Havelis
of Shekhawati
Shekhawati is an interesting area of towns within the triangle
of Jaipur, Delhi, and Bikaner. These towns are famous for the beautifully designed,
carved, and painted haveli houses. Most of the havelis were built from the 18th
to the early 1900s. Around the 15th century, several important trading posts were
established in this area, and many of the merchants became quite wealthy. In the
middle of the 19th century, the merchants took the protection of the British and
the Maharajas of Jaipur and Bikaner. Peace came to the area and the merchants
felt safe to build their havelis. Many of them spent their riches in building
truly outstanding houses. There are also interesting forts, step-wells, cenotaphs,
and mosques.
HavelisHavelis are magnificent mansions that usually
have colorful paintings on the walls and often have intricate carvings. Many of
the havelis have wooden gates (often intricately carved) leading into a small
courtyard. That courtyard then leads into a larger courtyard. Some havelis have
four large courtyards. The main highlight of many havelis is the outstanding murals
painted on the outside and inside walls. Paintings may be decorated with gold
or silver leaf and can be decorated with small mirror. Many of the paintings depict
Krishna’s pastimes, as many people in this area are devotees of Krishna.
Most of the havelis are privately owned and are not open to the public. The owners
may not appreciate someone rushing into their house, uninvited. When you enter
the inner courtyard, you are supposed to remove your shoes.
Major Havelis
in Shekhawati Goenka HaveliOne of the most interesting
havelis is the Goenka Haveli (1870), which has excellent paintings on the walls,
including several depicting Krishna’s pastimes. The main highlight is the
painted ceiling in an upstairs room. You get to this haveli by taking the main
road north from the bus stand, and then you turn left at the main intersection.
The house to the left of the Goenka Haveli has nice mirrorwork.
Nand
Lal Devra HaveliNand Lal Devra Haveli has an interesting painted ceiling
as you enter the house and nice paintings on the courtyard walls. There is a 17th
century baori (step-well) near the bus stand. Also good are Singhania (1880) and
Saraogi havelis.
