NathmaljI Ki Haveli, Jaisalmer

This late 19th century haveli (mansion) is located in Jaisalmer (State: Rajasthan). The interior as well as exterior of this haveli is carved 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 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 favorite 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. (Click on all the images for bigger & clear picture)

We visited various Havelis 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 Mandawa 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.