Churu, the headquarters of the largest desert district, is a part of the frescoland of Shekhawati. A major centre for trade and commerce, Churu has marked its position among the painted towns of the Shekhawati region. The town is literally a living mural that has expressed itself on the walls of the havelis (mansions) of the rich trading classes. It is really an heirloom of the rich traditional art of Rajasthan.


¤ Churu-A Desert Town

Founded in 1563, the town was a part of the kingdom of the Maharaja of Bikaner. It arrived at its name after a Jat chief who had established this barren town. Churu lives up to its portrayal of a desert town with dramatic sand dunes enclosing its western and southern parts.


¤ Flourished as a Trading Town

In the 18th century Churu fell on the caravan route and ensured that the trading classes of the town were well off in their respective businesses. The Poddars were the most important traders of those times dealing mainly in woollens, especially Kashmir shawls. The Thakur (the local ruler) of Churu, Sheo Singh, imposed a heavy wool tax on the Poddars which compelled them to move to Sikar. The Rao of Sikar, Devi Singh, gladly welcomed them to a place 15km south of Churu where the Poddars established the town of Ramgarh.

However, the Poddar traders were not satisfied and the Thakur revolted against the Maharaja of Bikaner, Surat Singh, the result of which was pretty grim for the former. He committed suicide and the Maharaja took over the town 1813. He ordered the destruction of the town walls as well as the fort built in 1739. Another revolt in 1818 ended the rule of the Thakurs and Churu came directly under the state of Bikaner. When the British came here in the 1830s, they were in for a surprise – the town was in ruins. Trade was absolutely nonexistent because of the shift to Ramgarh and also by the repeated raids by the rulers of Shekhawati. The Maharaja convinced the trading classes to return to Churu, thereby reviving the town and coming up with the most impressive painted havelis and temples in the whole of Rajasthan.

¤ Main Attractions in Churu

Ratangarh
This fort is an important attraction of the state and was constructed in 1820 AD by Raja of Bikaner - Ratan Singh. The fort is located on Agra - Bikaner highway. The shape of the market place is in the form of cross which suggest that city was planned before construction. You can see a spectrum of havelis which is around the main clock tower at the main crossing.

Salasar Balaji
In Churu city, this is one of the famous temple devoted to Lord Hanuman. Located at Japur-Bikaner highway, Churu is a well known pilgrimages of India. It is said that this is the place where Lord Balaji fulfills the desires of thousands of devotees.

Surana Haveli
This is a six storeyed edifice with an artistic windows and elegant doors. The haveli have more than 1100 doors.

¤ Excursions

Dudhwa Khara(36Km.)
It is an historical village which lies on Thar desert. The village has enticing topography and have huge beautifully designed havelis. You could enjoy the rural life and camel safaris in this Dudhwa Khara.

Sardar Shahar(46Km.)
Just 46 kms from Churu, Sardar Shahar is an enchanting desert down with beautiful intricate havelis adorned with colourful wall paintings and carved wood work.

Tal Chhapar(100Km.)
Tal Chhapar is a small enticing lake and harbours some endangered species like black bucks and some migratory birds. The lake is 100 km awa from Churu.

¤ Shopper’s Paradise

Churu is a small city with number of local shops selling regional handicrafts, tie and dye fabrics and furniture. You could find materials like wool, millet, gram, cattle and salt. The city is also dotted with cottage industries which include handloom weaving, pottery and leather manufacture.

¤ Famous Artisans of the Churu Town

Though a town with no handicrafts to boast of, Churus offers some excellent sandalwood. In Churu, Malchand Jangid, a carpenter used to make sandalwood almonds that were hinged in wood. When opened they revealed a tiny deity of your choice. Ram Ratan Sharma, another expert in this craft, had first started out by carving cakes of cheap soap until he came upon his grand mother’s coffer of sandalwood. With tools that he made himself, he created intricate objects – lockets, flowering plants with hidden cells that open to reveal sandalwood gods or a village scene. Churu is also famous for its drummers, especially during the festivals of Holi and Muharram.

¤ Sagas of Love

The legend of Dhola and Maru is the Indian version of the Romeo-Juliet saga (also see Jodhpur: Mehrangarh fort). The princess Maru was from a place called Pugal near Bikaner while Dhola was the young and handsome prince of Gwalior. A terrible drought in Pugal made Maru’s (then two year old) father shift to Gwalior, which was ruled by his friend, the father of Dhola. He stayed there for three years and before leaving for his hometown, the two kings each promised to get their children married to each other. However, after a span of 20 years all promises were forgotten and Maru was betrothed to a man called Umra.

But destiny prevailed, and a bard from Pugal who had travelled to Gwalior sang at the royal court about the childhood betrothal of Dhola and Maru. After listening to the song Dhola fell hook, line and sinker for the virtuous princess Maru. With love in his eyes Dhola beagn wooing Maru who also fell in love with the handsome Dhola. Where two hearts collide there has to be an outcome, and so they decided to run away. Umra came to know about their plans and went after them with his brother Sumra. The eloping lovers on their camel with their bows arrows were no match for the Umra-Sumra brothers who had guns. However, they were able to evade the evil brothers and took refuge in a forest. Unfortunately Dhola was bitten by a snake and died on the spot. Maru, thus cheated by her lover, proceeded to weep to death.

Luck favoured Maru and her cries were heard by Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati. Parvati requested her husband to revive Dhola and thus by divine intervention the lovers were united to live happily ever after (for another legendary version of the folk story see Meherangarh Fort in Jodhpur).

The lore of Sassi and Punnu is also a fascinating one. Sassi was a princess who was abandoned early in life and was raised among washermen. Punnu, on the other hand, was a prince who married Sassi against the wishes of his parents. The evil parents later kidnapped him and the heartbroken Sassi died in the desert while desperately searching for her lost love.