Behind the wheel & Contributor

Nawalgarh is a weekend destination from Delhi. Just 270kms the place has a few good havelis and palaces to stay and see. Although much of we Indians, are not interested in frescoes and havelis, but its a hotspot for foreigners. Still those who prefer a quiet weekend nearby Delhi, Nawalgarh is a good option.

The route






About the place
Nawalgarh is a small town in Jhunjhunu Rajasthan. Being a part of the Shekhawati region, it is nearly 200 plus kms from Delhi. The small town is quite popular among the foreign tourists for its havelis, its paintings being home to great business families of the Marwari community.

Due to its fresco and havelis it is reffered to as the Golden City of Rajasthan. Around 100 havelis adorn Nawalgarh, which came into existence in the last quarter of the eighteenth century. The frescoes mirror the contemporary Shekhawati life, the ways, the customs, the faiths and beliefs of the people, and also the craftsmanship of the unlettered artists. Hear visitors come in large numbers from various countries of Europe such as England, France, Germany and Italy. Majority of the paintings presents the religious and spiritual aspects of life. They present either gods or their incarnations, or the holy sages and their lives as given in the Holy Scriptures. However, a sizeable portion of them presents other aspects of life too.

We start at 6am but the unusually huge traffic of NH8 delays our drive. Surprisingly we get jams and blocks at each turn, that delayed our journey to a 8 good hours. By lunch we reach Koolwal kothi. We already had our online bookings done, the place is good, quiet, rooms are clean, well kept. Just posting a few pics. Recently Ae dil hai mushkil shoot was scheduled here.









Lunch and rest for the afternoon, in the eve we set out to see the Morarka and Poddar havelis in the Naya Bazaar, although just walking distance away still we took our vehicles as all were not that keen to walk. There is enough parking space in front of the havelis.

The Morarka haveli is well maintained. It was built in 1900 by Shri Jairamdasji Morarka. The frescoes are well preserved. Have a look at some pics...

















We then walk down to Dr Ramnath A Podar Haveli Museum. Its more bigger, housing a museum and also artefacts are on display. Pics of the haveli and frescoes below....























On our way back we see this guy making tea and stop by for a cup. Its a small grilled enclosure outside his home, where he only specializes in tea.





The next day morning we visit Taal Chaapar wildlife sanctuary. Its nearly 100 kms away. We start early morning at 5 and reached there by 7:30. One hour we drive around the sanctuary and view the spotted deers and nilghais in various sizes and shapes, hopping, running and sprinting in the open grassland. Its a wonderful place.





















We spent an hour here, there are stay options here, but we do not get breakfast as there are no restaurants around. So we have samosa chole and tea for breakfast and return.







In the eve the guys arrange a puppet show for us.







Overall Koolwal Kothi is a nice place. There is a neat swimming pool, the staff is courteous and caring, food is too good and but a bit pricey. They arrange guides, cycle tours etc.