Mandwa Haveli

As I said earlier we reached Mandwa only in the night we checked into the hotel directly. We had booked in Mandwa Haveli which is close to Sonathia Gate and Subhash Chowk.

This 19th century haveli has been restored beautifully. In this magnificent haveli the rooms are surrounding a painted courtyard. We truly enjoyed our stay here.

The paintings on the interior walls of the courtyard are very beautiful. Even the paintings on the entrance to the haveli are awesome.

Images of India - 92

A glimpse of sites of India in black and white. Check other posts that will give you more details about this place.

Haveli Entrance in Mandwa of Shekhavati region in Rajasthan

Stone House, Ooty

Stone House at Ooty is the first bungalow that has been built in the region. It was built by John Sullivan of Eat India Company in the year 1882 on a land acquired from the tribe Todas.

It is a simple bungalow built in the style of British cottages with sloping roofs. The surroundings are lush green with withe ferns and pine trees.

Today, it is the official residence of the Principal of the Government Arts College, Ooty.

Patwon ki Haveli, Jaisalmer

When in Jaisalmer, our guide took us through the several narrow lanes. We were not sure where he was taking us and when we reached the destination what was in front of us was stunning. We had heard a lot about Havelis of Jaisalmer but were certainly not prepared for this architectural extravaganza.

We were in front of magnificent Patwon ki Haveli. This was built by Guman Chand Patwathe well-renowned dealers in brocade, gold and silver embroidery during those times. Built between 1800 and 1860 this five-storey mansion has five suites for the five sons of the merchant.

This beautiful sandstone mansion is carved and pieced together with in different patterns. This difference is undone by the perfect harmony in architecture.

The lavish haveli showcases their beauty of craftsmanship in the stone carving. It surely hypnotizes one and all with its charm. No two windows are same.

Every window has something different to offer. It reflects the unique architecture of traditional Jaisalmer. The splendid monument adds to the old glory and grandeur of the place.

It is not possible to capture every detail of this marvel in camera. One has to be there in person to really enjoy it.

NathmaljI Ki Haveli, Jaisalmer

This late 19th century haveli (mansion) is located in Jaisalmer (State: Rajasthan). The carvings on the interior as well as exterior of this haveli is magnificent. The designers exhibited high level of quality and skill in executing the massive haveli. (Click on images for bigger view)

Even though it is built with a single building plan, the architectural brilliance is such that the two wings were built differently. However, the two wings seem to have faultless harmony.

The carvings on the window are carved out with great precision. The walls are ornamented with stone figurines of horses, flowers, birds, elephants and interesting patterns that resemble extravagant pieces of art.

Havelis of Jaisalmer

After going around the fort in Jaisalmer we set our eyes in other monuments of the city. The city is not only famous for the Golden Fort, but also the haveli's that are built by wealthy merchants of that time, Some of the prominent havelis are:Patwon-ki-Haveli

This haveli was built between 1800 and 1860, by five Jain brothers who made their fortunes by trading jewelery and fine brocades.
Nathmalji-ki-Haveli

This late 19th century haveli was also used as a prime minister's house and has a superb exterior.

The designers exhibited unwavering tenacity and dexterity in executing the massive haveli.

That is my family

This is one of the favourite spot to click snaps.

Next we moved ahead to see other attractions of the city.

P.S: December is the month when lot of tourists land in Rajasthan. So if you really want all the arrangements to be done properly this has to be done before October end.

The Shekhawati Region

After a good night sleep we were up early morning on the 2nd day of our trip for the visual splendor. We were ready by 8:00 a.m after the good continental breakfast.

We visited various Haveli's constructed by wealthy business men in the nineteenth century in the Shekhawati region. These Havelies are decorated with colored painting adorning their walls. But as the merchant families migrated, these visual attractions did not fade away and today they are some of the major attractions for the tourists visiting Rajasthan.

Next we visited Mandwa's imposing fort, right in the center. Castle Mandwa was build in 1755 by Thakur Nawal singh, a descendant of Rao Shekha, the founder of Shekhawati. Two imposing gateways lead to the central courtyard where cannons stand as a reminder of the past when they were used to repel the enemy. The palace in the fort hosts beautiful paintings. At present it is converted into the most famous hotel in the region.




From Mandwa we moved to Fathepur. The town is packed with elaborately painted mansions, temples, wells and chhatris. The Hawelis in this region depict the scenes from Mahabarath and Ramayana.

With this due to shortage of time we decided to travel to Bikaner, the camel country.

Distance: Mandwa ---> Bikaner is 164 kms

P.S: Shekhavti comprises of important towns like Mandwa, Fathepur, Jhunjhunu, Nawalgarh.