Luxury in Mud Houses

Rajasthan
Distance from New Delhi. 275 km.
Traveling time: 5-6 hours.

Can be reached via Kothputli or Rewari and Jhunjunu The route via Kothputli is slightly better.

Ever stayed in mud houses with thatched roofs and cupboards made of logs and yet with all the trappings of a modern luxe hotel? The Mandava Desert Resort in the Shekawati region of Rajasthan offers you a rustic life style  with a difference.

Set in the midst of a semi desert arid land, Mandava Desert Resort is unique in its style and architecture. The resort looks more like a cluster of gaily painted nomadic huts. Each hut seems different from the other, bunched in an apparent haphazard manner. Some of the hut has an enclosure barricaded by empty earthern pots and held together with clay. Other have enclosures made of baked bricks.

Meals are served either in the dining hall or served alfresco on the sprawling lawns. It is  a cheerful affair, the meals are generally accompanied with a puppet show against the backdrop of  Rajasthani rural music. For all its apparent simplicity, the Rajasthani stringed instrument, Sarangi, can render a melodiously soothing sound.

It is a 6 hour drive from Delhi in a remote part of the Shekawati region. The drive can be a little strenuous, since at many place the road is single laned.


Places to see:

• Frescoes at Castle Mandawa.
• Dr Ramesh A, Podar Haveli Museum at Nawalgarh. Situated about 10 km from Mandawa.
• Castle Mandawa which is a Haveli converted to a Resort with all modern facilities.