Indra Vilas

The Roop Niwas Kothi

The Grand Haveli & Resort

Mandwa Castle

Desert Rose

In the arid Northern Rajasthan, the Shekhawati region produced the founder's of some of India's finest business houses way back in the 17th and 18th centuries. As trade centres moved, the families moved on. The mansions they left behind gained attention only in the last two decades when intrepid visitors started stumbling upon a virtual open air art gallery of dimensions unparalleled anywhere. The mansions, the memorials, the temples, the wells, the ponds are all painted with murals and motifs of all kinds in rich colors.

Indra Vilas is the largest Haveli in Alsisar, Shekhawati. It has been refurnished to give the experience of the bygone era to the present day connoisseurs to come and savor the life of color and joy in the desert streets of this village.

Activities

Alsisar is strategically located for day visits to Jhunjhunu, Malsisar, Bissau, Mandawa, Bagar, Chirawa. Each of these small towns are richly embellished with more art-just in case the craving for more makes the heart skip many beats!

Ask for a camel ride to the nearby dunes to a performance of desert dances to lilting tunes. Be mesmerized by the hues of the setting sun, diffused to a fiery glow by the sand blown up by cattle on their homeward run.

For those interested in a wild experience, the Tal Chapper wildlife sanctuary is a mere two and a half hour drive from Alsisar. It may be covered as a days sojourn or as a stop over enroute to Bikaner. This is the best place to see and photograph the elegant and stately black bucks. More than 2000 of them roam the scrub land making it the largest concentration of this magnificent species in the subcontinent. During the winter months from November to March Demoisselle cranes from Siberia land here in large numbers. Monitor lizards, raptors and Egyptian vultures too are witnessed in fair numbers. Anthropologists may be more interested in the Kaalbelia or Joginath community of snake charmers and nomadic tribes inhabiting the neighboring villages.

Accommodation

The Indravilas is an authentic heritage mansion, restored to provide a comfortable oasis in your voyage through the desert. The spacious rooms have been furnished with a blend of period furniture and modern plumbing and electric fixtures. The objective has been to continue the experience of the past with the comforts of the present.

Relax your body and soul as you ensconce yourself in your bed, catch up with writing your memoirs or just be with yourselves or your family

• Catch a drink and spend hours at the swimming pool

• Ten acre garden

• Indoor Games

• Gymnasium

• Lounge and Bookshelf

• Travel desk

• Doctor on call

The accommodation consists of twenty-nine suites and deluxe rooms in two connected blocks.

The upper block served as the family's private quarters. The rooms are located around a covered walkway surrounding a central rectangular courtyard. The entrance is across a heavy wooden door with decorative brass plates. The door leads to the inner courtyard through a labyrinth where helpers and workers spent lazy afternoons waiting for the master's command.

The lower…….. and larger block surrounds the pool and opens to the garden. This is where business visitors and guests were entertained.

...Room View...