SIKAR
Founded in the late 17th century, Sikar was the largest thikana (feudal principality) under Jaipur. Popular is the Biyani Haveli of Sikar and its architectural one upmanship is imported synthetic pigments used for frescoes and murals. The temples of Gopinath, Raghunath, and Madan Mohan are also frescoed at places.

The famous pilgrim of Khatu Shyam ji is about 16km off Ringus on the way to Sikar from Jaipur.

Lakshmangarh:
26 kms from Sikar, the town was founded by Lakshman Singh in the earky 19th century. the town was laid following the Jaipur’s model of grid system. The region’s grandest Haveli is Ganeriwala Haveli with char chowk (four courtyards). The paintings in some of the rooms are fairly well preserved, retaining motifs of flowers and scenes from the Krishna legends. The other five Haveli includes the Rathi’s Haveli and Shyonarayan Kyal Haveli mostly having paintings influenced by British Raj. The fort Lakshman Garh, a private property and though closed is perched on a hill top.

Ramgarh:
20 km north of Fatehpur and 6 km south of Churu, is the town of Ramgarh settled by Poddars in the late 18th century, following a disagreement with the Thakur of Churu. The scenes from the legendary Dhola Maru are worth noting. The Haveli belonging to Ruia family is worth checking out. The temple of Shani (Saturn temple) built in middle of the 19th century, features frescoes depicting scenes from Mahabharata and of Krishna – Radha life. The interior of the temple is covered in splendid mirror work. There are some delightful paintings done in Gold paint lining the chamber before the inner sanctum. The antiques and replicas are mostly ornate Rajasthani woodwork.

Fatehpur:
founded in the mid 15th century by Nawab Fateh Khan was capital town of Muslim Nawabs, but it was taken by Shekhawati Rajputs in the 18th century. the rich legacy of painted Haveli’s of Shekhawati is very well evident in this region like Devra, Singhania, Sarogi, Jalan, Goenka and Chaudhary Haveli’s are worth a visit.

JHUNJHUNU
The town of Jhunjhunu was founded by the Kaimkhani Nawabs in the mid 15th century and remained under their control until it was taken over the Rajput ruler Sardul Singh in 1730. Jhunjhunu is known for its Rani Sati Tample with its brilliant coloured frescoes and kitsch cement sculptures. The haveli’s of this region are larger in size and splendidly painted.

Rani Sati Temple:
It is most revered by the merchant class of this region and is a enormous complex built of marble with elaborate silver repousse work before the iiner sanctum. The temple is dedicated to merchant’s wife who committed sati.

Bihariji Ka Temple:
Also noteworthy for its lovely murals is this old temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The work is predominantly mythical and religious depicting Ras Lila of Krishna and the Gopi’s – the most common representation on the inside of the dome of temples. The temple also has a painting of Sardul Singh and his five sons kneeling before him.

Khetri Mahal:
This place, built by founder of Khetri Thakur, Bhopal Singh, is claimed to be one of the most elegant buildings of the entire Shekhawati region. Built in about 1770, the palace is characterized by its architectural symmetry and an series of arches and columns.

Mandawa:
Typical of the entire region, the family haveli’s of Mandawa are adorned with gaily painted murals that illuminate the arid landscape. The town of Mandawa is 19km north-east of Fatehpur. Mandawa a remote principality was situated on the ancient carvan routes to the north from China and the middle east. Thakur Nawal Singh, the ruler of Mandawa commissioned a fort in 1755 to protect this trading outpost. This historic fort is now a luxurious heritage hotel and dominates the town with palatial mansions. Some of the splendid examples of this region’s attractions are the Haveli’s of Chokhani, Saraf, Newatiaa and Goenka.

Nawalgarh:
28km from Mandawa, Nawalgarh was founded in 1737 by one of the sons of Thakur Sardul Singh, the Rajput ruler Nawal Singh. The richly painted inner courtyard of the Murarka Haveli is perhaps the most splendid. The Koolwal Haveli has portraits of its family members as well as of Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru, above the enterance. The courtyard features some of the religious themes. Bhagton ki Haveli, Dharni Dharka Haveli, Aath Haveli have frescoes influenced by European subjects. Parasrampura is a short drive from Nawalgarh and the Haveli belonging to Parasrampuria family abounds in historical and religious frescoes.

Dundlod:
North of Nawalgarh, 7km, Dundlod is a small village right in the heart of Shekhawati region. A fort dating back to 1750 was built by Thakur Kesri Singh – the youngest son of Sardul Singh. Inside the fort is an interesting Mughal style private audience hall diwan-i-khas with stained glass windows, period british furniture, rare books and portraits of the chieftains family. The fort has been converted into a heritage hotel. Other attraction is the Satyanarayan Temple built by a member of Goenka family in 1911 with various examples of frescoes.