Havelis of Rajasthan

The Havelis of Rajasthan are excellent examples of the regional character and traditions; a house form that represents the architectural responses to the diverse culture as well as the climate; a language of architecture expressed through the way of living, aesthetics, beautiful facades and the rich variations in the elements. What is fascinating especially is to study the courtyards, which not only define the perfect spatial organization of those times, but were also the centers for the rituals, marriages, festivals and the social gatherings.

What is required on our part, as the designers, is the consciousness and the careful reinterpretation of the traditional and regional aspects, existing well within the parameters of contemporary times. Going back to the roots does not mean we start building like our ancestors, but, it is not totally out of the context, if we do go back in times, to rekindle our lost values, which were not just visible in the ethos, but also the functional aspects of the buildings.

Mehrangarh, located in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, is one of the largest forts in India. Built in around 1459 by Rao Jodha, the fort is situated 410 feet (125 m) above the city and is enclosed by imposing thick walls. Inside its boundaries there are several palaces known for their intricate carvings and expansive courtyards. A winding road leads to and from the city below. The imprints of the impact of cannonballs fired by attacking armies of Jaipur can still be seen on the second gate. To the left of the fort is the chhatri of Kirat Singh Soda, a soldier who fell on the spot defending Mehrangarh.

There are seven gates, which include Jayapol (meaning 'victory gate'), built by Maharaja Man Singh to commemorate his victories over Jaipur and Bikaner armies. There is also a Fattehpol (also meaning 'victory gate'), which commemorates Maharaja Ajit Singhji victory over Mughals.

Each of these gates are connected with giant tunnels, being the remains of giant tree roots.

Known as the Golden City of Rajasthan-Nawalgarh lies in the Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan. It is about thirty kilometers from Sikar with an elevation of 379 meters. As a part of the Shekhāwati belt of Rajasthan, Nawalgarh is thickly populated with grand and beautiful manisions called "havelis", bearing mesmerizing fresco work on the walls and ceilings. These mansions were the outcome of immense revenue earned by the Mārwari businessmen called "Seths" who moved to and prospered in India"s new commercial centres-Mumbai (Bombay formerly) and Kolkata (Calcutta formerly) between 18 th and 19 th centuries. As more and more merchants prospered, it soon became a competition to build even more grand edifices-homes, temples, step-wells-which were richly decorated, both inside and out, with painted murals. Dr. Rāmnath A. Poddār Haveli was also one of them which was preserved and well maintained; opened for general public as a museum. However, with the passing of years, these grand and beautiful mansions (haveli) were hit by nature and different situations which brought catastrophic deterioration in them. Most of them were man-made. This paper will provide a brief account of the Dr. Rāmnath A. Poddār Haveli Museum featuring how well a mansion (haveli) could be maintained as a heritage asset for the coming generations. The paper also throws light on the deteriorating conditions of most of the mansions of Nawalgarh due to human negligence that has endangered their existence.

Introduction
In absence of Cultural-Tourism holistic policy the domestic Heritage Architecture such as Havelis, Kothis and Mahals need to be conserved. They are seminal documents of historical processes in urban India reflecting lifestyles, intangible heritage knowledge skills and much more. Their holistic conservation issues need to be incorporated in a cultural policy that requires factoring in charters like ‘Urban Development’ and ‘Smart Cities’. A Heritage walk was curated to advocate the urgency to address and support Havelis owners and to acknowledge the dire need to sustain both tangible and intangible within the dynamics of the fast 'developing’ New India. The heritage walk on the theme of Havelis presented these reflections and went beyond to provide a glimpse on the lifestyles of the communities who live or lived in these mansions by referring to the historical Chunnamal Haveli on the Chandni Chowk the main arterial road in Shahjahanabad, Old Delhi.

This article analyses a selection of portraits that decorate the apartments of the Garh Mahal, a royal palace located in the city centre of Jhalawar in southern Rajasthan. The paintings were executed in two distinct periods: the first set dates from the time of Maharaj Rana Prithvi Singh (r. 1845–75) and can be dated to the mid-1860s; the second one was commissioned by Maharaj Rana Bhawani Singh (r. 1899–1929) between 1918 and 1921. The purpose of this investigation is to highlight the evolution and the peculiar ways in which the rulers of Jhalawar, who belong to the Jhala Rajput clan, visually manifested their legitimation to power and reinforced their political relevance after attaining independence from Kota in 1838. Their ideologies and aspirations are revealed by precise stylistic strategies and carefully assembled dynastic groups of portraits. In the dynastic groups, Jhala rulers are juxtaposed with other Rajput monarchs and Pushti Marg religious figures to emphasize royal and devotional connections. The first group of portraits focuses on anachronistic royal affiliations executed in ‘Rajasthani’ style, a visual idiom not attributable to a specific school of painting and suggesting, therefore, a Rajput social and political cohesion. The second group highlights Bhawani Singh’s relationship with his contemporaneous royal peers and Nathdwara religious figures. This set of portraits was executed by a team of painters supervised by the famous Ghasiram Hardev Sharma of Nathdwara (1869–1931). The murals display a variety of visual idioms, including the traditional Nathdwara miniature painting style, ‘photographic aesthetic’, and Victorian academic realism.

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Inde connaît une forte croissance démographique et une urbanisation rapide. Le développement urbain a conduit à la transformation de villages en de nouvelles villes, ce qui interroge les effets de la modernité dans un pays reconnu pour la force de ses traditions. Dans ce contexte, le patrimoine architectural indien – et l’identité qu’il symbolise – ne risque-t-il pas de disparaître ? En se concentrant sur la région du Shekhawati, réputée pour son architecture peinte, il est possible d’éclairer ce questionnement.