Painted Palaces Of Mandawa – Beauty At Its Finest
Mandawa is a town in Rajasthan, known for its reputation as an ancient caravan route for goods from China and the Middle East. However, it remains to be one of the little-known attractions with outstanding art and painting all around. Mandawa town is situated 170km from Jaipur, the Pink City. It houses the best-painted palaces, which will mesmerize your view from the get-go. Travelers from various corners of the world take time to come and visit this amazing beauty, which had taken years to complete!
Getting on board with the splendors of Shekhawati:
Shekhawati is a region in Mandawa, known for its splendid painted mansions. The whole of the Shekhawati region is one that you must visit! During those old silk route days, Shekhawati was a pit stop for all the traders. So, this place houses some of the most promising Havelis and forts, which Rajasthan is mostly known for.
The locals over here are known for their culturally rich atmosphere. So, they know how to appreciate art and most of them are involved in artwork these days like craft handicrafts, painting, and more. You can easily reach Mandawa by road. It is a clever way to sit back and relax, and feast your eyes on well-crafted and painted Havelis along the way.
Shekhawati and the charms it holds:
Mandawa is a major historical town in Shekhawati province and is known for its beautiful heritage and significant history. It is well accessible by road and this town is completely tailored for those, who have a niche towards history and heritage. You won’t be disappointed once you have visited the site. Having grown up in such a culturally rich town, the town locals have an innate sense of art and awesome craft, which can be well seen in local handicrafts.
A bit of history to deal with:
The history of Mandawa states that it was originally founded by Mandu Jat. He created a hamlet and dug a well, which was later got completed in 1797. It was previously known as “Nadu ki Dhani”, which means Mandu’s village, and “Mandu-wa” because the name Mandawa was coined.
- It was during the middle of the 18th century when the Bhojraj Ji Kasubsub clan made it a Thakur’s estate.
- Later, Mandawa became the trading outpost for caravan routes from the Middle East and China.
- Thakur Nawal Sign then constructed a fort for protecting the boundary in 1755.
- Later, the township started to grow around the fort and was a place for wealthy merchants to live in.
- These merchants later did their part in constructing spectacular Havelis and massive wells but later migrated to some of the developed lands, with their properties left behind.
- The magnificence of these establishments did not diminish to date and so it came to be known as the most visited tourist spot in India.
The great Havelis of Mandawa that you need to take a quick look at!
Much like any other township in the Shekhawati region, Mandawa is known for housing some of the best forts that are splendid examples of art with beautiful paintings all over. Even though there is nothing to do around the Havelis, each fort is known for its rich history behind and arts to appreciate. You just need a keen eye to appreciate the beauty that stands right in front of you.
Among all the forts that you can get along with, The Double Haveli, Jhunjhunwala Haveli, and Hanuman Prasad Goenka Haveli are some of the major attraction points that you cannot deny!
The Mandawa castle to take a trip to:
Castle Mandawa is always a beautiful palace to start your search with, and right now it has been turned into a hotel. It is standing pretty tall and is a perfect testimony to the colorful city that Mandawa is!
- The Mandawa town rests on the right side in the middle of the desert state and the castle falls within the Shekhawati region.
- Castle Mandawa was primarily a palace and a fortress, which has currently been converted into a luxurious heritage hotel. It is the prime example of regality to be witnessed upfront.
- The Mandawa regal family decided to share the beauty this castle holds with the world and let people know about the beautiful artwork within the world.
- For that, the royal family thought of transforming Mandawa Castle into a five-star hotel. So, now visitors get the golden chance to procure all the modern amenities and even follow the palatial architecture that the castle is famously known for.
- Castle Mandawa is practically a part of the Mandawa group of Hotels.
- The main goal of converting this castle into a five-star hotel was mainly to revive the opulence of royalties in a form of an ornate hotel. Style and elegance are dripping all over the castle!
- The entire castle is well embellished with murals, paintings, and exclusive designs throughout. So, you are not just going to experience a luxurious stay like the royal family, but also appreciate the art forms covering the entire architecture!
Not just known for its architectural history, but Castle Mandawa has all the modern amenities, required to live comfortably for as long as you want. This destination will be a perfect combination of an elegant bygone era mixed with new-age provisions. So, every guest is going to feel special and cared for, and this will compel you to fall in love with this place.
Art has a new meaning in this castle:
Much like any other town in Shekhawati, Mandawa is known for not just this castle but so much more. It is important to note that every inch of the mansion was matched by artistic abilities. Right from the front porch to the bedrooms, ceilings, and even the window sills, every portion is well-painted. Cenotaphs, temples, and even the local Dharamsala and wells are included within the painting delight.
- The murals are mostly based on diversified themes. Some depict social and folk tales and others describe stories from epics.
- There are “Raagmala” paintings to be seen around the castles and other architectures, and even portraits of merchant families.
- In some of the later paintings, you can see a bit of European influence, mainly within the lifestyle images, which became prominent later on. So, there are high chances that you will find paintings of airplanes, motor cars, and even gramophones!
The real truth:
Castle Mandawa still has a good call to address when it is to artistic approach. But, as per some of the residents, Havelis owners began to move away during the start of the 20th century. Some left for good and others have given up the responsibility to the caretakers. There was hardly any maintenance and the paintings started to fade away!
But, once the castle turned into a five-star hotel, the paintings and murals were restored and you can see its beauty to the core these days. Travelers and tourists from various corners of the world make it a point to explore the castle’s beauty.
To learn more about Mandawa and the paintings and murals that adorn the castle, visit the Epiconic blog for a change.
