A guide to Delwara - The 10th century town of god near Udaipur

Delwara is a gem nestled in the Aravali mountain range some 40 minutes' drive from Udaipur. A town of temples and gods. Delwara historically guarded one of the three main routes into Udaipur, It was one of the 16 districts or rajwadas in the Kingdom of Mewar and was ruled by the Jhala dynasty - Dukedom of Mewar. 

The town not to be mistaken with Dilwara temples which are close to Mount Abu has earned the name "Devkul Paton Nagari" which means the town of the gods. True to its name, the town boasted about 1000 temples out of which 400 were Jain temples. The fact has seen even today where every street in the village would have at least 1-3 temples. Delwara along with other villages like Nagdha and Aayad was one of the main centers of learning and culture during the 15th century, What remains of the town today is just 25% of what it was once upon a time.

My visit: Delwara was on my to-do list ever since I had planned to visit Nathdwara - The abode of Shreenathji. I set out on a nippy morning from Nathdwara, wanted to combine my visit to Delwara with another temple town of Eklingji which boast 108 temples including the famous "one Mukhi" Shiva temple which is said to be the ruling deity of the erstwhile Kingdom of Mewar. But my experience now confirms that Delwara itself requires half a day or more to see all its attractions. And that would have to wait for another visit sometime next year but still managed to visit few attractions in the limited time that I had in my hand which included a walk around the narrow alleys in the ancient town.

Attractions of Delwara: Most prominent structure nestled in Aravali Hills in Delwara is Raas Devigarh palace which is an 18th-century fort converted into a Palace and now into a hotel. It is the prime attraction in the village once a residence of the rulers of Delwara. It is said that the principality of Delwara was awarded to Sajja Singh who hailed from Gujarat for displaying his bravery and loyalty to Maharana Pratap of Mewar against Mughal emperor Akbar in the battle of Haldighati in 1576. Subsequent rulers made many additions to the building which was abandoned in 1960 when the principality was merged in the state of Rajasthan. Today the beautiful and prominent building cum hotel sits atop a hill overlooking the entire village.

Palera Talab: A large lake stands at the entrance of Delwara. Built by Queen Sajjan Kumari in memory of her husband Jhala prince Mansinghji who died at a young age. Two small chhatris ornament the lake which was built around 1875 and is the main source of water in the town.

Jain temples of Rishabdev and Parshwanath: Both the Jain temples are around 700 to 900 years old. Rishabdev temple has 149 pillars and contains 52 shrines. The temple is adorned with exquisite marble carvings and stone works. Parshwanath temple has an underground chamber that houses 13 beautiful idols. Both the temples exhibit exemplary artwork in marble and stone.

Sadhna workshop and Seva Mandir (NGO): Today Delwara is also famous for the world's most effective NGO - Sevamandir which works in 1500 villages including Delwara, NGO works in areas of women empowerment, sustainable development, water sanitation, and hygiene as well as many other areas. They have trained local youth as a guide and have been organizing heritage walk to promote conservation and awareness about the rich legacy and history of Delwara. Sadhna workshop started as an income-generating activity to promote women empowerment is a self-owned enterprise that is open to the public and high-quality women's clothing can be purchased here.

Indra Kund: In heart of the town center lies a stepwell which is a marvelous example of stone carving and is 15 meters deep. Built by Raj Rana Bairisalji in 1856. There is a memorial structure on the steps of the stepwell at one end which is adorned by warrior memorial marble stone at the top.

Apart from these, there are few temples like Lakshmi Narayan temple, Kundeshwar Mahadev temple, Kasheshwar Mahadev temple, Kheda Mata temple as well as Vaikunth Nathji temple which are not to be missed attractions when in town.

But the most interesting attraction that I liked in the limited time that I spent in Delwara was walk in the narrow streets of the neighborhood. Walking past old houses and Haveli's gives a feeling of being transformed back in time, in a bygone era where the time has stood still. Those protruding balconies overlooking the streets give a different charm to the front facade of the houses.

Delwara is an amazing heritage town worth exploring when in Udaipur or Nathdwara. Also with the initiative of heritage walk being conducted by trained local youth is an experience not to be missed. The heritage walk can be booked on the website of NGO - Seva Mandir and takes around 2 hours.

Delwara is an offbeat destination often overlooked by tourists visiting the city of lakes Udaipur or Abode of Shreenathji - Nathdwara. Delwara which lies between Udaipur and Nathdwara can be combined with Eklingji town temples for a one-day trip.

How to reach: Regular buses are available from Udaipur or Nathdwara. Also private vehicles on sharing basis ply to the town.