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If the desert blooms in myriad colours it is in
the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan, where every home is adorned
with gaily painted murals that illuminate the arid landscape.
Mandawa, a remote feudal principality in the centre of the
Shekhawati region, was a trading outpost for the ancient caravan
routes that stopped here from China and the Middle East. The
Rajput ruler of Mandawa, Thakur Nawal Singh, built a fort in 1755
to protect this outpost. The township that grew around the fort
soon attracted a large community of traders, who settled here.
When the caravan traffic ceased in the late 18th century, the
traders created business empires in other parts of the country,
but returned to Mandawa to build palatial mansions in their
hometown.
Today, Mandawa is a beautiful market town of the colorful
Shekhawati region. It is famous for the castle now converted
into a heritage hotel & the fresco paintings. One can plan an
elope from the hustle of City life to get married in a Village
setting.
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