Fodor's Expert Review Mandore Gardens

Within the old Marwar capital at Mandore, these gardens house the exquisitely sculpted red-sandstone, carefully looked-after davals (memorials or cenotaphs also called chhatris) to former rulers, the most impressive being the one dedicated to 18th-century maharaja Ajit Singh. The Hall of Heroes depicts 16 colorfully painted heroes and deities carved from a single piece of stone. The small museum on the grounds has sculptures from the 5th to the 9th centuries as well as ivory and lacquer work. It's definitely worth a visit here for the davals, but the gardens are not well maintained and full of trash, and are no longer the picnic-spot destination they used to be. There is also a temple devoted to the 330 million Hindu gods. A tranquil place to visit except on weekends and holidays when locals arrive here for outings. There are many monkeys, and people seeking alms.