Mandawa is a town in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan in India. It is part of Shekhawati region. Mandawa is situated 190 km off Jaipur in the north. The town lies between latitude 28° 06’ in the north and longitude 75° 20’ in the east. Mandawa is known for its fort and havelis. The fort town of Mandawa is well connected with the other places in region through a good network of roads. In movies, Mandawa is popularised by Aamir Khan's film PK
History
The City of Mandawa was made a thikana in the middle of the 18th century. There have been earlier references to Mandu Jat as the founder of the Mandawa village. He first established a Dhani and dug a well here, which was completed on savan badi 5 samvat 1797 . Initially, this place was known as ‘Mandu ki dhani’, ‘Mandu ka bas’ or ‘Manduwas’ which changed to ‘Manduwa’, ‘Mandwa’ and finally ‘Mandawa’. A remote feudal principality in the centre of the Shekhawati region, Mandawa was a trading outpost for the ancient caravan routes that stopped here from China and the Middle East. Thakur Nawal Singh, the Rajput ruler of Nawalgarh and Mandawa, 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.
Geography
Mandawa is located at. It has an average elevation of 316 metres. In the north side it has four villages named Bazisar, Kamalsar, Kuharu, and Godu ka bas and east side three villages named Tetara, Syopura, and Hanumanpura, south sides villages names are Mithwas, Dinwa Ladhkhani and west side are Khalasi, Sadinsar, Tihawali, and Dabari.
Demographics
India census, Mandawa had a population of 20,717. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Mandawa has an average literacy rate of 58%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 70%, and female literacy is 45%. In Mandawa, 18% of the population is under 6 years of age.
The fort of Mandawa was founded in the 18th century. Thakur Nawal Singh, son of Shardul Singh, founded the fort in Vikram Samvat 1812. The fort dominates the town with a painted arched gateway adorned with frescoes of Lord Krishna and his cows. Built as per a medieval theme, the castle of Mandawa is adorned with beautiful frescoes. Rooms in the palace are decorated with paintings of Lord Krishna, exquisite carvings and amazing mirror work. The palace's Durbar Hall houses a number of antiques and paintings. Situated in the middle of the town, the Mandawa Fort has been converted into a heritage hotel.
Havelis
This town has been referred to as the "open art gallery" of Rajasthan because the entire Shekhawati region and not just Mandawa is dotted with fascinating mansions that have lavishly painted walls. Sewaram Saraf Haveli This 100-year-old Haveli is famous for its architecture and paintings, Bollywood's Favorite Destination for Movie Shooting, PK, Bajrangi Bhaijan, Mirza Sahibaan and many more Ram Pratap Nemani Haveli The Haveli has been recently converted into a Heritage Hotel where one can experience untouched frescos dating back to the 18th century. Vivaana Culture Hotel is a captivating twin haveli adorned with fascinating paintings. Both the exterior and interior boast of superb and rare artifacts and frescos. The over a century old haveli has been lovingly restored and renovated maintaining the old world charm. ;Hanuman Prasad Goenka Haveli ;Goenka Double Haveli ;Murmuria Haveli ;Jhunjhunwala Haveli ;Mohan Lal Saraf Haveli ;Gulab Rai Ladia Haveli The Bansidhar Newatia Haveli, Lakshminarayan Ladia Haveli and Chokhani Double Haveli are some of the other painted havelis in the area. Murals in the Thakurji temple, located opposite the Goenka Double Haveli and the Murmuria Haveli, include soldiers being shot from the mouths of cannons, a reflection of the horrors of the Mutiny of 1857. Further west are a couple of chhatris, and a step-well, still used today and bearing paintings inside its decorative corner domes. ; Aakharam ka Haveli
