Rajasthan’s
landscape dominated by the imposing palaces and indomitable forts pulls in
tourists trying to soak in the stories of valour and sacrifice of Rajput
warrior clans among the golden sand dunes. But Rajasthan has its surprises too.
On the fringes of Thar Desert, three districts in the north that form the
region of Shekhawati are home to magnificent havelis adorned with beautiful
frescoes. As with most offbeat destinations, Shekhawati will leave the
traveller in awe of sheer variety and scale of India’s built heritage.
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| This is what Shekhawati is all about - entire facades of havelis covered with rich frescoes |
Shekhawati
has largely remained under the radar of the tourists but things are slowly
changing. Bollywood, always on the lookout for exotic locations, has already
found Shekhawati. In Aamir Khan starrer ‘PK’, Sanjay Dutt’s character hailed
from the town of Mandawa, while in ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’, the Salman Khan’s
blockbuster, Mandawa served as the make believe Pakistan. If Bollywood could
discover Mandawa, we can too! There had been occasional chatter on the social
media about the abandoned havelis and the embellished walls that further added
to the mystery.
Shekhawati
is sprawled across three districts of Jhunjhunu, Churu and Sikar, and therefore
a little planning is needed before coming. Research revealed that there are
number of towns that have the painted havelis and which are conveniently
located in a grid like layout easily accessible from each other. Logistics
wise, the town of Mandawa seemed to have everything that Shekhawati had to
offer – central location, lots of havelis, hotels and of course, the Khans had
graced the town with their presence!
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| The restored Mandawa Haveli is now a heritage hotel - Mandawa, Shekhawati |
On
a long weekend, we finally leave for the fresco wonderland. From Delhi, we
moved through Gurgaon, before passing through the towns of Rewari and Narnaul
in Haryana. Jhujhunu, about 230 kms southwest of Delhi is the first major city
in Shekhawati region but does not have much to offer besides a huge stepwell or
baoli. A short drive of 30 kms from Jhunjhunu brings us to our destination of
Mandawa. Winding through the market street, we arrive at the soaring gateway of
Mandawa fortress. Here, nearby is the restored mansion, originally built in
1890, and now converted into a heritage hotel called Mandawa Haveli, and which
will be our abode in Shekhawati. The walls covered with restored paintings
provide a rich preview of what we can expect here.
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| So while the ground floors have been converted into shops, it is the projecting upper floors that provide a glimpse of what the town used to be in the past - main street of Mandawa |
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| The ground floors are the most damaged parts with the paintings mostly lost or whitewashed over - Shekhawati in Rajasthan |
It
is time to take a walk in the town of Mandawa. The chaotic main street filled
with vehicles and shoppers is just like any other town in India. But here men
sport colourful pagdis and women dazzle in neon coloured odhnis. Yes this is
how the people of this arid scrubby land bring colour to their lives. It is in
the second glance that you notice the havelis lining up the sides of the
street. The shops operate out of the ground floors. Higher up, the projecting
floors can be seen with series of windows, alcoves and jharokhas. And on the
walls, vying for attention along with the advertisement boards and messages are
a riot of frescoes.
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| One of the most impressive havelis. It is a living haveli and do notice the turret like corners - in Mandawa, Shekhawati |
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| An inner lane with havelis stacked together |
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Related Link on this blog
Shekhawati, The Frescoland
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As
we make our way deeper into the lanes, havelis of all shapes and sizes are
packed together wall to wall. The Marwari trading community awash in money made
during the early 19th century as caravan trade routes shifted to
Shekhawati, busied themselves in this construction binge. This was like keeping
with the Joneses or in this case keeping up with the Poddars and Goenkas and
Singhanias. It is in these quiet lanes that the true scale of frescoes is
revealed. The walls are dripping with paintings - all colours seem to have been
used – red, blue, maroon, and even silver and gold.
 |
| Plane, Bicycle, Horses and the almost pristine panels under the eaves - in Mandawa town of Shekhawati |
The
main gates inside the compound walls have received the major attention. The
imposing gates and their arched undersides are profusely painted indicating the
influence and affluence of their owners. High above the ground, protected by
vagaries of weather and vandals, it is the paintings under the eaves or
brackets that hold the projecting upper floors are the most vivid. The painters
seem to have gone ballistic under the instructions of the haveli owners. Most
frescoes carry scenes from epics. Lord Krishna plays Raas Leela with gopis
while Lord Shiva rides Nandi. Then there are portraits of rulers with flowing
beards as they twirl their moustaches along with portraits of family elders. The facades are mostly adorned with elephants
and horses. Murmuria Haveli has canvasses influenced by Venice along with Raja
Ravi Verma’s replica painting.
 |
| The jewel box of Kedar Mal Ladia Haveli in Mandawa |
But
Kedar Mal Ladia Haveli is the mother of all havelis. Situated on a corner just
beyond the bus stand, we buy tickets for something we have been promised will
blow us away. The haveli seems to be a living one with occupants. Though it is
the gateways, façade and courtyards that are mostly painted but here the owner
has decided to go whole hog in a sheer one-upmanship. The ordinary doors on the
right of the courtyard are opened to reveal a jewel box. The walls, the roofs
and everything in between is painted in gold as images and patterns gleam in
the lighted room. We can only stare trying to keep our jaws from dropping to
the floor.
While
the outer and courtyard walls are for everyone for see, it is our guess that
the contents of this room were probably reserved for special guests. This room
right here reflects the desire of the rich to display their wealth but because
Marwaris are generally not ostentatious the decorations were confined to a
small room!
And
then there are the outlandish depictions. Merchants who probably had sailed to
Europe came back with stories of trains, telephones and Europeans out on a ride
on bicycles, cars and horse carriages. The paintings depict their experiences
and what they saw in foreign countries. This was social media of a century ago.
We post photos on facebook standing in front of Eiffel Tower; the walls of
foreign returned Marwaris carried images of telephones, fancy bicycles, trains
and Europeans wearing fancy hats.
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| The Chaukhani Johra just outside Mandawa town in Shekhawati |
Besides
havelis, the merchants also built elaborate memorials or chattris and as part
of philanthropy also built johras or water tanks, wells, hospitals and schools
and colleges. Just outside the town on the road to Nawalgarh, there is the
delightful Chaukhani Johra with a well on the other side of the road.
Even
as the walls are alive with the technicolour frescoes, the mansions seem to
have fallen silent. A deep feeling of forlornness echoes in the lanes. Most of
the gates are padlocked, their owners now in big cities leaving the havelis at
the mercy of elements. The once prosperous town seems to be in a deep slumber.
As the caravan trade routes dried up owing to internal strife and moved to
coastal towns, the Marwari merchants also moved to Calcutta. For a while the
construction boom continued but with passing years as the owners’ new
generations settled in the cities, the havelis were soon abandoned. The rapidly
disintegrating but still imposing doorways and the now fading paintings tell
the stories of glory days and the present abandonment to anyone who would care
to walk through these desolate lanes.
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| Along with the havelis, the merchants built sprawling Chattris or memorials - Shekhawati |
The
neglect of the abandoned havelis is apparent. While some havelis are in good
shape, others are locked and unoccupied. Some have caretakers who will charge a
ticket to show you around inside. But it is the havelis that are in different
stages of ruin that troubles a heritage lover like you. Then there are some
plots that are just a heap of rubble. It is uncertain whether time took its
toll or the mansions are intentionally pulled down to erect modern houses with
no sense of aesthetics that jangle the sensitivities. But then this is the fate
of built heritage across our country, whether the usurped tombs in Delhi’s
urban villages or something similar happening in Gujarat’s Sidhpur where the
European styled mansions are slowing giving way to modern houses owing to pressures
of growing population. It is sad that the pride of preserving a piece of
heritage handed down from their forefathers does not resonate with the new
generation who either, understandably do not have funds for its upkeep or
choose to let it wither away. Amid these ruins, there are some promising signs
as some havelis after conservation have been turned into museums and hotels.
The candle of old glory days is again flickering.
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| A Magical Evening in Mandawa, Shekhawati |
We
are at one of the Chattris or Cenotaph complex on the outskirts of the town. It
has been a wonderful day here in Shekhawati admiring the frescoes and the zeal
and love for art of its builders. A peacock bounces around the roofs
silhouetted against the setting sun. Like a peacock with unfurled feathers, it
is hoped a resurrected Shekhawati too will continue to dazzle us in the coming
years with its opulence and grandeur.
(Photos shown are not necessarily the prettiest or in the prettiest setting but are shown juxtaposed with the modern reality so that the reader gets an idea about the current state of the havelis and their surroundings)
Getting There
Mandawa
is about 260 kms southwest of New Delhi. Best route is via Gurgaon, Rewari and
Narnaul. The road is pretty good and if you make an early start, Mandawa can be
reached in about six hours with brief heritage stops in Rewari and Narnaul. If coming from Jaipur, Mandawa is about 170 kms
away.
What to See
·
Shekhawati
is sprawled across three districts, so some planning is needed. Google maps
will come in handy to get a perspective of the area to be covered. However
since the main towns are arranged in a smaller almost grid like area, getting
around is not a big hassle. The base can be the conveniently located town of
Mandawa that offers a choice of hotels.
·
Other
towns of interest are Nawalgarh with some beautiful conserved havelis turned
into museums, Fathepur, Ramgarh, and Mahansar with its fort and the dazzling
‘Sone ki Dukaan’, Churu and Bissau.
Travel Tips
·
A
personal car will come handy to get around the major towns in Shekhawati,
otherwise there are plenty of local and roadways buses to get you around.
·
Shekhawati
towns are best explored on foot as you make your way around the lanes
discovering gems. If you have time, strolling around and getting lost in the
lanes is the best way to discover Shekhawati but make sure your car is parked
in a public place like near the bus stand or a landmark so that you can easily
find it on your way back.
·
Wear
comfortable shoes and carry water and snacks.
·
Guides
will approach you for taking you around in bigger towns like Mandawa and
Nawalgarh – make sure you know what you are getting for your money.
·
Some
havelis have caretakers who charge money for a tour inside, so decide
accordingly. Of course, you don’t have to visit every haveli.
· On
the way to Jhunjhunu, and while travelling through Shekhawati, appreciate the
beauty of the sparse arid land and don’t miss the Khejri trees with their
trimmed gnarled branches that look like hands reaching out to sky. Khejri is
also the state tree of Rajasthan and the tree where the Pandavas hid their
weapons during their agyatavasa.
·
Read
the definitive guide ‘The Painted Towns of Shekhawati’ by Ilay Cooper before
visiting for better understanding of the region.
A version of the story appeared on happytrips.com:
References:
(This
was one of the first Shekhawati blog I ever read and was totally sold)
(What a sparkling story –
still surprised why I discovered Svetlana’s blog so late!)
(Neelima does a great job
with her posts bringing people and heritage together, and of course she
features on BBC Travel every month)
(Sudha’s blogs always hit the spot
and sometimes the thought process is so uncannily similar – I even had a
similar looking hand-crafted map of the Shekhawati as part of preparation!
Also, reading her post I promptly ordered Ilay Cooper’s book online without losing a
minute!)
