20171014 - 20171015 - Shekhawati (region)

So I survived the flight delay - which caused me to be stuck in Heathrow for 12 hours!  I am starting my tour of Rajasthan with a visit to the Shekhawati region in the north-eastern part of the province.  History has it that in the 17th to 19th centuries, Marwari merchants constructed these grand havelis which were richly decorated both inside and outside with painted murals.  After the independence of India, the merchants left for the big cities and most of these havelis were not properly maintained ...

My first night was spent in the small village of Mandawa.  Because of the road condition and local facilities, few tourists come here.  I came because it is a reasonable stop off point!  The village is only 232 km from Delhi, but it's a 5-6 hour drive!  My first "I am in India" Aha! moment - the traffic.  There are few expressways and people tend to do their own thing - whether it's running between cars to sell stuff in the congested traffic, or the tuk tuks trying to merge into the crazy traffic, or the slow donkey cart cart plodding alongside the big trucks, 

they are all there and everything is happening at the same time.  If it is easier to drive in the wrong lane (as in opposite direction), or have 4 vehicles sharing a 2-lane road side by side, that's OK too.  My car averages 40 - 60 kms per hour on the highway and speeds up to 80 when there is nobody else on the road - and that does not happen too often.  And then there are all kinds of speed bumps - intentional or otherwise, e.g. sections washed out during the monsoon season.  On the road to Mandawa, there is a 4-km stretch where there's only a single lane left ... and it's been like this for the past few years!  We went through some small towns and saw colourful  bazzars and carts pulled by camels!

Colourful fascade of Rani Sati Temple at Jhunjhunu

Colourful pictures & stained glass at Modi Havelis at Jhunjhunu.  Some of the pictures are done to show the locals the 'outside' world, e.g. trains, steamships, etc.  In this case, Western style clothing and house.

More traditional pictures at the Modi Havelis.

There are many havelis in Mandawa, but most of them are in bad shape - abandoned and left to rot, or in some cases, looked after by a caretaker.  While there are still nice paintings inside, the exterior of the Mohan Lal Sarraf Haveli said it all.

A few havelis have been converted into hotels, like the Hotel Heritage Mandawa that I stayed in.

This is what my room looks like … the walls and ceiling are completely covered with paintings.  And did you notice the railings for the attic on the top right?

When you climb up the steep and narrow steps, you will find this big surpise.  Mind you, the facilities at this hotel are very basic, but the décor is really something else!

The next day, I continued to explore several small towns and villages in the area.   Here's the 'palace' at the Dundlod Fort.  The owner has converted the fort / palace into a hotel and offers safaris.

Somewhere along the way, I saw these two ladies making a rangoli - an art, origin in India in which patterns are created on the floor in living rooms or courtyards using materials such as colored rice, dry flour, colored sand or flower petals.  The driver said it may be used as a warm welcome for a wedding party.

Another haveli in Nawalgarh in a sad state of repair … but did you notice the paintings all around the house! 

Interesting features of havelis ... (1) a huge door on the front to protect the home.  But there's a tiny door within that huge door - for security purposes and RESPECT - you must bend your head to get in through that smaller door - see  the lower half of the huge silver door in the next picture.  (2) Two courtyards - the front one usually has a very fancy guest suite where business is conducted and a plain room for the owner's office.  Then you have to go through a small room to get to the inner sanctum where the family resides.  I've been to one haveli where there's a third courtyard on the side of the house - it is used for livestock and what not.  (3) The courtyard is for social gatherings and what not ... it is usually a sand pit which they used to clean their dishes.  And in the evening, they would fill the sand pit with water to cool down the place!  SMART! (4) They love having attics - near the front entrance where musicians would sit and play music to entertain the household, or in the master bedroom where children would huddle and be around their parents.
In this picture, you would see the ground floor for social gathering, the first floor for sleeping and a rooftop terrace.               

The Podar Haveli in Nawalgarh - one of the few havelis that have been completed restored in the region.  It also serves as a museum and showcases Rajasthan culture. 

The fascade of the inner sanctum at the Podar Haveli.

From the courtyard of the inner sanctum at the Podar Haveli.  Notice the rich paintings on the ground floor and the British influence on the design of upper floor … the haveli was built in 1902.

A closer look of what I mean by rich paintings!

This and the next few pictures are from Haveli Nadine Le Prince - this 1802 haveli has been stunningly restored by French artist Nadine Le Prince and is now one of the most exquisite havelis in Shekhawati.  Nadine is only here for part of the year, but enlists foreign volunteers to manage the building and conduct the detailed guided tours.  I had a private tour of the place led by an intern, who arrived in India from France in September.  The place has a number of beautifully decorated guest rooms.  Here's a picture of the ceiling of  THE guest rooms (where business is conducted) … notice the details and the use of shiny glasses (from Belgium).

The restoration of the lintels in this haveli is the best I've seen.  And the intricate carving on them are something else!

I just love the ceilings in this haveli!

Yet another pretty picture from the ceiling, but a closeup.