Travel Places in Sikar
The Temple Attractions
There is enough evidence to show that Sikar was an ancient town. The
Harashnath Temple, for instance, dates from the 10th century. Most of
the newer buildings in Sikar are within the walls which Sheo built.
Among the other temples worth seeing is the Gopinath Temple. It was
begun by Sheo Singh in the 1720s but the main building was rebuilt by
Devi Singh in the 1780s. Don't be fooled by the porcelain tiles at the
doorway; the inside has interesting murals all right. They include
portraits of the rulers of Sikar and one showing an interesting view
of Jaipur city. The Madan Mohan Temple (circa 1895) built by the
Biyani family of merchants, has paintings on its walls and dome. The
Govindji Temple, opposite the Madan Mohan Temple, is of a similar
style with rich murals. This was built in 1888 also by the Biyani
family. Its south wall shows wrestlers, a scene at a well and one from
the legendary love story of Dhola and Maru (see Takhat Vilas in
Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur for the story).
The Jeen Mata Mandir may look pretty mundane from the outside, but it
is most colourful inside. There's a fair held in April-May every year
and lakhs of devotees throng to the temple to worship the goddess.
There's another temple, the Raghunath Temple, also known as Rathorji
ka Mandir since it was built by a Rathor. The murals in the courtyard
are mostly religious, but include some from folktales too. There is a
portrait of Col. Boileau in the upper storey (the eccentric Boileau
was also a keen astronomer and architect. He built the Observatory and
the Christ Church in Shimla). It is a full-face picture, unusual for
that time, because then they had only side views. This could be the
result of the camera that Boileau gifted to a Bikaner prince in 1835.
So it was probably in Sikar that the full face in murals began. The
Jain Temple founded in 1860 has some paintings in its domed ceiling
showing tirthankaras (Jain religious teachers).
¤ Magnificent Palaces & Havelis
Khatu Shyamji is a place located at about 48 kilometres from Sikar
which is famous for its Shyamji Temple. Shyam is another name for the
beloved Hindu god, Krishna. Legend connects the place to the epic
Mahabharata, and Krishna is supposed to have blessed one Brihubahan to
be worshipped here as Shyam himself. and that is reason enough for an
elaborate fair, which is held every year during the month of Phaguna
(February-March). Apart from being a place of pilgrimage, a large
number of people visit the temple for the jadula ceremony (the first
time all hair is shaved off the head) of their children.
Sikar was an important trading centre, thanks to the hard working
marwaris and banias. The latter were also traders by profession, but
not belonging to a particular region like the marwaris. Sikar's
affluence is evident by the large number of luxurious havelis
(mansions) that one can find in the town. The Biyanis were the ruling
merchant family, having their handsome Biyani Haveli (circa 1865) with
some excellent murals, especially those in blue. In fact, the Biyanis
were such an important family that they also served as the state
treasurers of the Jaipur raja. Inside the haveli is a little temple
decorated with mirror work, though it is scarred badly in places where
antique dealers have torn out the glass covered pictures. The Somani
Haveli, painted in red and blue, and the Chhotalal Sodhani Haveli are
some of the other havelis. The latter was built in 1884, with a grand
entrance painted with dancing girls and panels from the Mahabharata in
its forecourt. The Murarka Haveli (1850) has murals mostly of the
religious kind.
¤ Chhatris (Cenotaphs)
There are lots of other structures that you could see in Sikar. The
Chhatri of Devi Singh (1795) has some 80 painted panels, though the
colours do not look too bright. Most of the murals show episodes from
the life of Devi Singh. The pink and white Jubilee Hall, with its
large and impressive gateway, was built by Rao Raja Madho Singh in
1897. This building was erected in celebration of Queen Victoria's
75th year of accession to the throne. The walls and ceilings of the
spacious rooms (rather halls) have lovely portraits of the rulers of
Sikar amidst bright floral patterns. The monument now serves as a
college for girls.
¤ The Colorful Bazaars
The busy market place is dominated by the clock tower, an
indispensable feature of most Indian towns. and while you're there, do
take a closer look at the colourful bandhni (tie and dye) fabrics that
the town offers. The industry is one of the most successful in
Rajasthan – the women skillfully tie the knots on the cloth while
the portfolio of dyeing rests with the men. The rainbow-tinged turbans
of the Rajputs and the odhnis (long scarves) of their women were
shaded by this very method of resist dyeing. and the best part about
bandhni is that it is never too expensive!
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