A Weekend Get-Away Destination near you that’s Not on Every College Student’s 'Places-To-Go' List: Churu

Whether you're planning to escape Delhi's noxious air during Diwali or making your wedding and family functions legendary, we've all been questioning if there is a way to discover a weekend get-away destination that is offbeat!

Continue reading this article if:

• you're bored of celebrating every New Years’ Eve with your friends in a hot-n-happening club (that one of you managed to get coupons for, but didn’t turn out to be as hip as you thought it would),
  
• you're not sure if Humayun’s Tomb can accommodate any more of fashion bloggers for weekly photoshoots, (ooh, I’m pretty sure your followers are bored of that as well!)
  
• you can’t wait to organise a bonfire with your best friends (but the empty plot besides your grandma’s house doesn’t provide you with much privacy)

A glimpse of something unique for those who cannot wait to explore the unexplored: Churu

The royal state of Rajasthan boasts of forts and palaces at every turn, and Churu is one of the towns that falls off the tourist map. What makes Churu stand out is- no kings and queens have ever resided in this town, yet it has a fascinating history!

Also known as the Gateway to the Thar Desert, if you can look beyond the dust and the grime, you will find yourself surrounded by history, beauty and heritage.

The rich history of Churu: A bustling merchant town!

Back in the 19th century, the rich marwari seths traded in spices, textiles and opium and believed in spending tons of money on their homes (read grand havelis). These merchants travelled across the world and brought back stories of what they experienced, depicting them in paintings on walls across the town.

As they got richer and richer, these merchants moved their business to Kolkata, New Delhi and Mumbai, leaving their ancestral properties behind in disrepair.

Today, walking through Churu is like walking through a ghost town! There are more than 100 havelis within a short radius, each grander than the other. The paintings and frescos these havelis embody depict the lives of the owners and new concepts of that time like: travelling in a train, driving a car, etc.

If your idea of a travel involves knowing the people, their story and culture, enjoying your own space in tranquil environs and simply adoring monuments, Churu is a gem for you. Walking through the lanes of the town, one can easily imagine it in all its glory, when it would have been the bustling centre of commerce.

The Churu experience:

The Churu experience is about the people – the merchants, the artisans, the farmers, the workers and commoners like us. Knowing these people, their stories, their lives is what makes it special.

For someone who appreciates antiques, even the doors of some havelis are something you can spend an entire day looking at and adoring! Grand in scale and in terms of beautiful engraved work on them, no two doors are ordinary or alike.

European influences in architecture and design peek from every corner here,
telling tales of the owners’ travels and lifestyle.

If you are more than done trying to relate to the unreal world of kings and queens, step back in history and come visit the town of Churu that man built and thrived in. A bumpy 30-minute drive takes you towards the sand dunes, where the only thing missing is a bonfire.

Then there is Malji Ka Kamra: made as a guesthouse to Maharaja of Bikaner by Malji Kothari – one of the richest Seths of Churu. The place was originally used as an entertainment house for visiting dignitaries with artists being called upon from all corners of Bikaner riyasat. 

Malji Ka Kamra, the only heritage mansion resort of Churu is over 100 years old!

One of the rooms still carry an original painting of Ganga Singh Ji, the ruler of Bikaner – who used to stay in that particular room during his frequent visits to Churu. Malji would get it demolished and reconstructed til the time he was happy which explains how it took 17 years to construct it! 

This palatial place was gradually decked over a period of seventeen odd years to make it look like an eclectic party venue hosting ballroom waltzes to performing arts for the elite merchants, the royalty, the British officers and whoever was the then toast of the region.

The haveli’s pillared exteriors, a fusion of Italian and Shekhawati architecture styles embellished with stucco work of beautiful figurines of men and women, many in various dance moves pose as ample evidence of the place’s bygone revelry.

The place gives a sneak peak about the lighter side of the Seths, usually
perceived to be workaholics, with their nose always buried in ledger books. 

Malji Ka Kamra looks like a 19th century venetian villa with a unique combination of an Italian-style-construction, combined with ingenuity of local architects. It is now a restored heritage building with 14 rooms and suites, carefully preserving the elements of the original architecture.

The lavish property aims to recreate the ambience of yore, to host modern-day travellers and introduce them to a region full of architectural relics!

The ornamental and grand structure has a Mughal styled main entrance door
which is a gigantic 30 feet high, tall enough for an elephant to pass through.

 

Covered with iron sheets, brass bars, iron spikes, iron chains and brass knockers, this door looks royal in every aspect, with paintings of various generations of Bikaner kings, Radhe-Krishna amongst others.

What’s more, there are jarokhas on either side of the magnificent door from where flowers were showered on to the welcomed guests!

Malji Ka Kamra on Tripadvisior

Discover the best of Shekhawati with your Churu visit:

Diligently restored following the same lines and look of a rang mahal, Malji Ka Kamra sports an unusual mint green façade. Visit and explore explore Churu, the least explored of the three districts comprising of Shekhawati, to find a slice of the real Indian experiences you’re looking for. 

How to reach Churu?

Churu is located at a four odd hour train ride from the capital of the county, Delhi’s Sarai Rohilla or Delhi Cantt railway station. The gazers window-view gradually changes to desert shrubs and to sandy dunes when the train finally pulls into Churu Junction.

Thanks for reading!

Also Read : The Best Trip I've Ever Been to: A Decision Taken in under 5 Minutes!