Mandawa is one of the smallest towns of northern Rajasthan. It used to be a remote feudal principality and an outpost for the trading route starting from China to Middle East. In order to protect this outpost, they constructed a fort and the town started to grow around it, attracting a large community of traders who settled here. These merchants, who became quite wealthy as a result of trade in the region, built many havelis. This was a symbol of their wealth. These rich business people commissioned artists to paint frescoes on their homes as a sign of opulence. And so, havelis appeared all over the desert landscape. In time, along with the trade routes, more and more families settled elsewhere, letting many havelis abandoned, locked up and neglected. Once we reached the city we had a tour to discover the famous frescoes with religious motifs. So we started to…