Back To The Roots

Stories abound of Marwaris leaving their homes in Rajasthan and settling in distant lands in their quest for greener pastures. A spirited few, however, have reversed the trend by returning home to make the most of the rich legacies they once left behind. One among them is Sunil Rampuria.

- Joseph Rozario

THE HAVELIS OF RAJASTHAN STAND OUT for their grandeur, artistry and opulence, which lend to them an aura of timelessness that attracts tourists, historians and sightseers in droves year after year. A true measure of their irresistible charm is perhaps afforded by entrepreneur Sunil Rampuria, who chose to forsake the many attractions of a big, bustling city like Calcutta (now Kolkata) and return to his ancestral haveli in Bikaner, the Bhanwar Niwas, which despite the ravages of time stands defiant, stately and beautiful.

A homecoming

One of a cluster of nine havelis known as Rampuria havelis, Bhanwar Niwas, now a heritage hotel, dates back to the days of Sunil Rampuria’s great-great-grandfather Bahadurmullji Rampuria, a textile baron who made his fortune in Calcutta. The courtyard and the rooms around Bhanwar Niwas, however, were built by Sunil Rampuria's grandfather Bhanwarlalji Rampuria in 1927. Built of rose coloured Dulmera sandstone with intricate carvings, its architecture is a fascinating mix of Rajasthani and European styles. The marble used for the grand staircase and the verandahs came from Italy, while the furniture was made by local carpenters to designs by C Lazarus & Co from Calcutta. “Bhanwar Niwas is definitely the grandest and the most magnificent of the Rampuria havelis, and together with the other Rampuria havelis is one of the main tourist attractions of Bikaner,” says Sunil Rampuria, its current owner.