Churu, where the painted towns meet the dunes

A frontier town of Bikaner

• District town: Churu is the headquarters of Churu district, in the Bikaner division of Rajasthan.
• A border place: the district was formed in 1948, and it still feels half Shekhawati and half Bikaner.
• The fort: built at the heart of town in about 1739 by Thakur Khushal Singh.
• The rebellion: in the early nineteenth century Thakur Shivji Singh rebelled against Bikaner, and the Bikaner army laid siege to the town.
• Silver cannonballs: every Churu child knows that when the defenders ran out of lead, the women gave up their silver ornaments and the guns fired silver at the enemy.
• What the story tells you: it may have grown with the telling, but Churu sees itself as stubborn, proud and rather rich.
• The merchants: many were Oswal Jains, like the Kotharis and Suranas, with Agarwal and Maheshwari families such as the Baglas, Mantris and Lohias.
• What they traded: grain, cloth, spices and opium along the caravan routes, and later in Calcutta, Bombay and Burma.
• A famous walk-out: in 1791 the Poddar family, angry at the thakur's taxes, left Churu and founded Ramgarh across the border in Sikar territory. Our Fatehpur page tells that story.
• They built high: Churu's havelis are taller and more austere than Mandawa's or Nawalgarh's, rising several storeys in pale stone and lime with rows of windows and little outside painting.
• Riches behind walls: inside, the courtyards and rooms can be lavishly decorated.

The great houses of Churu

• Private houses: most of these havelis are private and some are lived in. A local guide knows which caretakers are in and which doors will open.
• The wider story: read our guide to Shekhawati frescoes.

Sethani ka Johara, a widow's gift in a famine

• Work and water: labourers were paid to build it, which kept their families alive, and the tank gave Churu water for generations.
• What a johara is: a reservoir that collects rainwater from the land around it.
• Its beauty: stone steps and graceful sandstone pavilions with domed roofs and arched openings.
• Never dry: so the locals say.
• Visitors at the water: nilgai, the big antelope of the plains, come down to drink, and the water fills with birds.
• Bhagwandas Bagla: remembered as one of the first great Marwari millionaires from Shekhawati, made a Rai Bahadur by the British in 1890.
• The family's gifts: schools, hospitals and temples in Churu, with the johara as their finest monument.

The dunes at the end of the street

• Sunset colours: gold to rose to violet.
• How we do it: a jeep or camel cart in the late afternoon to a dune with a view back over the town, with tea and snacks as the sun goes down.
• Quiet, not staged: no crowds or loudspeakers, and to our minds better than many famous desert sunsets.
• Going deeper: our pages on camel safaris and the Sam sand dunes near Jaisalmer.
• Sand in the lanes: it blows into town in the hot winds of May and June.
• Houses built against it: thick walls, high windows and deep courtyards.
• Roof nights and quilts: many families still sleep on their roofs in summer, and wrap up in heavy quilts in winter as the cold settles on the sand.

India's furnace, and its frost

• The record holder: Phalodi, further west, holds India's record of 51°C.
• Winter: the same open skies let heat escape at night, and in December and January the temperature drops close to or below zero.
• November to February: sunny, comfortable days, cold nights, and beautiful light on the pale havelis and the sand.
• March: still pleasant.
• April to September: we would not bring guests, except wildlife lovers heading to Tal Chhapar in late August and September, when the grassland is green.
• Read more: our weather and climate guide, and Rajasthan in December, the coldest and clearest month.

Festivals and pilgrimages

• The day itself: the town is drenched in colour. Watch the evening music and keep the day for a rooftop.
• Gangaur: women and girls worship clay images of the goddess Gauri for eighteen days, then carry them through the lanes, singing.
• Teej: swings tied to trees, and the green and yellow leheriya saris of the rainy season.
• Read more: our Gangaur and Teej pages.
• Salasar Balaji: one of the most important Hanuman temples in Rajasthan, south of town near Sujangarh.
• A bearded Hanuman: the image at Salasar is known for its beard and moustache, which makes it unusual among Hanuman shrines.
• Pilgrim roads: people walk there from far away, especially for the spring and autumn fairs, with families carrying red flags.
• Visiting: go early, dress modestly and expect crowds. On fair days allow extra time for the drive to Tal Chhapar.
• Jain festivals: especially Paryushan, observed quietly in the town's temples and homes.

A district of soldiers, athletes and poets

• Devendra Jhajharia: the javelin thrower, one of India's most decorated Paralympians, is from Churu district.
• His medals: Paralympic gold at Athens in 2004 and Rio in 2016, and silver at Tokyo.
• Krishna Poonia: the discus thrower comes from here too. She won Commonwealth Games gold in Delhi in 2010.
• Their explanation: people say the heat makes them tough, and it is hard to argue.
• Kanhaiyalal Sethia: the poet who wrote in Rajasthani and Hindi, whose verses in praise of the desert are sung across the state, came from Sujangarh.
• Dharti Dhoran Ri: Sethia's best-loved song, in praise of the land of dunes, is sung at school assemblies and festivals across Rajasthan.
• Cinema roots: the lyricist Bharat Vyas and the composer Khemchand Prakash, both important in early Hindi cinema, had roots in Churu.
• Ask about them: at a dhaba or a tea stall, and you will soon have an audience.
• The local speech: our page on the Rajasthani language explains the dialects you'll hear.

Where to stay

What Churu eats

• The winter meal: bajra roti with white butter, kadhi and a hot garlic chutney.
• Jain kitchens: no meat, no eggs and, in many homes, no onion, garlic or root vegetables. Many observant Jains eat nothing after sunset.
• As a guest: eat what is offered, finish your plate and don't bring food with you.
• The sweet shops: famous across the region.
• Ghewar for Teej: the honeycomb disc of fried batter soaked in syrup is the sweet of the monsoon festival, and families send boxes of it to married daughters.
• Read more: our guide to the Rajasthani thali and our food guide.

Tal Chhapar and the road west

Getting to Churu

• By train: Churu Junction is on the Delhi to Bikaner line, with a line to Jaipur via Sikar, but we recommend a car with a chauffeur for the region.
• Extend a journey: our Painted Towns of Shekhawati journey can add Churu and Tal Chhapar.
• Planning drives: our guide to road distances in Rajasthan.

A day in Churu, and a day beyond

What we tell travellers before Churu

• Hire a local guide: few havelis are signposted, and many are opened only by caretakers who know the guide.
• Respect Jain customs: in temples and homes, no leather, no food, and modest dress.
• Expect few signs: few English signs and few tourists. Greet people with khamma ghani and a smile, and the town is very welcoming.
• Time the outings: late afternoon is best for both the dunes and the johara.
• How long to allow: one night for the town, two if you want Tal Chhapar at dawn.
• Read before you go: the Shekhawati region page and our article on the blackbuck of Tal Chhapar.