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The Kingdom of Marwar was established in the 6th century on the edge of Rajasthan's Thar Desert. The Marwari accumulated enormous wealth from their trade of rice, opium, cotton, spices and textiles. Affluent Marwari families tried to outdo each other by building lavish mansions, giving birth to fine and colorful architecture in an otherwise bleak region where it was least expected. Many of these mansions, or haveli, remain today, and most are completely unretsored. All are decorated with unbelievable frescos on walls an ceilings. Artists spread a thin layer of lime plaster, then painted scenes of Marwari life. Although fragile, you can still enjoy many of these painted surfaces as you wander through the havelis you visit.
The Shekhawati region of Rajasthan is popularly known as an open air art gallery. Surajagrh is at the heart of it and boasts of many havelis. Walking and camel cart tours are organized to the havelis. In the evening, visit the old mansions around the fort and walk the quaint bazaar of this hamlet. Your "guide" is not really a guide at all, but more like a local person with knowledge of broken English but with endearing personality who will show you around once-grand mansions that have become home to many families.
Surajgarh/Delhi OR Jaipur. After Breakfast your driver will take you to some of the interesting Mansions of the region famous for its wall paintings. Founded in 1737 by Thakur Nawal Singh, a warrior-statesman, Nawalgarh boasts of some of the finest frescoes in the region. The town exudes an Old World charm and the colorful bazaar has the largest number of painted havelis in Rajasthan. The fort, now a little disfigured, is yet worthy of attention.
There are numerous havelis to see here. Prominent among them are the Aath
(eight) Haveli Complex, Anandi Lal Poddar Haveli, Jodhraj Patodia Haveli,
Bansidhar Bhagat Haveli, Chokhani Haveli, and Hotel Roop Niwas Palace.
These havelis still bear witness to the rich and prosperous Marwari era of
the 19th century. The stone walls, split by four gateways, were erected
to encircle the town.
Later, drive on to either Jaipur or Delhi according to the itinerary we have
planned for you.
Surajgarh is available only as an add-on to Purple Dragon's Golden Triangle or Path to the Ganges tour packages and is not available separately. |
 hotel accommodation, breakfast, dinner, entrance charges to places visited, transportation throughout using a comfortable, air conditioned late model car with chauffeur. Not included: other meals, admission to places not shown in the itinerary, items of a strictly personal nature. Recommend This Page to a Friend |
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