WHAT TO SEE AND DO IN MANDAWA, THE BEST HAVELIS

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Mandawa Today it is a dusty Indian city of just under 30,000 inhabitants in the state of Rajasthan. But it is not difficult to realize that some time ago it was one of the most prosperous cities in the country. The reason is simple: it was an important commercial center in the middle of the Silk Road, which crossed India from the west to distant China. The most successful merchant families chose this city to build their impressive mansions, which are called havelisand that have become the biggest tourist attraction of the place. Next we will tell you What to see and do in Mandawa and which are the best havelis.

But first, let us tell you what is a haveli. We have already told you that a haveli is an old house where the entire family of a merchant lived with a certain purchasing power. Being on one of the most important trade routes in the world, it was quite common to find people who enriched themselves with the purchase and sale of spices, fabrics and other products.

The structure Typical of a haveli was first of all its impressive entrance doors, with stucco arches with reliefs and teak wood doors brought from Myanmar, hand carved. Upon entering you will find an inner courtyard, around which the rooms were distributed. As we said, they were houses where whole families lived, so the rooms on the ground floor were intended for older people. Also on the first floor was a room for the kitchen (although they had no fireplace and used to cook in the patio itself). On the second floor were the rooms for the youngest members and above, the terrace.

Although the most striking element is undoubtedly the wall decoration With colorful frescoes. Many of them have religious scenes, with gods and mythological episodes, although others are much more flat. You can see old trains, English soldiers, cars, historical figures of India, day-to-day situations, etc.

Throughout this region of Rajasthan, even to the extreme east in the limits of the Thar Desert, there are several cities with examples of impressive havelis, although Mandawa is possibly the one with the most concentration. They told us that there are around 40 havelis in Mandawa, some in better condition than others. And, after the decline of the historic trade route, this city fell into oblivion and the houses were mostly abandoned by their owners. Many of them are in ruins, and it is a real shame, although there are others that have been preserved in some good condition and even small restoration work has been done, to restore the splendor they had one day ...

Among all of them, some have been reused as accommodation and others are practically in their original state. To visit the latter you will have to try your luck and knock on their doors (or push them) to see if the guard is there. In that case, you can take a look inside, although from the outside alone they are worth it. Those used as a hotel can also be visited, some for free and others for a fee, we will talk about all of this below. These are for us the best havelis of Mandawa:

Vishwanath Goenka Haveli

Owned by the Goenka family, this haveli is divided into two parts, with a common outdoor patio. In that first area you can begin to familiarize yourself with the majesty of the wall paintings. The first two frescoes, with scenes of elephants and horses, have been restored (the following may also be soon).

If the farthest door is open, you can enter the interior of the second house, in whose central courtyard grows a huge tree. Go up the narrow stairs to the first floor and explore the beautifully decorated rooms. Do not overlook the windows that overlook the exterior, from where women gossiped life outside the palace.

Haveli murmurs

This is one of the last havelis that were built in Mandawa, back in the 1930s. frieze with the drawing of a train, symbol of the progress that the English brought to Indian lands. They also highlight several scenes of Venice, and the rich merchant made many trips to Italy, of which he brought photos that he later ordered to reproduce on the walls of his palace. Nor are images of the gods missing everyday scenes. Entrance is free.

Seth Dayaram Dedraj Haveli

Also from the Goenka family, this haveli is one of Mandawa's best preserved and in full restoration process by the city council. After crossing the outer door, you will reach a first courtyard, which was the place where business was conducted or visitors were attended. If we go through the main door of the building, we will arrive at the inner courtyard of the house, around which the rooms that were used only by the owner family are located. In this case, you can go up to the first floor and visit the different rooms, and also reach the rooftop, from where there are magnificent views. The price is 200 rupees.

Of the havelis that are now hotels, these are the ones that stand out:

Hotel Mandawa Haveli

This is the house that an old jeweler built in the eighteenth century and, after being abandoned for a while, first became a craft workshop and then a charming hotel. It has the typical decorations that are seen throughout Mandawa both in the common areas and in the rooms, also has a restaurant and a roof terrace with good views.

Monica Restaurant

This is not a hotel, but a private house with a restaurant on the top floor. Its interior does not have too much charm, although its main facade It is quite colorful. We ate here and it is acceptable.

Radhika Haveli Hotel

The exterior is not as spectacular as other Mandawa houses, but it has become a neat work to revitalize the murals of its interior, and its main patio has been decorated with pleasure. If you have the possibility, it is a joy!

Mandawa not only has great havelis, but also has other places of interest, which we will detail:

Royal Rest Hotel

It is a ancient royal tomb, truly impressive, with the typical domes and a central staircase. Now it is a luxury hotel, but you don't have to be a guest to visit it. For 60 rupees you can enter and contemplate its interior, and the price includes a tea or a coffee.

Raghunath temple

Is a Hindu temple in the purest local style: instead of having the little sculptures of gods, in this case they are all fresh of colors on the walls. Twice a day people come to pray, the rest of the time also remains open and free, so you can visit it without problems. It is also on the main street.

Sonthalia Gate

Next to the temple is this door, which was about the main gate of the city. It is crowned by the figure of the god Krishna with a cow on each side. On its sides there are also small statues of gods.

Harlalka water well

It's about a well up to 70 meters deep where water was stored that gave drink to the thirsty caravans that passed right here. To point out these wells, they were built on their sides 4 columns (in this case super cool) and also several cenotaphs Beautiful, with its domed roofs, where travelers were sheltered from the sun and rested. On one of the sides of the well you can see a ramp that was where the bulls that were hooked with ropes walked to climb the huge buckets of water (over 100 liters).

Here you have a map with the places to visit in Mandawa and the best havelis:

We pass through Mandawa on a 2-week Rajasthan trip with a driver. It was our first stop between New Delhi and Jodhpur, and we stayed at the Vivaana Hotel, a super nice haveli hotel! If you decide to stay here and have the possibility, choose the room with a bathtub 😉

You see that Mandawa is a small treasure in the heart of the Rajasthan, and its havelis the most precious bullion. But it has other jewels that make your visit even more attractive. We hope you have made it clearer what to see and do in Madawa and which are the best havelis.