Sujawas

History

Nawal Singh of Sikar constructed the Sujawas Fort in 1687 AD, and around it he established the present Sujawas town, which was founded in 1687 AD. Nawal Singh of Sikar Thikana planned it nearly 200 years ago under the Shekhawati region of erstwhile ]. The reigning kingdom of jaipur had many thikanas and was one of them. The Jagirdars of these thikanas were called Raja Raisal s and Raisal Singh happened to be the Raja of Khandela and his sons founder of Sujawas. Naval Singh Has One Son Named Chattarsaal Singh...He HAs Two Son Named Prithvi Singh And Bahnwar Singh.....After Six Generation Of Naval Singh...Big Son is Thakur Ram Singh Shekhawat Sujawas..Now Situated In Jaipur..Grand Son Of Thakur Ishvar Singh. Most recently, Sujawas has been of public curiosity due to its place in modern literature.

Geography

Sujawas is located at 27.528958°N 75.263599°E / 27.528958; 75.263599. It has an average elevation of 222 metres (728 ft). The Sujawas Fort is the best monument of the town.

The nearing area of the Sujawas town are also very rich in heritage. The Khandela Haveli located in the revenue village of Khandela is also a 300-year-old monument. The monument is a place of worship for the Hindus of the area. The great fair is organised every year on the sixth of Bhadarpad (Hindi Month). Large number of people participate in the fair.

The area is arid ridden and the main source of their income is agriculture. The agriculture is based on the monsoon rains. The average rainfall in the area is also very less. Certain farmers are now constructing tubewells in the area for irrigation purposes. Properties belonging to them are still there in Large numbers but unauthorised capture by Muslim communities is at large.

The large workforce is also migrated to Gulf countries as labour and earning their livelihood. Certain people of the area are also engaged in the Hawala business. The Hawala operators and the money pumped in by these gulf earners through these operators, impair the fair assessment of the income of the people.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census Sujawas had a population of 385. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Sujawas has an average literacy rate of 64%, higher than the national average of 60.5%: male literacy is 76%, and female literacy is 51%. In Sujawas, 17% of the population is under 6 years of age.

The crime rate is also increasing in the area and the youth is indulging in the heinous crimes like murder and serious social crimes like trade of illegal liquor and narco substances.

Sujawas Fort

The most imposing building in this town is its small fortress (owned by the Shekhawat Family) which looms over the well laid out township on its west side. Nawal Singh, the Raja of Sujawas,conqure the fort in the early 17th century after Kan Singh dudu besieged the prosperous town. The fort of Sujawas is a unique piece of fort architecture in the whole world because the structure is built upon scattered pieces of huge rocks.

You can however climb up the ramp to a temple which is open to the public, and the view from the ramp can be quite fascinating too. Of course, seeing the town from this height tempts you to go further higher, but a guard effectively keeps the public out.

Places to see

Other than the Sujawas fort, the Ghanta ghar (Clock Tower) and various havelis with famous Shekhawati fresco paintings and Chhatris are the hallmark of the town.

One get to Sujawas by bus, or you could take a meter gauge train from Sikar. About 50 m north of the bus stand through the busy bazaar, a wide cobblestone path wends its way up the east side of the fort. There's a sign advising that the fort is private property, but there's a good view from the top of the ramp before the main entrance. From here you can see the layout of the double Char Chowk Haveli, below and to the north-east. Head for this haveli when you descend the ramp.

In the same building, a room in the northwest corner retains floral swirls and motifs on the ceiling with scenes from the Krishna legends interspersed with inlaid mirrors. The black and white rectangular designs on the lower walls create a marbled effect. No one lives in the haveli now, but there may be someone around who will open it for you (for a small fee). The front facade is in very poor condition at the lower levels, with the plaster crumbling and the bricks exposed. The southern haveli is still inhabited.

About 50 m east of this haveli is the large Radhi Murlimanohar Temple, which dates from 1845. It retains a few paintings beneath the eaves and some sculptures of deities around the external walls. To the south of this temple is the busy bazaar, flanked by a series of uniform shops whose overhanging balconies have three scalloped open arches flanked by two blank arches with lattice friezes. The shops were constructed in the mid-l9th century by a branch of the Poddar family known as Ganeriwala, who hailed from the village of Ganeri.

If you turn left at the first intersection south of the temple, on the corner of the first laneway on the left is the Chetram Sanganeeria Haveli. The lower paintings on the west wall are badly damaged: the plaster has peeled away and concrete rendering has been applied. Paintings on this wall include a woman in a swing suspended from a tree; a woman spinning; a man dancing on a pole balancing knives; people enjoying a ride on a Ferris wheel; a man ploughing fields with oxen; and men sawing timber.

On the north-east corner of the clock tower square, which is about 100 m south of the temple via the busy bazaar, is the Rathi Family Haveli. On the west wall, a European woman in a smart red frock sews on a treadle machine. The European influence is very much in evidence here, with painted roses and a Grecian column effect. On the south side of this haveli are ostentatious flourishes and the British crown flanked by unicorns. On the east side is depicted a railway station (a painted sign reads 'A Railway Station', in case you weren't sure!), and some blue eyed British soldiers. There is a busy set of chai (tea) stalls on the west side of the haveli, and this is a good place to sit and admire these extraordinarily over-the-top paintings.

Behind this haveli, a short distance to the east, is the Shyonarayan Kyal Haveli, which dates from around 1900. Under the eaves on the east wall, a man and woman engage in an intimate tryst while a maidservant stands by with a glass of wine at the ready. Other pictures include those of a woman admiring herself in a mirror and Europeans being drawn by horses with a tiny coachman at the reins.

The heritage hevelis are on the attack by the land Mafia, mushrooming on the behest and patronage of the greedy and corrupt administration in the area. These havelis are destroyed and new illegal high rise malls are constructed in unplanned way. The local government i.e. Municipal Board has turned blind eye with the vested interest. The matter has been headlined by the local newspapers at times but could not bring the desired results to protect the heritage buildings.

Education

Sujawas is also known for the Chitrakoot Public Academy located on the way of city just on the National Highway-11. The School is devoted to the girls education and the students from all over India are admitted to the School on first come first served basis.

Colleges near Sujawas

Aravali Vatenary College Bajor Address : Bajor Arrivali Nursing College Bajor Address : Vivekanand B.ed . College Bajor Address : Sardar Patal Teacher Traninig College Katrathal Address : Vpo Katrathal Kasha Balaji Tt College Katrathal Address : Vpo Katrathal