Ghotia Amba
Believed to have sheltered the Pandavas during their exile, and the site of a large tribal fair each year.
- From the hotel
- 35 km
- Travel time
- 55 min
- Timings
- Daylight hours
- Entry
- No charge
- Best time
- October to March; busiest during the annual fair
Ghotia Amba lies about 35 kilometres from Banswara, and local tradition holds that this is where the Pandavas hid during their period of exile in the Mahabharata.
The legend
The association with the Pandavas is old and deeply held in this area, and it is the reason the site matters to people here. As with most places of this kind, it is a matter of continuous local tradition rather than documented history — and that tradition is itself the point.
The fair
Ghotia Amba’s annual fair draws very large numbers from the surrounding tribal communities. It is one of the significant gatherings in this part of Rajasthan, and if you happen to be in Banswara when it is on, it is worth going — it is a genuine social occasion rather than anything staged for visitors.
On an ordinary day the site is quiet.
What to expect
Little in the way of facilities. Shade is limited, and during the fair the crowds are substantial and parking is difficult. Go early either way.
Getting there
Just under an hour by road from Udaipur Road. It is best combined with something else in the same direction — Arthuna or, for a long day, Mangarh — rather than made as a trip on its own.
Combine it with
Mangarh Dham
The hill where thousands of Bhil freedom fighters were killed in 1913 — called the Jallianwala Bagh of Rajasthan, and a national monument since 2022.
Arthuna Nilakantha Mahadeva Temple
A scattered complex of ruined Hindu and Jain temples from the 11th and 12th centuries — the most archaeologically important site in the district.
Kalpa Vriksha
An old and locally revered tree, named after the wish-granting tree of Hindu tradition.