Shekhawati Tours, Rajasthan

Nawalgarh gets it's name from Nawal Singh, the fourth son of the great Shekhawati Rajput, Sardul Singh. The former founded this town in 1737 but that is not to say that there was nothing of Nawalgarh before that. A village already existed and the Kaimkhani nawabs (governors in the Mughal empire), who ruled Shekhawati before the Rajputs came in, even had their fort nearby. Nawalgarh and Mandawa were among those thikanas (feudatory states) which had managed to keep themselves more or less well guarded. So they prospered.

The Nawalgarh fair, a relatively recent innovation promoted by the RTDC (Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation), features sports matches and other things. There are a lot of food shops there which serve authentic Rajasthani food & cloth shops can be seen laden with bandhani cloth, i.e typical Rajasthani cloth dyed in multicolours.

The compact and busy little market town of Mandawa was settled in the 18 th century and was fortified by the dominant merchant families. It is becoming increasingly popular with tourists. The Binsidhar Newatia haveli and the Gulab Rai Ladia haveli are worth a visit.

Castle Mandwa -- the most popular place, towering high above the town Mandawa, this rugged, handsome fort guides the tired and weary traveler to it's portals. Mustachioed sword bearing guards stand at the immensely tall, spiked gate to welcome the travelers. War scarred turrets, lofty domes, heroic cannons that seem to look down at you, as silent retainers in green appear to whisk you away, the tails of their orange 'safas' flapping in the gentle breeze mark your arrival to the fanciest destination in Shekhawati. A 240 years old fortress has been converted by the family into a fine example of traditional hospitality. Old and faithful cannons stand guard in the central courtyard.