Banswara (Mahi Backwaters)
Hundred islands of the Mahi backwaters in tribal Vagad
Best time to visit Banswara (Mahi Backwaters)
- Jan, shoulder season
- Feb, shoulder season
- Mar, off-season
- Apr, best avoided
- May, best avoided
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, shoulder season
- Aug, peak season
- Sep, peak season
- Oct, peak season
- Nov, shoulder season
- Dec, shoulder season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: August to October
- Shoulder: July and November to February, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: April to June
Banswara (Mahi Backwaters) season by season
Winter December to February Shoulder
Dec-Feb is calm and 10-27 °C: full reservoirs, winter waterfowl on Kagdi lake, and the Tripura Sundari temple without any queues.
Summer March to May Mixed, read the detail
Apr-Jun southern Rajasthan still hits 42 °C and the backwaters shrink to channels between brown islands; little reason to come.
Monsoon June to September Prime time
Jul-Sep the wettest district in Rajasthan turns properly green, and by August the island-dotted Mahi spread is at its widest.
Autumn October to November Prime time
Oct is peak: brimming backwaters at the Chachakota viewpoint, green hills, 20-32 °C, and almost nobody who is not local.
What Banswara (Mahi Backwaters) is actually like
Zero traveller scene: families at the Kagdi lakefront, Bhil villages around; decent town hotels and a lakeside resort
Getting to Banswara (Mahi Backwaters)
Ratlam Jn 85 km (2 h by taxi or bus), Udaipur airport 160 km; Chachakota is 14 km from town by auto
Practical ways in: trainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 2 days
- Budget
- Shoestring
- How busy
- Quiet at its peak
- Solo travel
- Doable solo with some planning
- Altitude
- 237 m
- State
- Rajasthan
- Coordinates
- 23.5430, 74.4607
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Banswara (Mahi Backwaters)?
August to October is peak season in Banswara (Mahi Backwaters). July and November to February is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid April to June. Jul-Sep the wettest district in Rajasthan turns properly green, and by August the island-dotted Mahi spread is at its widest.
How many days do you need in Banswara (Mahi Backwaters)?
2 days is the usual stay. Zero traveller scene: families at the Kagdi lakefront, Bhil villages around; decent town hotels and a lakeside resort.
How do you get to Banswara (Mahi Backwaters)?
Ratlam Jn 85 km (2 h by taxi or bus), Udaipur airport 160 km; Chachakota is 14 km from town by auto. Practical ways in: train and road.
Is Banswara (Mahi Backwaters) expensive, and does it get crowded?
Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs quiet at the busiest time of year. Doable solo with some planning.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Dungarpur
Rajasthan
Juna Mahal's seven floors of frescoes above a Vagad town
110 km from Banswara (Mahi Backwaters), roughly about 2 h by road
-
Polo Forest (Vijaynagar)
Gujarat
Jain and Shiva ruins lost in Aravalli forest by the Harnav
170 km from Banswara (Mahi Backwaters), roughly about 3 h by road
-
Udaipur
Rajasthan
City of Lakes: palaces and postcard sunsets
180 km from Banswara (Mahi Backwaters), roughly about 3 h by road
-
Ujjain
Madhya Pradesh
Ancient temple city, home of the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga
190 km from Banswara (Mahi Backwaters), roughly about 4 h by road
-
Chittorgarh
Rajasthan
India's largest hill fort, steeped in siege history
200 km from Banswara (Mahi Backwaters), roughly about 4 h by road
-
Champaner-Pavagadh
Gujarat
UNESCO ghost capital below the 800 m Pavagadh hill
200 km from Banswara (Mahi Backwaters), roughly about 4 h by road
-
Idar (Idariyo Gadh)
Gujarat
Palaces and Jain shrines stacked on giant granite boulders
200 km from Banswara (Mahi Backwaters), roughly about 4 h by road
-
Mandu
Madhya Pradesh
Ruined Malwa plateau city famous for its monsoon mist
220 km from Banswara (Mahi Backwaters), roughly about 4 h by road
More places to visit in Rajasthan
- Abhaneri (Chand Baori) Rajasthan
- Ajmer Rajasthan
- Alwar Rajasthan
- Balotra & Tilwara Rajasthan
- Barmer Rajasthan
- Bhainsrorgarh Rajasthan
- Bhangarh & Ajabgarh Rajasthan
- Bharatpur (Keoladeo National Park) Rajasthan
- Bikaner Rajasthan
- Bundi Rajasthan
- Chittorgarh Rajasthan
- Deshnoke (Karni Mata Temple) Rajasthan
- Dungarpur Rajasthan
- Garadia Mahadev (Chambal Gorge) Rajasthan
- Hanumangarh (Bhatner & Kalibangan) Rajasthan
- Jaipur Rajasthan
- Jaisalmer Rajasthan
- Jawai Bandh (Bera) Rajasthan
- Jhalawar (Gagron & Jhalrapatan) Rajasthan
- Jodhpur Rajasthan
- Karauli Rajasthan
- Khejarla Rajasthan
- Khichan (Demoiselle Cranes) Rajasthan
- Kiradu Temples Rajasthan
- Kishangarh Rajasthan
- Kolayat Rajasthan
- Kumbhalgarh Rajasthan
- Mandawa (Shekhawati) Rajasthan
- Menal (Falls & Temples) Rajasthan
- Merta City Rajasthan
- Mount Abu Rajasthan
- Nagaur Rajasthan
- Nawalgarh (Shekhawati) Rajasthan
- Neemrana Rajasthan
- Osian (Osiyan) Rajasthan
- Pushkar Rajasthan
- Ranakpur Rajasthan
- Ranthambore Rajasthan
- Sariska Tiger Reserve Rajasthan
- Tal Chhapar Rajasthan