DISCOVER THE HAVELI OF TALES
DISCOVER THE HAVELI OF TALES
Below is our Diwali 2026 programme. As the festival this time is falling in the month of November, expect the Shekhawati weather to be crispier with cool evenings & a morning chill. For a full sense of Shekhawati life during Diwali, participation in the entire length of itinerary is recommended.
This is the day to enjoy Mandana at the haveli - these are the famous wall and floor paintings of Rajasthan. Mandana are drawn to protect the home, welcome gods into the house and mark our celebrations and festive occasions. The ground is prepared with cow dung mixed with rati, a local clay, and red ochre. Lime or chalk powder is used for making the design. Tools are traditional - a piece of cotton, a tuft of hair, or a rudimentary brush made out of a date stick.
Get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the haveli preparations. This is a day for shopping - silver of all kinds for the decoration of sweets, the grand table, and even for personal decoration - also a trip to the market for fruit, vegetables or sweet treats.
Our chef, Kishen, will be doing cooking demonstrations on the haveli rooftop of our regional food - particularly our sweet diwali favourites.
Today, we’ll host our grand event. We love to host traditional performers from across Rajasthan. Watch the dancers set up, apply the traditional make up, the musicians practice.
The haveli is a natural stage and forms a fine backdrop for these performances, rich in sound and colour. These performances are not just for our guests - who will soak up the culture of our state - but also for our local people who come from far and wide to enjoy what the haveli has to offer.
These performances will be listed nearer the time on our culture page.
Beautifying day.
Roop Chaturdashi (Day of Beauty) This day focuses on cleansing the body with skincare and oil baths, the mind and the home, to radiate beauty, symbolizing the shedding of inner “demons” and impurities.
Diwali day.
T his is when the haveli shows its true beauty - gently lit with flickering candlelight everywhere you look with the excitement of the vivid evening fireworks adding to the drama.There will be simple, traditional Diwali meals and so many types of homemade sweets to share that you won’t be able to resist a few.
We dress in our best new silks, swap gifts (mostly our favourite sweets) and enjoy the vibrant celebratory atmosphere and, most important, we have evening prayers to Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha for wealth and prosperity.
Chappan Bhog: As part of the Annakoot (mountain of food) celebration, 56 or 108 different food items are prepared in the temples of Mukundgarh and offered to Lord Krishna and which are later distributed as Prasad. There will also be worship of our cows and relaxing session of post Diwali conversations in the garden. A day largely dedicated to relaxation and storytelling.
We will travel to the Aravalli Hills and our organic farm. Here we will picnic on a lavish Rajasthani feast and enjoy the incredible flora and fauna of the scenic countryside.
Departure as guests continue their onward journeys.