By Indian standards, Manadawa is still a relatively young city, only being founded in the 18th century! Once home to wealthy merchant families, all building monuments to their wealth in the form of elaborately decorated Havelis, today the city is the perfect stop-off for architecture  buffs in search of alternatives to the major palaces and forts that Rajasthan is so famous for.



As the merchants abandoned the city for more fashionable areas, the Havelis faded in to obscurity, although many were not abandoned. In fact the decor of these splendid homes actually evolved. Frescoes previously depicting characters and tales from Indian mythology and local folklore were gradually replaced with signs of a more modern time, and the influence of the occupying British. Cars, trains, hot air balloons, telephones and even gramophones now adorn the walls of many Havelis, along with traditional English hunting scenes and European style portraits of the proud owners of the Haveli in question.



Not wishing to be outdone by it's counterparts across the State, Mandawa also has a huge fort, which although now converted to a heritage hotel, still retains much of it's original splendour – including the intricately detailed entrance with carvings of Lord Krishna.