have lunch at Roop Niwas, and then set off for Mandawa and overnight there either at its labyrinthine Castle or the rustic, tranquil Desert Resort. For the best accommodation in the area use Mandawa as your base and spend 2 nights. From here it is a short hop to Jhunjhunu, Nawalgarh, and Alsisar. The following day, visit Fatehpur (see “Haveli Française,” below) and Lachhmangarh before heading south to Sikar and back down to Jaipur or onward to Delhi.
Haveli Française
In 1999 French artist Nadine Le Prince bought a 19th-century haveli in Fatehpur and, with the help of Dinesh Dhabhai of Mandawa Haveli, spent the next year locating the right artisans, paints, and methods of restoring it. Now called
Haveli Nadine
(though locals call it angrez ki haveli—Englishwoman’s haveli), it’s been converted into a cultural center that’s aimed at bringing together the art of Rajasthani with that of foreign artists, and preserving the art forms of Shekhawati. When rain and humidity damaged her newly restored haveli in 2003, Nadine waited for the walls to dry up, and began restoration work in earnest again. Serious art lovers should make an effort to stop here, particularly when an exhibition is on; you can discover Rajasthan through paintings or sculptures not available in any of the regular tourist centers. Either way, touring this gorgeous, painstakingly restored haveli is one way you can visualize what this region’s art might have looked like in its heyday. It’s generally open between 8am and 7pm each day, but call to check (01571/23-3024;
[email protected]; Rs 100 admission).
WHERE TO STAY & DINE
If you’re traveling here directly from Delhi, a highly recommended overnight stop is
Amanbagh
(see “Where to Stay & Dine En Route To or From Delhi,” earlier in this chapter). Situated 31⁄2 hours from Delhi on the far eastern outskirts of Shekhawati, it is one of the best destination hotels in the country.
Castle Mandawa
The castle is one of the most authentic heritage properties in Rajasthan: A labyrinthine, well restored former abode of the Maharajah of Mandawa, whose portraits and family pictures adorn the walls. Given the age of the property—it dates from the 16th century—the conversion to modern hotel in the 1970’s has been remarkably sensitive, maintaining much of the original feel of the castle without sacrificing comfort. (Bear in mind that this cannot be said of the most recently added wing, which features boring, uniformly sized rooms with none of the authentic charm of the original castle.) If you have a poor sense of direction, the journey from the veranda bar to your room can be challenging, but really, getting lost and clambering up and down the narrow staircases is half the fun. Rooms vary hugely, but generally you pay for what you get; nos. 303, 304, 308, 313, 314, and 401 are particularly lovely; no. 215 is smaller (standard) but also a good choice.
Mandawa, Jhunjhunu District, Shekhawati 333 704.0141/237-4112
or -4130 reservations. Fax 0141/237-2084 or 0141/510-6082.
www.castlemandawa.com
. [email protected]. 70 units. Rs 4,000 standard double; Rs 6,000 deluxe cottage; Rs 10,000 suite. Breakfast Rs 350, lunch Rs 600, dinner Rs 650. Taxes extra. AE, MC, V.
Amenities:
Various dining areas; bar; badminton; billiard room; cultural performances; doctor-on-call; heritage walk; Internet (Rs 50 30 min., Rs 100 per hour); Ayurvedic massage; pool table; pool; safaris—camel, horse, and jeep; spa; table tennis; vintage car rides. In room: A/C, minibar (suites only).
Desert Resort Mandawa
Surrounded by plains of
kejri
trees punctuated with seasonal crops of millet and corn, and built in the style of a Rajasthani village, this is unquestionably Shekhawati’s most peaceful and luxurious option
.
Ethnic accommodations consist primarily of circular mud-thatch huts, their organic shapes charmingly decorated with tribal motifs; almost everything in and on each hut has been sourced from the Shekhawati region. Our recommendation is a room by the pool, which has an attached private garden looking out over the fields You’ll be hard-pressed to leave the pool, which is filled with wonderfully soft, fresh spring water every second day from the borehole, is not chlorinated, and is used to irrigate the crops below. As at Castle Mandawa, dinners are tasty buffets using their organic locally grown produce accompanied by entertainment and served under the stars.