Nawalgarh is a town of Jhunjhunu district in Rajasthan, India. It is midway between Jhunjhunu and Sikar & is a part of the Shekhawati region. Nawalgarh is famous for grand havelis with frescos which is a specialty of the Shekhawati region. This region in North Rajasthan is spread across the districts of Churu, Jhunjhunu & Sikar on the Haryana border. The Rulers of Nawalgarh belongs to Shekhawat sub-clan. Founded by Thakur Nawal Singhji Bahadur (Shekhawat) in 1737 AD at the village site of Rohili, Nawalgarh was a tazimi thikana of Shekhawats before abolition of Jagir system. Nawalgarh was encircled all around by the high Parkota (walls) comprising of four Pols (gates) in iron & in different directions, namely Agoona Darwaja, Bawadi Darwaja (in north), Mandi Darwaja and Nansa Darwaja. Bala Kila Fort situated in the center of the Thikana and Fatehgarh Fort situated outside the Parkota as an Out Post. The market place of the town and layout of the havelis indicates that the city was well planned before construction. Nawalgarh was considered to be the most modern towns of Shekhawat. The Languages spoken here are Hindi and English.
Nawalgarh is best known for its speciality in frescos. It is also known as the city of the havelis. Apart from these, it is famous for fine paintings. The havelis like Binsidhar Nawetiya Haveli, Murmuria Haveli, Mahan Lal Saraf Haveli & Goenka Double Haveli attract huge tourist crowds
The best time to visit Nawalgarh is from September to March. As summer is scorching here, it is advised to carry light cottons. During winter it gets very cold and hence woolen clothes are recommended.
All foreign visitors are required to carry a passport valid at least for the next 6 months. Visa exemptions include Bhutanese and Nepalese who are staying for less than 3 months & Special restrictions apply to Pakistani and Afghan nationals.
Nawalgarh is fairly connected to the country through airways, railways & roadways.
By Air: The capital city of Rajasthan state Jaipur is at a distance of 100 kms. from Nawalgarh. Jaipur happens to be the nearest airport that connects Nawalgarh with the other major cities of India by air. Jaipur has regular flights from several airlines to the capital Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Udaipur & so on, making it conveniently accessible to tourists.
By Rail: In terms of rail transport, the Nawalgarh railway station caters to the tourists and other travelers of train from the neighboring areas. Regular trains from cities like Delhi and Jaipur connect Nawalgarh making the place easily accessible by railways.
By Road: A good road network links Nawalgarh with most of the major towns of Rajasthan. One can either take state transportation corporation run buses or hire a cab to reach Mandawa/Nawalgarh. Delhi is also a convenient base for the travellers to travel by road. An extensive network of National Highway and state highways\ and several other metalled roads link Nawalgarh with Jaipur, Bikaner, Delhi, Agra, Jaisalmer and many other cities.
Local Transport: Tourists can easily find transport for moving around locally. Hiring jeeps or auto rickshaws (metered/unmetered) are the most common modes of transport here.
This town offers a lot to see in the form of its huge grandeur Havelis. The town has a colourful bazaar, and a very old fort to see too. There are more than 200 havelis mostly in private possession in Shekhawati region. Some of these date back to the 17th century. They range between one storey to five and a number of them have as many as 10 courtyards displaying brilliant architectural techniques. Bala Kila Fort, Fatehgarh Fort & the palace hotel Roop Niwas Palace (which is a beautiful heritage property and is renovated with modern facilities) are worth a watch. The Palace offers spacious painted rooms, Luxurious interiors, graceful hospitality and great thematic evenings with sumptuous cuisine. The registered painting in their Art Gallery is a treat to the visuals.
Aath Havelis: On the west of the fort is a group of havelis known as Aath havelis, aath meaning eight. The frescos on these havelis are not the best examples but they show the transition in painting styles through the periods. One of the paintings depicts a steam locomotive while other show mammoth images of elephants, horses and camels.
The Muraraka Haveli: this shows some very fine paintings including the miniature paintings from the Krishna legends.
Hem Raj Kulwal Haveli: Built in 1931 the Haveli has portraits of the Kulwal family at the entrance and also that of Indian leaders like Gandhi and Nehru. The windows are bordered by very colourful architraves. An ornate silver gate leads to the inner courtyard which has some fine paintings mostly on religious themes.
Khedwal Bhawan: Quite close to Hem Raj Kulwal Haveli is the Khedwal Bhawan which features some striking mirror and blue tile work at the entrance to the inner courtyard. Some frescos depicting a locomotive engine crossing a bridge and a woman on a swing in festivities of Teej Festival are seen on some of the walls. Also seen is the story of legendary lovers Dhola Maru on an outside wall.
Morarka Haveli: This Haveli displays some very well preserved paintings of Ramayana legends.
At Nawalgarh food and accommodation are easily available. There are budget hotels and other restaurants that cater to the needs of the tourists and suit every pocket.
Where To Stay:
Heritage Hotel, Hotel Roop Niwas Palace Resort, Hotel Apani Dhani, Ramesh Jangid’s tourist pension & Shekhawati Guest house are some good places to stay in while at Nawalgarh.
The places close to Nawalgarh are:
Jhunjhunu - The capital of Shekhawati, Jhunjunu is also the biggest town of the district. Jhunjhunu has a number beautiful havelis and interesting monuments like the Khatri Mahal or the Wind Palace dating back to 1760 AD, the Sri Bihariji Temple, Kamruddin Shah ki Dargah & the Mertani Baori.
Mandawa: The fort of Mandawa was founded in the 18th century. Built as per a medieval theme, the fort dominates the town with a painted arched gateway adorned with Lord Krishna and his cows. The rooms of this palace are decorated with Lord Krishna’s paintings, exquisite carvings and amazing mirror work. Situated in the middle of the town, the Mandawa Fort has now been converted into a heritage hotel.
Nawalgarh is recommended as a good stopover in the tour of Rajasthan or on a trip of the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan.
