Fatehpur, Rajasthan

For disambiguation, see Fatehpur (disambiguation).

Fatehpur Fatehpur Shekhawati
City
Nickname:  Fatehpur
Fatehpur Location in Rajasthan, India Show map of Rajasthan Fatehpur Fatehpur (India) Show map of India
Coordinates: 27°59′N74°57′E / 27.98°N 74.95°E / 27.98; 74.95
Country	India
State	Rajasthan
District	Sikar
Government
• Member of Legislative Assembly	Hakam Ali Khan
Elevation	324 m (1,063 ft)
Population  (2021)
• City	305,638
•  Urban	120,000
•  Rural	175,000
Languages
• Official	Hindi or marwari
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	332301
ISO 3166 code	RJ-IN
Vehicle registration	RJ-23

Entrance to Fatehpur Shekhawati Railway Station.

Courtyard of 19th century Nadine Le Prince Haveli.

Wall painting in Saraf Haveli.

Fatehpur is a city in the Sikar district of the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is part of the Shekhawati region. It is midway between Sikar city and Bikaner on National Highway 52.

History

In 1449, Fateh Khan Kayamkhani converted muslim rajput founded the city, who was later defeated by Hindu Shekhawat rajputs who took over Fatehpur who ruled the region as Shekhawati till independence of India in 1947.. ^[1]

1799 Battle of Fatehpur, ^{[2] [3]} between the Maratha Kingdom of Gwalior led by George Thomas and the Shekhawat Rajput Kingdom of Amber of Jaipur under Sawai Pratap Singh and Rora Ram Ji Khawas was fought here, which resulted in a decisive Jaipur victory.

1739, i.e. samvat 1685, inscriptions shows the Kashthasangh sect of Jainism continued to be practiced in Fatehpur among the Agarwals, and then during the Shekhawat rule in samvat 1861. ^[4]

1985 Bollywood film Ghulami starting Dharmendra, Naseeruddin Shah, Mithun Chakraborty and Smita Patil was extensively shot here in many of its havelis and the railway station.

It is also the land to Havelis built by Marwaris and many kuldevi temples of the Agarwal community, such as the following:

• Shri Amrit Nath Ashram of the Nath Sampradaya. ^[5]

• Dwarkadheesh Temple, also known as 'Asharam Temple,' was built in the 19th century and is renowned for its Shekhawati wall paintings, often referred to as an 'Open Air Art Gallery.'

• Nadine Cultural Centre: French artist Nadine Le Prince purchased and restored the "Nand Lal Devra Haveli," a palace built in 1802 by the Devra merchant family, has since transformed it into a local Shekhawati painters art gallery. ^[6]

• Saraf Haveli: built is approximately 200-year-old ago is known for its original mural oil paintings and aesthetically crafted wooden doors.

• Sitaram Kedia Ki Haveli: Built by Seth Shree Bohitram Kedia, this haveli is known as "Bijliwali Haveli" because it was the first in Fatehpur to have electricity. The family was granted the royal privilege of wearing gold ornaments below the waist after Bohitram Kedia famously used an airplane to scatter invitations for his son's wedding.

• Goenka Haveli: established in 1870, is celebrated for its impressive frescoes, which are considered some of the best in Fatehpur. The paintings, with a focus on stories of Lord Krishna, also feature an excellent painted ceiling in an upstairs room.

Geography

Fatehpur is located at 27°59′N74°57′E / 27.98°N 74.95°E / 27.98; 74.95 . ^[7] It has an average elevation of 324 metres (1066 ft). The town is served by the Fatehpur Shekhawati Railway station (code "FPS").

Climate

It has extreme weather conditions throughout the year. In winters, the minimum temperature falls below 0 °C at night. In summer the temperature rises to 50 °C in the afternoon making it one of the hottest places in India.

See also

• List of districts of Rajasthan

References

1. Hooja, Rima (2006). A History of Rajasthan. Rupa & Company. p. 412,497.
2. A particular account of the European military adventures of Hindustan, from 1784 to 1803.
3. Thirty decisive battles of Jaipur - Rao Bahadur Thakur Narendra Singh, Mansabdar of Jobner, Education Minister, Jaipur State - Pg 279
4. Bhattarak Sampraday, Vidyadhar Johrapurkar, Jivaraj jain Granthmala, 1958, p. 234-235
5. "Shree Amritnath Ashram". www.amritnathashram.org. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
6. Nadine Le Prince Cultural Centre
7. Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Fatehpur