Mandawa is a town in the Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan, part of the Shekhawati region of India
It is situated 190 km north of Jaipur and is known for its fort, havelis and baolis
The
fort of Mandawa was founded in the 18th century. Thakur Nawal Singh, son
of Shardul Singh, founded the fort in vikram
samvat 1812 (1755
AD). The fort dominates the town with a painted arched gateway adorned
with Lord
Krishna
and his cows. Built as per a medieval theme, the castle of Mandawa is
adorned with beautiful frescoes. The rooms of this palace are decorated
with Lord Krishna paintings, exquisite carvings and amazing
mirrorwork.
The Durbar
Hall of the palace houses a number of antiques and paintings.
Like
many places in north India, Mandawa has an
extreme climate. The summers can be very hot up to 40.5°C (105ºF),
whereas winters can be chilly and the temperature can fall below 10°C
The
best season to visit is winter (October ~ March).The annual
rainfall is between 18" ~ 24"
The word haveli is of Persian origin, meaning "an enclosed place". Between 1830 and 1930, Marwaris erected buildings in their homeland, Shekhawati and Marwar as evidence of their success. These buildings were called Havelis. The Marwaris commissioned artists to paint those buildings. The Havelis are noted for their frescos depicting mythological themes. The frescos include Images of Gods, Goddesses, animals, life history of Lord Rama and Krishna, profusely painted on the Havelis in this region. The havelis were the symbol of the status of the Marwaris and a home for their extended family, providing security and comfort in a style. The havelis used to be closed from all sides with one big strong main gate. Secluded from the outside world the havelis set their own pace of life. The typical havelis in Shekhawati consisted of two courtyards — an outer one for the men which serves as an extended threshold and the inner one, the domain of the women. The biggest ones sometimes had three or four courtyards and two to three stories high. Most of the havelis are empty nowadays or just give a shelter to an old watchman.These havelis are major attraction for tourists in Rajasthan.
contact ~ m at mandawa.com
