Sikar Tours & Experiences

Things to do in Sikar

Attend an aarti at Khatu Shyam Ji

Five aartis mark the temple's day: Mangala, Shringaar, when the image is richly adorned, Bhog at noon, Sandhya at sunset and Sayana before closing, with two hymns, Shri Shyam Aarti and Shri Shyam Vinati, sung at each. Our Khatu Shyam Ji temple tour brings a private guide and car from Jaipur or Delhi and plans darshan around temple hours and crowd levels.

Visit the Shyam Kund and the temple town

Close to the temple, the Shyam Kund is the holy pond where, tradition says, the head of Barbarika was recovered; devotees bathe in it for good health, above all during the Phalgun fair. There is time on our temple tour for a short walk through Khatu's markets.

Go for the Phalgun fair, or avoid it

The ten-day fair falls in February or March, peaking, by the Devasthan Department's account, on the tenth to twelfth days of Phalgun; during the mela, many devotees walk in from the Bhairuji temple at Ringas. For a quieter darshan, our tours avoid it.

Add Salasar Balaji

Salasar Balaji, a Hanuman temple in neighbouring Churu district, is busiest at Chaitra and Ashvin Purnima. Our 2 Days Khatu Shyamji Tour Package gives you darshan at Khatu on the first evening and again next morning, then drives on to Salasar, with a car, a driver and help with darshan queues where applicable.

See Harshnath and Shekhawati's painted towns

On the Harshagiri hill, 14 km from Sikar, the ruined Shiva temple of Harshnath, dated by an inscription to AD 973, keeps fine carving. Sikar also belongs to Shekhawati, where painted havelis went up from the 18th century into the early 20th: see Fatehpur, which Rajasthan Tourism calls the region's culture capital, and Ramgarh, with its Ramgopal Chhatri.

Choosing between our tours and experiences

Our Sikar trips are tours with a private car: the temple tour is a day out from Jaipur or a break on the Jaipur–Delhi drive, and the two-day package adds Salasar Balaji and a night near the temple, with the hotel added to the quote. Both are on our Sikar tour packages page; the Sikar travel guide covers the sights and the journey.

When to go for these

October to March makes the drive and the walk round Khatu easiest; Jaipur and Churu, the IMD stations either side of Sikar, average 40–42°C on June afternoons (1991–2020). Crowds follow the calendar: the Phalgun fair, Ekadashi of the bright fortnight and the two Navratris.

Planning tips

Cover shoulders and knees, leave your shoes outside the premises, check the photography rules at the sanctum and, at fair time, carry little.