In Search Of The Havelis Of Shekhawati

The havelis of Shekhawati bring alive the grandeur of a bygone era, especially the sense of aesthetics and splendour of the merchants who built them. Sadly many of them lie abandoned today, or in a state of utter disrepair. MARWAR takes a tour to capture their dying grandeur, even as they slowly fade from our memory.

- Melanie P Kumar

I decided to make the charming Roop Niwas Kothi my home away from home in Nawalgarh, as I went exploring the famed havelis that the Shekhawati region is renowned for, earning it the sobriquet ‘open-air art gallery’. Traversing across Dundlod, Ramgarh, Mendsar, Mandawa, Fatehpur, Mukundgarh and Churu, I visited dozens of havelis, the last destination being the most interesting—not only because of its number of havelis, but also because of the warmth with which we were received by their caretakers. They threw open the haveli doors and showed us around, even insisting that I partook of refreshments. This hospitality was to be seen even at the hotel, Malji Ka Kamra, where the manager was not just extremely cordial, but also treated me to a welcome cup of tea.