The merchant's party palace hiding in a town you've never heard of

Everyone does the Golden Triangle. Almost nobody turns off at Churu, a town deep in Shekhawati in Shekhawati where the desert begins, and that is precisely the point of Malji ka Kamra.

This is a haveli with a backstory worth the drive on its own. It was built in the 1920s as the personal guesthouse of one of the richest merchants of Shekhawati, and the hotel says construction ran for twenty years, long enough that the artwork on the walls changes style as you move through the building. In the days when Churu still belonged to the princely state of Bikaner, the house served as a rang mahal, a pleasure palace where Maharaja Ganga Singh was hosted and entertained on his travels through the region. So no, it was never a fort or a royal seat. It was built for showing off and having a good time, which frankly is a far better pedigree for a hotel.

And it looks the part. The building is a confection of stone and lime stucco in pale aquamarine, layered with arched balconies, carved white columns and deep cornices overhead. Inside, rooms come with original paintings and Shekhawati-style murals, handmade king-sized beds, air conditioning and private bathrooms with hot showers. The hotel describes the exterior stucco work and murals as among the finest examples of early twentieth century art in the region, a self-assessment, but stand on the lawn at golden hour and you will struggle to argue.