Shekhawati, a semi-desert region in the centre of the Bikaner-Jaipur-Delhi triangle, was prosperous in the 18C during the reign of Sardul Singh thanks to its location on the caravan routes linking the imperial cities of Delhi and Agra. In Nawalgarh, Dundlod, Mandawa and Jhunjhunu, rich merchants built beautiful houses (havelis), which symbolised their success and which they decorated with frescoes. These houses make Shekhawati a real open-air art gallery, even if some of them have not been particularly well preserved.