Loacted 160 kilometres north-west of Jaipur, the princely state Khetri is surrounded by hills from all sides and is known for its rich copper mines. But what makes this small town stand out is its interesting historical past. It was founded by Raja Khet Singh Nirban of the Nirban Chauhan Rajput clan and later conquered by the Shekhawat Rajputs. It is their second largest thikana and part of the Panchpana estates of Maharao Shardul Singh’s descendants. Khetri also has a strong association with Swami Vivekananda. Mahraja Ajit Singh, ruler of Khetri from 1870 to 1901, came in contact with Swamiji and became a very close friend and disciple. In honour of this life-long bond, Maharaja Ajit Singh’s grandson, Raja Bahadur Sardar Singh donated the Futteh Billass Palace built in 1866 to Ramakrishna Mission. Places worth seeing in Khetri include the Khetri Fort, palaces, temples, Ajit Sagar Lake and Pannasar Talab. Heritage Walk To take a heritage walk exploring the history of the princely state of Khetri, contact: DRONAH Foundation Outreach Swati Phone: +91 8860193989 Email: dronah.fdn@gmail.com