Narayan Niwas Castle, 36 kms from Jhunjhunu

This is a small heritage property run by the erstwhile rulers of the area. The property is set in a quaint non-descript location. We needed a place to halt for the night around Jhunjhunu when we were travelling towards Jaipur. The property is located at Manesar District, when you are travelling towards Jaipur (first Mahendar, then Jhunjhunu, onwards to Jaipur). We booked a Suite Room booked on the second /third storey of the haveli. As I was travelling with senior citizens they couldn't climb the narrow criss-cross stairs to reach the higher floors. We settled for the first floor accommodation (didn't have much of view from the room). I would recommend that you locate this property during the day (as we did) as the google maps points the location a few streets before the Narayan Niwas Castle, 36 kms from Jhunjhunu. Property is clean with Spartan amenities (no running hot water or hand shower/jet spray in the western WC). The owner of the property, the erstwhile ruler, makes it a point to receive the guests personally and offers a sit down for a few minutes in the courtyard for a casual welcome hello, before moving on to the rooms. The hospitality is the best thing at this place. The owner and staff ensure that the guests are well settled, check if they need any beverages and also check on dining options for the night. I would recommend that you eat at this place since there is nothing available close-by in the form of a restaurant/dhaba (that we could locate on our way in). The food serving is quite generous with a vegetarian meal option (that we ordered) with local flavour and good service. We chose to dine inside the room as we were tired from the travel. But the owner does request you to dine in the open terrace from where the cool evening breeze and casual lighting around the area gives you a rustic ambience. The property has some amazing views of the haveli/castle especially during sunlight and is a good place to take some pictures. There are plenty of parrots and a few peacocks that are in the vicinity of the haveli. The morning breakfast that we chose to have were parathas, corn flakes, tea, veg cutlets and milk. The food quality is very decent and is not overly spiced (dinner and breakfast both were good). The diner costs Rs. 400/- per thali. Breakfast was part of the tariff when we booked. Things to Improve:- 1) The rooms do not have running hot water. So in the morning the Narayan Niwas Castle, 36 kms from Jhunjhunu service manually bring in 1 bucket of hot water per person. Not surprisingly since we are in Rajasthan, water conservation is always encouraged. For multiple buckets you need to wait for a span of 15 minutes per bucket of hot water which the staff brings on time. There is running cold water in the bathroom so if you don't need a hot Bath, then this is not a big deal. I would recommend the owner to address this by having hot and cold running water in the room. 2) The only dampener I saw was that the western WC did not have a jet spray or hand shower. For western tourists the option of tissue exists, but for local tourists I recommend the owner to get an addition done. The current option of a mug with running water is not something I would want to consider in this age. All in all, the property is a much better option for the area that we were in. There are foreign tourist who make a night halt over as well. The layout is nice with a lot of photo-op for the shutter kind. Service is impeccable. Thank you for the good service it made the stay that much comfortable.

This is not a luxury property by any means but you get much more value for what you pay. It is an old palace, a bit rundown but authentic. The hosts are very friendly and the staff are very polite. We were driving from Delhi and the owner kept checking on us as we became late due to the traffic and road construction on the way. Right in the heart of the Shekhawati region, this is located in the village of Mahensar. We booked a heritage suite for our family of 3 and it was great. The bedroom was a bit small but there was a huge area outside with a lot of mattresses/cushions to lounge around within our suite and one can go to the roof top terrace to enjoy the view of the castle and the surroundings. The place was clean, also the sheets/towels were clean. The toilet was a bit letdown with cheap fittings and cheap toiletries. We were the only guests when we were there, the tourist traffic had come down drastically because of the prevalent Corona virus pandemic. We had a great spread of Shekhawati food for dinner for both nights we were there and the price was very reasonable. The included breakfast was made to order but was just average.

It's a huge castle with lots of passages, fortress, towers and built in multiple levels. You have a diwan a aam and diwan e khas. Wonderful wall frescoes and furniture. It felt like living in a history book. The host and their hospitality is charming. A complimentary puck up service is provided from churu station. The lobby where we arrived for the first time was mind-blowing with stunning architecture. Entire checkin and checkout process were smooth and well organised. Thhakur ji(our host) also arranged for a guide and cab for sightseeing. There's such a wealth of places to aee in mahansar, ramgarh and churu which we hadn't expected! a must go for every traveller especially if you are interested in history and architecture. The meals were a lavish apread - half of qhich we couldn't eat with bursting tummies. Very lovingly cooked and had the authentic local flavours. I'm sure to visit once again very soon, with my kids this time as i just can't come out of the aura of the place!

The Narayan Niwas Castle, 36 kms from Jhunjhunu is part of the castle. The fort is divided among 3 brothers and Narayan Nivas belongs to the eldest brother. Unlike most other Narayan Niwas Castle, 36 kms from Jhunjhunus in the region Narayan Nivas has not been restored and retains it's old world charm. The rooms are spacious and good. I would recommend the heritage room where we stayed. The room is smaller as compared to others but is full of frescoes which are more than 200 years old. The view from the windows and the roof top is wonderful. They take good care of their guest and personally attend to all needs. The food is fabulous.

Castle was antique and beautiful, especially the heritage suite. Reflects absolute royalty and rugged, bold lifestyle. The best part was the room and ambience. The host was very nice and humble, was always available. He explained us the history, relevance of the place and all the attractions nearby. The food served was good, had prepared local dishes too. A bit steep on the price though. But felt worth. Overall, this place is to sit back, relax, spend some time in solitude.

The hospitality at the Narayan Niwas Castle was fantastic. I experienced the rich cultural history of the Thakur Maheshwari's family, enjoyed amazing fresh vegetarian food, relaxed in my Heritage Suite big enough for a family, and discovered Mahansar.

The best experience to revisit the roots of Indian culture.

A memorable retreat back into way of life, art, culture and the history of yesteryears. The glimpse of the valour and culture of Shekhawati region of Rajasthan comes alive before you. A very good weekend retreat from Delhi for lovers of art, culture and history. Value for money. Greatly enjoyed the courteous hospitality extended personally by the owners of the castle, Thakur Maheshwar Singh Shekhawat and his wife, the direct descendants of Royal family of Mahansar. Really a memorable weekend.

Staying in a historical fort itself is a lifetime experience. It is also a home with warm people and excellent food. We enjoyed our stay there.

If anyone wants experience of our heritage culture than i will suggest the must visit place. Thakur maheshwar singh ji having great and pleasant personality. Food quality is too good and my all over experience is great.