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SHEKHAWATI’S OUTDOOR GALLERIES
R A JASTHAN E A S T E R N R A J A S T H A N
In the 18th and 19th centuries, shrewd Marwari merchants lived frugally and far from home while earning money in India’s new commercial centres. They sent the bulk of their vast fortunes back to their families in Shekhawati to construct grand havelis (traditional, ornately decorated mansions) to show their neighbours how well they were doing and to compensate their families for their long absences. Merchants competed with one another to build ever more grand edifices – homes, temples, step-wells – which were richly decorated, both inside and out, with painted murals. The artists responsible for these acres of decoration largely belonged to the caste of kumhars (potters) and were both the builders and painters of the havelis. Known as chajeras (masons), many were commissioned from beyond Shekhawati – particularly from Jaipur, where they had been employed to decorate the new capital’s palaces – and others flooded in from further afield to offer their skills. Soon, there was a cross-pollination of ideas and techniques, with local artists learning from the new arrivals. Haveli walls were frequently painted by the chajeras from the ground to the eaves. Often the paintings mix depictions of the gods and their lives with everyday scenes featuring modern inventions, such as trains and aeroplanes, even though these artists themselves had never seen them. Hence, Krishna and Radha are seen in flying motorcars and Europeans can be observed inflating hot-air balloons by blowing into them. For a full rundown on the history, people, towns and buildings of the area, try tracking down a copy of The Painted Towns of Shekhawati by Ilay Cooper, which can be picked up at bookshops in the region or Jaipur. Another good book, available locally, is Shekhawati: Painted Townships by Kishore Singh.
(self-immolation) by a merchant’s wife in 1595. Khetri Mahal HISTORIC BUILDING (admission ₹20) A series of tiny laneways at
the western end of Nehru Bazaar (a short rickshaw drive north of the bus station) leads to the imposing Khetri Mahal, a small palace dating from around 1770 and once one of Shekhawati’s most sophisticated and beautiful buildings. Unfortunately, it now has a desolate, forlorn atmosphere, but the architecture remains a superb open-sided collection of intricate arches and columns. There are good views over the town from here, stretching across to the old Muslim quarter, Pirzada Mahalla, and its mosques.
C Courses If you are interested in tuition in traditional Shekhawati painting, contact Laxmi Kant Jangid at the Hotel Jamuna Resort or Hotel Shiv Shekhawati. Laxmi also runs hands-on cookery courses at Hotel Jamuna Resort; these cost around ₹300 per person.
4 Sleeping & Eating
oHotel Jamuna Resort
HOTEL $$
(%512696; www.hoteljamunaresort.com; s/d from ₹1500/2000, d with AC from ₹1200; ais)
Perched on a hill overlooking town and
operated by Laxmi Kant Jangid (who also runs Hotel Shiv Shekhawati), Hotel Jamuna Resort has all that you need. Rooms in the older wing are either vibrantly painted with murals or decorated with traditional mirrorwork, while the rooms in the new wing are modern and airy. Hotel Shiv Shekhawati HOTEL $ (%232651; www.shivshekhawati.com; Khemi Shakti Rd; s/d from ₹600/800; ai) East of the town
centre, Shiv Shekhawati is the best budget option with plain but squeaky-clean rooms. It’s 600m from the private bus stand in a quiet area on the eastern edge of town. The affable owner, Laxmi Kant Jangid (usually found at Hotel Jamuna Resort), is a wealth of knowledge on the villages of Shekhawati and tours can be organised here.
8 Information
Tourist Reception Centre (%232909; h10am-5pm Mon-Fri) Out of the town centre at the Churu Bypass Rd, Mandawa Circle. The office has helpful, cheery staff, but all they can provide are a few brochures and a basic map of the town and region.
8 Getting There & Away
Regular buses run between Jhunjhunu and Jaipur (₹80, four hours). Numerous buses go to Mandawa (₹15, one hour) and Nawalgarh (₹20, one hour).