Khetri Mahal Rajasthan

A series of small laneways at the western end of Nehru Bazaar (a short rickshaw drive north of the bus station) leads to the imposing Khetri Mahal, a small palace dating from around 1770 and once one of Shekhawati’s most sophisticated and beautiful buildings. It’s believed to have been built by Bhopal Singh, Sardul Singh’s grandson, who founded Khetri. Unfortunately, it now has a desolate, forlorn atmosphere, but the architecture remains a superb open-sided collection of intricate arches and columns. The various levels of the palace are connected by a series of ramps (big enough to accommodate a horse and cart) along which the thakur (nobleman) could be pulled. There are good views over the town from here, stretching across to the old Muslim quarter, Pirzada Mahalla, and its mosques.