Banswara sits in the far south of Rajasthan, close to the border with Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. It is not on the standard Rajasthan circuit — there is no Jaipur–Jodhpur–Udaipur bus that stops here — and that is the main reason to come.
Why Banswara
The district is called the city of a hundred islands. When the Mahi river is dammed and the reservoir level drops through the dry season, the higher ground emerges as dozens of small islands. Nobody agrees on the exact number, which is part of the charm.
Beyond that: a Shakti Peeth temple with an eighteen-armed idol, eleventh-century temple ruins, a rare Brahma temple, and a memorial to a massacre that happened six years before Jallianwala Bagh and is remembered far less.
How long to stay
Two nights is the honest answer. One night is enough for Mahi Dam, Chacha Kota and Kagdi Weir. A second night gets you the temple circuit towards Talwara, or a long day out to Arthuna and Mangarh.
Three nights if you want to do Mangarh properly, which deserves a full day rather than a rushed afternoon.
When to come
October to February. The monsoon fills the reservoir and greens the country; by winter the water has dropped enough to see the islands, and the temperature is manageable.
April to June is genuinely hot — 40°C and above. July to September is the monsoon, which is when Jua Waterfall actually runs but also when some approach roads get difficult.
Getting here
There is no airport and no direct rail link worth planning around. Practically everyone arrives by road:
- Udaipur — around 160 km, the usual approach, and the nearest airport
- Ahmedabad — around 300 km
- Indore — around 250 km
- Ratlam — the nearest useful railhead
Udaipur is the sensible route. Fly or train to Udaipur, then hire a car or take a bus.
What to see
Our full guide to places in Banswara covers twenty-two sites with distances and timings. If you only have a day, do these three:
- Mahi Dam — 16 km, the dam that makes the islands
- Chacha Kota — where you actually see them
- Kagdi Pick Up Weir — 3 km from town, gardens and fountains, best at sunset
If you have a second day, go to Tripura Sundari and Talwara in one morning.
Eating
Banswara is largely vegetarian, and the food is Rajasthani with a Gujarati influence from across the border. Our own restaurant has been pure vegetarian since 2003 and seats a hundred — but wherever you eat, the thing to try is a proper Rajasthani thali.
Where to stay
Options are limited compared to Udaipur, which is the trade-off for a town that has not been developed for tourism. Hotel Relax Inn has forty-nine rooms on Udaipur Road, from a compact Deluxe to a 732 square foot suite.
What to expect, honestly
Banswara is not polished. Most sites have no ticket office, no signage and no facilities. The roads to outlying places are variable. Almost nothing is set up for visitors.
If that sounds like a problem, go to Udaipur. If it sounds like the point, you will like it here.