Rajasthan’s Shekhawati region is renowned for its extraordinary painted havelis (mansions), covered with dazzling murals inside and out.
From the 14th century onwards, Shekhawati’s towns were important trading posts on the ancient caravan trade routes along the fringes of the Thar Desert in Rajasthan’s north-eastern region, connecting Gujarati ports to the Gangetic plains. The merchants later moved to the British port cities of Calcutta (now Kolkata) and Bombay (Mumbai) in the 19th century but continued to send funds home to construct and decorate these extraordinary havelis.
These mansions are a poignant historical record of the merchants’ wealth and changing times. Some have been restored, but many are decaying, giving the whole Shekhawati region a feel of a vast open-air gallery, where Venetian decay meets rural Rajasthan.
Local and visiting artists painted murals influenced by Mughal and Rajput styles, featuring floral designs and Hindu myths. Later, European influences appeared, with paintings of modern inventions like trains and telephones, often mixed with traditional themes. The sheer quality of the works here and the range of subjects offer interesting vignettes of a bygone era.
Mandawa’s small 18th-century settlement is an excellent base to explore the Shekhawati region. Nawalgarh lies at the very centre of the Shekhawati region, and is also a great base. Both towns boast several fine havelis, and colourful bazaars. Jhunjhunu is more crowded but also has some appealing havelis and a lively local market.
The resplendent Poddar Haveli in Nawalgarh has been turned into a museum. Although the haveli is relatively modern, having been built around the 1920s, the murals have been carefully restored to their original glory.
