Talwara
A cluster of old temples 17 kilometres from Banswara, including a Sun temple and the Jain temple of Sambharnath.
- From the hotel
- 17 km
- Travel time
- 30 min
- Timings
- Early morning to evening
- Entry
- No charge
- Best time
- October to March
Talwara is a small place about 17 kilometres from Banswara with an unusual concentration of old temples in a short walk of one another. If you are interested in temple architecture, it is the best-value single trip in the district.
The temples
- Sun God temple — the one Talwara is best known for
- Amaliya Ganesh — a locally important shrine
- Laxmi Narayan temple
- Dwarkadhish temple
- Jain temple of Sambharnath
Having Hindu and Jain temples of this age standing together in one settlement is characteristic of this part of Rajasthan, and Talwara shows it more clearly than anywhere else nearby.
Visiting
These are working temples, not monuments. Remove footwear, dress modestly, and ask before photographing interiors or people at worship.
Mornings are best — cooler, quieter, and the temples are open and active. Allow an hour and a half to see them without rushing.
Combining the trip
Talwara sits on the same road as Tripura Sundari, which is only a short distance away. Almost everyone does the two together, and it makes a comfortable half day from the hotel with time for both.
Getting there
About thirty minutes by road from Udaipur Road. Autos will go, but for a half-day trip taking in Tripura Sundari as well, a taxi for the morning is easier and not expensive.
Combine it with
Tripura Sundari Temple
One of the Shakti Peeths, known locally as Tartai Mata, with a black stone idol of the goddess riding a tiger.
Cheech Brahma Temple
A twelfth-century temple dedicated to Brahma — a genuinely rare thing, since almost no temples in India are.
Paraheda Shiv Temple
A twelfth-century Shiva temple built by King Mandalik, 25 kilometres out of Banswara and largely untouched by visitors.