Banswara is not a big tourist town, and that means the list of things worth doing is short and honest rather than padded out. Here is ours, in the order we would actually do them.
1. See the hundred islands from Chacha Kota
The single best thing in the district. The Mahi backwaters spread out below with the islands standing clear across the water. Early morning or an hour before sunset, November to February. Nothing is built there — no shade, no facilities, no railing.
2. Mahi Dam
Sixteen kilometres out, and the reason the islands exist at all. Half an hour is enough unless you are particularly interested in the engineering. Combine it with Chacha Kota in one trip.
3. Darshan at Tripura Sundari
A Shakti Peeth with an eighteen-armed black stone idol of the goddess riding a tiger. Twenty kilometres. Extraordinary during Navratri, peaceful on an ordinary weekday morning.
4. An evening at Kagdi Pick Up Weir
Three kilometres from the hotel — gardens, fountains, water channels, and half of Banswara out for the evening. The best hour of the day here, and it costs nothing.
5. The Talwara temple cluster
A Sun temple, Amaliya Ganesh, Laxmi Narayan, Dwarkadhish and the Jain temple of Sambharnath, all within a short walk. Seventeen kilometres. Best value single trip in the district if you like temple architecture.
6. Mangarh Dham
The site of the 1913 massacre of Bhil freedom fighters under Govind Guru, now a national monument. Two hours away, and it needs a full day and some reading first. Not a casual stop — it is a memorial.
7. Arthuna
Eleventh and twelfth-century Hindu and Jain temple ruins, scattered over a site. The most archaeologically significant place in the district. Ninety minutes out, and it rewards a slow visit with a guide or some background reading.
8. Eat a proper Rajasthani thali
Banswara is largely vegetarian, and the food carries a Gujarati influence from across the border. Our own restaurant has been pure vegetarian since 2003 — but eat a thali wherever you are.
9. Climb to the Sai Baba temple or Madareshwar
Both are hillside shrines reached on foot, and both give you a view back over the town. Madareshwar is set into a cave. Go early — there is no shade on either climb.
10. Cheech Brahma temple
A twelfth-century temple to Brahma, and temples where Brahma is the principal deity are genuinely rare in India. Small, quiet, eighteen kilometres out. It is on this list for what it is rather than for scale.
What we would skip
Jua Waterfall, outside the monsoon. It is a seasonal fall. From October onwards there is progressively less to see, and by April usually nothing. Ask before you drive seventy-five minutes.
Shri Raj Mandir. The City Palace is a private residence of the royal family and entry is by invitation only. See it from the road; do not plan a visit.
Kushalgarh Fort, unless you want the walk. It is a ruin on a hill an hour away. Lovely if you enjoy a climb and having a place to yourself. Underwhelming if you are expecting a restored fort.
How to fit it in
Two days covers items 1 through 5 and 8 comfortably. A third day gets you Arthuna or Mangarh — not both.
Full details, distances and timings for all twenty-two sites are in our guide to places in Banswara, and our rooms are ten minutes from most of the town.