Mandawa,
a remote feudal principality in the centre of the Shekhawati region, was a
trading outpost for the ancient caravan routes that stopped here from China and the Middle East.
The Rajput ruler of Mandawa, Thakur Nawal Singh, built a fort in 1755 to
protect this outpost. The township that grew around the fort soon attracted a
large community of traders, who settled here. When the caravan traffic ceased
in the late 18th century, the traders created business empires in other parts
of the country but returned to Mandawa to build palatial mansions in their
hometown.
While
Shekhawati is not yet hugely popular as a tourist destination, the past few
years has seen a vast increase in the people visiting this quaint town. More
through word-of-mouth than anything else, The Castle Mandawa Palace is the most
popular choice to stay at.
Hotel Castle Mandawa is a perfect
blend of old, royal and modern architecture. Thakur Nawal Singh, the Rajput
ruler of Mandawa, built the Castle Mandawa in 1755. It has now been turned into
a heritage hotel and is managed by the Royal family of Mandawa. It has a total
of 70 rooms including standard, deluxe, luxury suite & royal suite
categories. The large and airy rooms of the hotel have been converted into
charming, well appointed accommodation, retaining the old flavour using period
furniture and local furnishings. The old-style furniture, the four-post beds
and the quiet ambience of the hotel only makes for a pleasurable and
rejuvenating holiday. The tariffs for the rooms begin at around Rs. 3000 for
the standard rooms and go up to around Rs. 9000-15000 for the Royal Suite.
The
hotel has a multi-cuisine restaurant, while, the other services offered are 24
room service, forex, travel desk, swimming pool (3 km away at Desert Resort),
cultural show, theme dinner, horse safari, camel safari, village safari etc.
Should you be interested on exploring beyond the Palace, you could take an
extremely interesting walking tour of the painted havelis of the leading
business families of the country.
Not
crowded yet with the metropolitan crowd, Shekhawati makes for a unique getaway
and the Castle Mandawa is an ideal place to stay if you?re just looking to
unwind and do nothing in particular. A quick weekend getaway from Delhi or a long break
from anywhere in the country, this small town is worth a visit!
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