Shekhawati Havelis

The sleepy region of Shekhawati, not far from Jaipur, has seen the best of its days. Once a bustling trading center, all that remains of the former glory of Shekhwati are the old temples, ruins, and the havelis. The Shekhwati region is astonishingly rich in havelis. The reason may lie in the sheer number of traders and wealthy merchants who once lived here. What binds all these havelis in a common thread is the architecture. The central courtyard, the entrance guarded by majestic beasts and deities carved in stone, the jharokha style balconies, the pillars and arches, frescoes and mirrorwork – all are part of the Rajasthani design style.

Many of the havelis are still inhabited by people who live in much the same traditional way that their forefathers did. Many havelis have been transformed into heritage hotels, allowing visitors an intimate peek into the lives of people long dead. Some havelis are open to visitors, and here you should have your cameras ready and recharged, for there will be plenty to photograph.

Aath Haveli - Haveli is made up of a group of 6 havelis. This manner of building a complex of mansions within a closed space is peculiar to Rajasthan.

The major reason was to keep the family, consisting of grown sons, their wives and children, close enough to be able to take care of the common family business, yet far enough to avoid conflict and provide them privacy. The frescoes in the haveli depict particular themes, and the later frescoes depict everything from horses, elephants, and camels.

Vishunath Keria – If you thought owners of havelis were no-nonsense businessmen with nary a sense of humor, then a visit to the Vishunath Keria will dispel all such notions. Here, you will see the grim Queen Victoria depicted in a painting as a Rajasthani matron, while her successor King George is wearing traditional Rajasthani garb. Deities are not spared either, and Lord Krishna can be seen wooing Radha with a gramophone instead of his beloved flute.

Mahavir Prasad Goenka Haveli – If you are an art connoisseur, you must visit this haveli. It has a collection of paintings that depict deities, kings, and the common people. The artwork is superb, and some of the paintings are absolutely priceless.

Other havelis of note in the region are Gulab Rai, Rathi, Poddar, Newatia, Jagathia, Tibrewala, Somani, Muraka, Nand Lal Dewra, and Bhagton-ki-Haveli. Some of the Shekhwati Havelis may be larger than others, some may have a few paintings going to ruin because of lack of maintenance, but none will disappoint.