A Little About Shekhawati

It is a large area in north-eastern Rajasthan, spread over Jhunjhunu, Sikar and Churu districts, in its 20 odd towns and villages. Shekawati as a region is known for its exquisite frescoes that adorn the walls and ceilings of the buildings. There is no other region anywhere in the world that has such a large concentration of frescoes. In the 14th century the ruler, Mokal Singh sought the blessings of fakir Sheikh Burhan for a male child and he named his son Shekha in honor of the fakir. Until 1820 frescoes financed by the Rajputs were largely religious and historical events. Towards the end of 19th century Marwaris the business community, found itself in a position of strength. By the beginning of 19th century. East India Company began to levy heavy taxes and Marwaris were forced to leave the region leaving their families behind. They later sent back huge sums of money to their hometown and most of it was spent on the welfare of the community, wells and reservoirs. For the families they built large havelis and had the most intricate frescoes painted in them. The desire to show off spread over from one village to another and the region has now become famous for its frescoes. Majority of the frescoes have themes from mythology, pictures of God, epics and legends.

(taken from Shekawati-An Open Air Art Gallery )