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Rajasthan
has arguably the most concentration of palaces and havelis
in the country making it a dream destination. But many of
them are falling apart. Which is why the government plans
to compel the owners to maintain the heritage buildings. Rekha
Pal reports
Images of Rajasthan immediately bring into mind the beauty
of the palaces and havelis. While many royal families of palaces
have turned their properties into star hotels thus taking
care of their maintenance, the havelis are not doing so well.
Now owners of the magnificent, exquisite havelis in the state
may soon have to give them up if they fail to protect and
conserve them.
The government of Rajasthan is planning an amendment soon
in its Monument, Archaeological Sites and Antiquities Act
of 1961 to protect and save the numerous havelis in the state.
Till now there has been no provision in the Act which can
compel haveli owners to look after their properties, which
are slowly but steadily turning into rubble due to ill-maintenance.
To prevent these historically significant havelis from being
ruined, the state government will ask the owners to conserve
the havelis on their own. Failing which, the state government
will have the right to acquire the property and pursue renovation
work on its own, giving a certain compensation amount to the
owner.
The main reason behind the move is to conserve these havelis,
which symbolise the regal bygone era of the owners, their
history and their penchant for promoting local artisans and
the unique tradition of wall paintings.
The survey and documentation work has already started in
Shekhawati region comprising Sikar, Jhunjhunu and Churu districts.
Fatehpur, Laxmangarh, Ramgarh, Dundlod havelis are world famous
where thousands of tourists descend every year.
There are more than 300 havelis tucked away in different towns
of Rajasthan. The most famous are ones in Shekhawati and Jaisalmer.
These havelis - decorated mansions, built by rich traders,
nobles and courtiers are renowned for their architectural
beauty and provide an interesting insight into domestic architecture
of Rajasthan.
Shekhawati havelis are known for their frescoes while Jaisalmer
havelis are more renowned for their exquisite stone craftsmanship.
Six year-old Patwon ki Haveli is Jaisalmer's most famous and
elaborate mansion. It is five storey high and is extensively
carved of stone. It is divided into six apartments, two owned
by the Archaeological Survey of India, two by families who
operate crafts-shops and two private homes. There are remnants
of paintings on some of the inside walls as well as some mirror
work.
Two other havelis in Jaisalmer are famous for their exquisite
stone carvings and elegant jharokhas. These are Salim Singhji
ki Haveli and Nathmalji ki haveli
Even Jaipur has havelis like Alsisar Haveli which has been
turned into a heritage hotel and blends the finesse of traditional
Rajput architecture with modern-day amenities. Many havelis
have been turned into heritage hotels.
The havelis, cenotaphs, wells, temples, especially in the
Shekhawati region, located in the triangle between Delhi-Jaipur-Bikaner,
are all adorned with breathtaking wall paintings done in the
19th century. So much so that the entire region is often referred
to as ' Open Air Art Gallery and the 'Painted town.'
The development of these frescoes is inextricably linked
with the history of Marwaris –the influential business
community, who prospered till the beginning of the 19th Century,
by extracting tolls from caravans passing through the legendary
Silk Road. But from 1820 onwards, many left their families
behind and migrated to Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai which were
gaining importance as major trade centres, where they reaped
success.
Between 1830 and 1930, these Marwaris constructed grand havelis
in their homeland as proof of their riches. As an ultimate
symbol of opulence, Marwaris commissioned local artists to
paint their buildings. They soon turned patrons of the unique
wall art form.
The descendants of these rich merchants have now permanently
settled in towns where their ancestors migrated. However,
the properties of their forefathers in this region still belong
to them although they don't live there any longer.
As wealth and positions dictated, masons were employed to
build grand havelis. And with them came painters who painted
scenes from great Hindu epics, folk legends and activities
of daily life on the walls, balconies, ceilings, arches and
pillars. They painted other buildings in the towns too, the
temples, the domes of cenotaphs and the rims of the wells.
The earliest frescoes in the towns were executed while the
lime plaster was still wet. The natural pigment was applied
as a paste mixed with lime water and curds and worked into
the surface. As the surface dried, a chemical reaction bonded
the colour pigment and the plaster together. These old paintings
used the natural colours obtained from the earth and have
now faded somewhat.
Today these buildings are in a dilapidated condition. Neither
are they well-maintained nor are they being restored. It not
protected, they will be history soon. The murals are covered
with graffiti, posters and sometimes simply whitewashed or
painted. With no proper drainage system, water often seeps
down to the foundation of the buildings, making it vulnerable
to collapse. Large parts of painted plaster have fallen off
from many of these mansions and some buildings might just
cave in for want of proper maintenance. In many of the havelis,
the front portions have been broken down to accommodate shops,
stalls destroying the original façade of the havelis.
Finely carved woodwork from havelis, doors and windows often
find their way to antique shops where they command a good
price. Some havelis have been deliberately demolished and
sold to set up commercial centres.
About the proposed amendment to improve the condition of the
havelis , there are, however, some sceptics who say that most
haveli owners, who stay miles away from their native places,
will be averse to the move of the acquisition of their properties.
Hot Chand, director, conservation, Morarka Haveli Museum,
Nawalgarh, says there are no sole proprietors of these huge
mansions and as such acquisition by the government would not
be easy.
He says that only a handful of owners are renovating and
pursuing conservation work in their havelis in the Shekhawati
region. For example, the M R Morarka Foundation, which is
spending Rs 6 lakh annually on restoration work on their 105-year-old
haveli.
Apart from Morarkas, Shekhsarias and Poddars are also carrying
on renovation work in their havelis.
But there are many others, who are not bothered about the
state of native mansions. If the state government has its
way, those haveli owners will be in trouble and soon
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