India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [457]
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 at 011/2651-1634; indoarya@vsnl.net. 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; nadine.leprince@free.fr; 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