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!