Shekhawati

Shekhawati is named for Rao Shekha, a fifteenth-century Kachwaha chief, but its fame belongs to the merchants who left. The Poddars, Goenkas, Birlas, Piramals and Singhanias made their fortunes in Calcutta and Bombay in the nineteenth century and sent the money home to build havelis, then painted every wall with frescoes: Krishna and the gopis on one side, the new steam railway, a Wright brothers biplane or Queen Victoria on the other. Local painters called chiteras worked in wet lime plaster with natural pigments, and later with imported German synthetics that gave the region its blues and pinks.

Nawalgarh's Podar Haveli Museum, restored to its 1902 state, is the place to learn the vocabulary; the Morarka Haveli nearby and the Nadine Le Prince Haveli in Fatehpur, restored by a French artist, show what care can do. Mandawa has the greatest density, with Castle Mandawa of 1755 now a hotel, and Mahansar's Sone Chandi ki Dukan keeps a room painted in gold leaf. Jhunjhunu holds the Khetri Mahal wind palace of 1770 and the Rani Sati temple; Ramgarh's chhatris and Laxmangarh's fort complete the circuit.

Most havelis are locked or caretaker-run, so a local guide with keys matters. Between towns, the land is bajra fields, khejri trees and sand, and the roads are good enough to see three or four towns in two days.