Dera Mandawa - A Heritage Hotel, Jaipur

The word dera goes back many centuries in time, having its origin in Persian and later adapted in the Urdu parlance. A place of temporary dwelling was referred to as a dera. Today the word is still in use as much as the dwellings are. The nomadic tribals - the Sansis - of Rajasthan make tented dwellings on the outskirts of villages. So do the traveling minstrels - the Bhopas - who prefer to sleep under the open skies. Even the royalty who came to Jaipur to attend their Maharajas’ court to greet him, used to stay in deras. Such is the beauty of language that it still continues to be used and understood by many Hindustanis.