|
Shekhawati is situated in the north eastern part of
Rajasthan. It is situated in the triangle between Delhi,
Jaipur and Bikaner. It is also the home of the Marwaris,
India’s mercantile community that now commands vast
business empires in different parts of the country and
the world. The marwaris built various havelis. Shekhawati is famous for these painted havelis that
depict a rich artistic tradition of the region.
Shekhawati means the land of Shekhs. It derives its name
from Rao Shekha, a section of the Kachhwaha family of
Jaipur who ruled from 1433 - 1488 AD. Earlier a part of
the former Jaipur state, it now comprises of the
districts of Jhunjhunu and Sikar. Hindi, Rajasthani and
Marwari are the common languages which are spoken here.
Tourist Attractions in Shekhawati
The major attraction
of the Shekhawati region are |
 |
|
|
the
magnificent havelis. These havelis were built by the Marwaris,
the rich merchants of the region, and display a unique
architectural style. These havelis were built to ensure safety
and privacy of the women and protection from the heat of the
long and harsh summers. The havelis were painted in the
Shekhawati's fresco style, predominantly in the blue, maroon,
yellow, green and indigo color and have beautiful wall
paintings. The style of fresco painting is locally known as
ala gila. The final coat consisted of sieved lime dust made
into a paste using sour buttermilk and jaggery. This was the
main surface on which the painters had to draw and fill in
colours while the uppermost layers is still wet. It was then
polished with smooth agate, and dry coconut was rubbed in to
seal in the paintings to ensure that the paintings lasted over
centuries, and can be only damaged by nature. But as most of
these paintings are in the open, they were more damaged by
the men.
More....
How to reach Shekhawati
By Air:
The nearest airport is located in Jaipur. Jaipur is well
connected to major metropolitan cities of India like Delhi,
Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. It is also well connected to
other cities of Rajasthan as well through regular flights of
Indian airlines, Jet Airways and Sahara Airlines.
By Rail:
Jaipur is connected by rail with important trains on its
principal networks. The main pride of Jaipur is Palace on
Wheels, the Royal Train. This special luxury train starts from
Delhi and takes a round trip of Rajasthan.
By Road:
Jaipur is connected by all the major destinations of India and
Rajasthan. Deluxe and air conditioned buses are operated by
the Rajasthan Roadways and private operators between Jaipur,
Delhi and other cities of Rajasthan and rest of India. |
