Banswara Guide

Banswara sits in the far south of Rajasthan, India, hard against the border with Gujarat, in a stretch of bamboo forest and Bhil tribal villages that feels nothing like the desert postcards you expect from this state. Locals call it the City of a Hundred Islands, because the Mahi River breaks into countless green islands as it winds past town.

You come here expecting sand and camels, and instead you get rain. Banswara is known as Rajasthan's Green City, catching more rainfall than anywhere else in the state, and during monsoon that reputation earns it the nickname Cherrapunji of Rajasthan. Rolling green hills, glistening lakes and markets alive with tribal colour make it feel like a different state entirely.

There are no beaches in Banswara, but you will not miss them. Anand Sagar Lake and Dialab Lake sit right in town, both easy spots for a lazy afternoon of boating or a picnic by the water. Bring a book, rent a boat, or just sit at the shore and watch the town go by.

Just beyond town, the Mahi Bajaj Sagar Dam has reshaped Banswara into a genuine city of water and islands. Its reservoir glimmers under the sun, dotted with so many islands that you lose count, and it is the outing every visitor ends up taking, whether by boat or on foot along the trails.

Two very different climbs are worth your time. Madareshwar Temple sits on a hill with panoramic views over the valley below, the kind of spot you linger at longer than planned. In the southern part of town, Abdulla Pir Dargah honours a saint remembered for love, unity and humility, and its atmosphere of harmony between faiths is obvious the moment you step inside; come during the Urs and you will hear qawwali rising into the night across its marble halls.

Out in the green hills beyond Banswara, Tripura Sundari Temple is the image you will carry home. Bells echo across the greenery around a shrine that feels remote and serene, and inside sits a black-stone idol of the goddess, five feet tall, seated on a lion with eighteen arms, beneath a towering spire carved with Navadurga and 64 Yoginis around a sprawling courtyard.