Imagine being brought up in one of the ancient strongholds in Rajasthan’s Shekhawati region, located along the old trade routes? Discovery by chance by a pair of avid adventurers has put it Shekhawati, firmly on India’s tourism map, as an open-air painting gallery. These astonishingly rich native outpourings offer a superb window to the association of the region’s merchant princes with the British. This association is strongly linked to the changing course of the centuries-old trading practices of the Marwari community.
Dundlod Fort was amongst the first to catch the imagination of travellers looking for an extension of a Jaipur visit. Its history, wall paintings and breeding of the indigenous Marwari horse made it an unbeatable and very novel experience. Today, holding firm the reins of this rich legacy Mallyka Singh Dundlod, the enterprising daughter of the Dundlod family, invites visitors to share some amazing holiday experiences in her family home. She is deeply passionate about carrying forward her family traditions. She is proud to reveal that riding horses is in the family genes. She shares how all the years of hard work by her father to revive the indigenous Marwari horse breed has borne rich fruits. Since 1985, Dundlod Horse safaris have been an eternal part of taking forward the legacy of the Marwari horse. Equestrians from all over the world are keen to ride the magnificent breed.
The idea behind the ‘Bonding with Horses’ experience, that she has lovingly curated, was to introduce this war horse to everyone out there who wants to connect with this unique breed. Elaborating further she shares that their offer to interact with these horses is done under safety guidelines; to understand the connection with the animal through the simple gesture of touch. With this simple but important action, they are able to open doors to the basic understanding of posture, riding, confidence, and mainly, emotional quotient intelligence building with this amazing horse.
It was Mallyka’s deep emotional connect with her homeland which inspired her to share this precious heritage to travellers. It was also the aim of “A Baisa’s Adventures” to also help preserve this legacy precious heritage by expanding its band width with these activities. Your experiences at Shekhawati will be a small but important step in keeping alive the tradition of the region. A Baisa’s Adventures puts the spotlight on the culture of the region and helps accelerate the pace of sustainable development for its community.
The thrill of creating these experiences and sharing this passion with even strangers is a source of great joy. What better way than this to get people to gather on a common platform where everyone engages, immerses, and evolves. An important component to the A Baisa’s Adventures experience is the personalised touch of your hostess and her team. You will discover that every trip is about sharing stories and getting to know one another; which is truly wonderful? It’s a place where you arrive as temporary guests– but leave as friends.
Every season, A Baisa’s Adventures has been growing since it was first launched in 2020. As the programmes continue to evolve in the Shekhawati region, the artisans themselves have started approaching them to share their skills. It’s a fantastic way to create that bridge between the rural and urban landscape of community-visitor interfaces. The essence of all these experiences is to give travellers an immersive and friendly village life experience. The curated tours are already designed around culture, heritage, food, and adventure. The long-term mission is to add even more local experiences which involve music and dance around folklore, history, and traditions.