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[click HERE
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& Rajput Page]
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The town of Surajgarh in the Shekhawati
region of Rajasthan derives its name from the 18th century fortified
Palace SURAJGARH. The name literally means "The Castle of The
Sun".
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This 4 acre fortified palace is being
lovingly restored to give our guests the experience of living like a
Maharaja.
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The Fort is managed by Tikaraj Aishwarya
Katoch and Tikarani Shailija. Tikaraj Aishwarya is the son of Princess
of Jodhpur and Maharaja of Kangra. Tikarani Shailija is the eldest
daughter of the Maharaja of Sailana.
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A section of the Fort has been
restored and offers the following facilities :
18 suites + 1 double room with attached modern bathrooms, television,
air conditioning and Telephones;
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Dining Hall serving Indian, Continental,
Rajasthani and traditional Sailana recipes; 100% power backup;
Traditional sit down Chowki dinner in the courtyard; Puppet shows and
Rajasthani Folk Performers; Swimming Pool; Village Haat; Horse and Camel
Rides.
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Sailana is famed for India’s finest
cuisine and Tikarani Shailija’s grandfather has written a popular
cookery book called Maharaja Sailana’s Cookery Delights.
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Geographically the area of Shekhawati is
a triangle between Jaipur, Delhi and Bikaner and consists of important
towns like Mandawa, Fatehpur, Ramgarh, Nawalgarh, Bissau, Mukundgarh,
Jhunjhunu and Surajgarh.
These towns were knit into a kingdom by a Rajput warrior, Rao Shekha.
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Rao Shekha was born in 1433 to Mokal
Singh, the ruler of Barwada, a small principality (Thikana) of Jaipur.
Rao Shekha was crowned King at the age of 12 when his father passed
away. Rao Shekha’s popularity and power gave this area the name
Shekhawati – The Garden of Shekha, though not literally.
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Shekhawati now unlike the rest of
Rajasthan gets its laurels from the marwaris – the business community
instead of the Rajputs, who are famous all over Rajasthan and the rest
of India for their valor and architecture. The wealth which the marwaris
accumulated was not from this area but from the trade at ports like
Calcutta, this wealth transformed this area into a beautiful canvas of
paintings.
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Camel Cart Rides – You could enjoy the
countryside sitting on top of the camel or from the cart. Picnics are
organized to the local Bawari (Water tank). Blue bulls and many species
of birds are sighted on the way. Barbeque and bonfire are also organized
in the countryside around the Bawari.
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Many of India’s famous business houses
like Birlas, Dalmias, Kajarias, Goenkas, Khaitans, Poddars amongst
others trace their roots from this area. Of little importance earlier,
these paintings have made this area of world importance and of interest
to many.
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[click HERE
to return to our Moghul
& Rajput Page]
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