Jhunjhunu

Jhunjhunu is a big district town at the heart of Shekhawati, and also has a tourist reception centre. It is also an important religious site for the Marwari community of Shekhawati. It is customary to come once a year to pay blessings at Rani Sati.

Rani Sati Temple - It was built by the merchant community of Shekhawati, and is dedicated to a merchant’s wife who committed sati in 1595. The building is an opulent structure, and is grand both from the outside and the inside.
Khetri Mahal - Built in 1760, this is Jhunjhunu’s most striking building, and was built in Indo-Islamic style (Jhunjhunu has a Muslim history). It is located away from the market place, and can be reached by walking through the winding lanes. A unique feature of this mahal is that there are no doors or windows, but the rooms are connected with beautiful archways ensuring natural cross ventilation. Views from Khetri Mahal are beautiful.

Kaniram Narsinghdas Tibrewala Haveli - This haveli was built in 1883, and is perched on a platform with excellent paintings on the outer and inner walls. Soldiers and Europeans pose in the pictures, and there are also paintings of folk tales of the region.
Mohanlal Ishwardas Modi Haveli - Built in 1896, it has a good selection of some amusing portrait murals. Unusual oval miniatures of various Indian personalities frames the entrance to the inner courtyard, whose arches are filled with portraits showing European and Indian people in a different style wearing wide costumes, funny hats and sporting elegant moustaches.

Bihari Temple - This little temple features some of the oldest murals in Shekhawati, painted in 1776. Among other mythological paintings there’s one that shows a dramatic depiction of the scene from the Ramayana in which Hanuman’s monkey army takes on the forces of the many-headed demon king Ravana.
Other places of note in Jhunjhunu are Khetan Havelis and Tulsian Havelis. There is an excellent range of hotels for all budgets in Jhunjhunu.