Mahansar, Jaipur

	Mahansar, Jaipur
Home \| Rajasthan \| Ajmer \| Taragarh \| Bikamer \| Jaipur \| Udaipur \| Jaisalmer \| Jodhpur \| Mount Abu \| Pushkar

The relative inaccessibility of Mahansar, marooned amid a sea of scrub and drifting sand 27km northeast of Fatehpur, has ensured that its monuments, which include a fortress and some of the most elaborate and accomplished interior paintings in Shekhawati, rank among the least visited in the region.

A ribbon of hopelessly potholed tarmac leads out here from Mandawa, and another runs due west to Ramgarh, but aside from sporadic buses, the only traffic along them are camel carts and herds of goats. This makes Mahansar an eminently peaceful and pleasant place to hole up for a day or two, and a much more enticing prospect than more touristy Mandawa, a thirty-minute Jeep ride south.

Twelve rooms of varying standards are available at the fort, built in 1768 by Thakur Nahar Singh and converted recently by his descendent, Thakur Typal Singh, into the quirky Narayan Niwas (phone 01595/64322, or through Delhi - phone 011/648 6807; Rs600-900). Room #1 is the most romantic, with old rugs, bolsters, ancient carved wooden doors and raised sitting alcoves with views.

It's a more informal, slapdash establishment than other heritage hotels in the area, but this lends it a certain charm. Budget travelers should note that the thakur also has a couple of inexpensive rooms (Rs100-300) tucked away in less frequented corners of the castle, although he is generally reluctant to advertise the fact.

Once you've explored the fort, there's little more to do other than wander around the village looking for painted buildings. Mahansar's most beautiful murals, however, are locked away out of sight in the Sona Ki Dukan Haveli , next to the main crossroads (ask around the shops for the key). The ceiling of the entrance hall to this mansion is exquisitely decorated with painted and richly gilded scenes from the Ramayana and Gita Govinda . To fully appreciate the colours and mass of detail, you'll need a pocket light. A small donation of around Rs10 is expected for each visit.