Hotels in Shekhawati            SHEKHAWATI              Car rental in Shekhawati 

The Semi desert region of Shekhawati is a colourful fantasy having a fascination uniquely of its own . “The Open –air Art Gallery “ as it is popularly called , is famous for its plethora of painted havelies , all commendable pieces of the rich artistic tradition of this region .”Shekhawati “ meaning – the land of Shekha’s clan  derives its name from  Rao  Shekha ( 1433 AD – 1488 A.D ) a scion of the Kachhwaha family of Jaipur .Earlier  a part of  the former Jaipur stat , it now comprises of the districts of  “Jhunjhunu “ and Sikar . Initially the region had a blank monochromatic look but with subsequent historical and social developments it has blossomed into a colourful profusion of art and life for almost 2 centuries from 1750 A.D to 1930 AD .

Havelis – ( Old Houses of Royal people )  :ŕ Shekhawati’s magnificent havelis or mansions , built by rich  merchants of the region , display a unique  architectural style that evolved  around the courtyards to ensure safety and privacy of the women folk and protection from the heat of the long and harsh summers. 

The havelis painted predominantly in blue , maroon , yellow , green and indigo have beautiful wall paintings that aborn their walls . The earlier wall paintings ( 1830 A.D – 1900 A.D ) were largely based on the mythological themes , depicting local legends , animals , portraits , hunting and wrestling scenes and glimpse of every day  life .

The turn of the 19^th century saw the appearance of new motifs , an outcome of the Raj’s influence upon the Indian culture .Now cars replaced elephants and traditional Indian miniatures mingled with naturalism of western paintings to produce  interesting hybrid results .The mythological themes depicting gods , lithographs and photographs . Trains , cars , ballons  , telephones , gramophones , English men in hunting attires and portraits of the havelis intresting for both Indian and foreign travellers .

Sikar :-   Founded in the late 17^th century , Sikar was the largest  ‘ thikana ‘ (Feudal state ) under Jaipur .The fort ans temples of Gopinath , Raghunath and Madan Mohan with Commendable frescoes are worth visiting . The Jubilee Hall  , Madho niwas Kothi , Biwani Haveli , Sodhani Haveli , the Jain temple  and large  market are other places of interest .

 Place of Tourist Interest  

 Harsh Nath Temple :- ( 11km ) : An ancient 10^th century temple situated on the Harsh Nath Hills .

 Jeen Mata Temple :- ( 29 km ) : Believed  to have been  built a thousand  years ago , the  temple is the venue of a colourful fair  held twice in a year during “ Navaratras “

 Lachhmangarh  : - One of the most imposing forts in the Shekhawati region , Lachhmangarh commands a bird’s eye view of the town modeled to resemble the city plan of Jaipur .Founded in the early 19^th century by Raja Lachhman Singh of Sikar , the town has some Lovely havelis .

 Ramgarh  :- Founded in the late 18^th century by the Poddars . The Shani Temple of the Saturday . god has delicately painted frescoes .Marvellous cenotaphs of the Poddars have exquisitely painted  ceilings .  The Ganga Temple and  some beautiful havelis add intrest to the town .

 Fatehpur  :-  Founded in the mid 15^th century by Fateh Khan – a Kayamkhani nawab , the town is noted for unmatched  frescoes . its central location attracted many wealthy merchants and has some exquisite havelis – a combination of the India and the Western styles . Of particulars  note among these are the Chamariya and Singhania havelis .

 Khatu Shyam ji  :- the Village is famous for the Shri Shyamji Temple ( God Krishna ) built in white marble .

 Sakambhari  :- famous for its 7^th century temple dedicated to Sankari Mata , the town is surrounded by hills  on three sides .  An ideal picnic spot