Painted Havelis
Nawalgarh is situated in the heart of Rajasthan's Shekhavati area, famous for its painted havelis and exquisite frescoes. Despite being one of the driest regions of a dry state of Rajasthan, the area of Shekhawati flourished primarily because of its location on the famous Silk Route. Canny Marwari traders of Shekhawati indulged in regular trade and prospered by giving sustenance to the caravans. These traders went on build lavish havelis (mansions) with their wealth and decorated them with colourful frescoes.The town of Nawalgarh has a great number of such painted havelis. The most important are the Aath Haveli (Eight Havelis) complex which their quaint European influenced frescoes. The Poddar haveli is lavishly painted and is now used as a primary school. In the Nawalgarh Quila (fort), watch for the Sheesh Mahal, where on the ceilings, you will find maps of Nawalgarh town and Jaipur, worked in inlaid mirror.
The crowning glory of Nawalgarh, indeed of the entire Shekhawati area, is the Bala Quila fort with its frescoed kiosk, a superb example of art.
