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Mandawa is a town in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan in India. It is part of Shekhawati region. Mandawa is situated 190 km off Jaipur in the north. The town lies between latitude 28°.06’ in the north and longitude 75°.20’ in the east. Mandawa is known for its fort and havelis. The fort town of Mandawa is well connected with the other places in region through a good network of roads.

Mandawa fort

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 mirror work. The Durbar Hall of the palace houses a number of antiques and paintings.

Situated in the middle of the town, the Mandawa Fort has now been converted into a heritage hotel.

Havelis:

Mandawa has been referred to as the "open art gallery" of Rajasthan because the entire Shekhawati region and not just Mandawa is dotted with fascinating mansions(havelis) that have lavishly painted walls.

Hanuman Prasad Goenka Haveli

This haveli has a painting depicting Indra Dev on an elephant and Lord Shiva on his Nandi bull.

Goenka Double Haveli

This haveli, with two gates, has a monumental façade of elephants and horses. The outer walls, jutting balconies, alcoves and overhanging upper storeys of the Goenka Double Haveli are replete with patterns and paintings, ranging from traditional Rajasthani women and religious motifs to Europeans in stylish hats and Victorian finery.

Murmuria Haveli

The paintings of trains, cars, George V, and Venice were executed on the walls of this haveli during the 1930s by Balu Ram, one of the last working artists of the region. In pictures - like Lord Krishna with his cows in an English courtyard and a young Nehru on horseback, holding the national flag - this haveli uses a unique theme blending the East with the West. The haveli also features a long frieze depicting a train with a crow flying above the engine and much activity at the railway crossing.

Jhunjhunwala Haveli

This haveli is decorated with a striking gold leaf painted room to the right of the main courtyard.

Mohan Lal Saraf Haveli

The picture of a Maharaja stroking his moustaches beautifies this haveli.

Gulab Rai Ladia Haveli

This haveli is located in the south of town, where the decoration of the outer and inner walls is perhaps the finest in Shekhawati. Blue washes here and there betray twentieth-century censorship of the erotic scenes that had been commonly acceptable one hundred years earlier.

The Binsidhar Newatia Haveli, Lakshminarayan Ladia Haveli and Chokhani Double Haveli are some other havelis in the area.

Murals in the Thakurji temple located opposite the Goenka Double Haveli and the Murmuria Haveli include soldiers being shot from the mouths of cannons, a reflection of the horrors of the Mutiny of 1857. Further west are a couple of chhatris, and a step-well, still used today bearing paintings inside its decorative corner domes.

 

Climate

 

The climate of Mandawa, like most other cities in Rajasthan, is of an extreme type. The summer season is very hot, with the maximum temperature reaching up to 40.5° C. Mandawa weather experiences cold and chilly winters. The average temperature in winter season may be as low as 10° C. The monsoon season sees average annual rainfall in the range of 45 to 60 cm. As per the climatic conditions of Mandawa, Rajasthan, the best time to visit is from the months of October to March.

 

 

 

 

Mandawa