Nawalgarh, the Open-air Art Gallery of India

In this article, we would roam-around in Nawalgarh and visit the beautiful Havelis with wonderful paintings and would learn what makes these paintings and these Havelis special.

A beautiful Morning in Nawalgarh

We woke up early on that day, before the first blush of the day. The dog who was barking outside in the abandoned streets for the whole night, decided to call it a day, satisfied that no intruder dared to roam, escaping its vigilance.

It was mild-cold outside; the town was waking-up and there was some hulchul all around. There was melodious sound of prayers and the temple bells from a nearby temple. Small towns have their own distinctive chores. Life is relax, still follow orderly discipline.

One-by-one all the adult guests of the guesthouse were in the courtyard, stretching themselves, inhaling the crisp unpolluted winter-air, listening the chirping of birds, looking at the rising sun and the first blush in the sky. And, soon all of them had a hot cup of tea in their hands. A beautiful morning indeed!

Do you need a guide to see the Havelis of Nawalgarh and the paintings?

Over breakfast, we discussed and finalized the plan to explore the town and its famous havelis. The owner of DS Bungalow suggested sending a boy to assist us in locating them. We declined. Nawalgarh is a small town. It would not be difficult to explore it on our own. I enjoy asking directions from locals as it gives an opportunity to interact.

Nawalgarh – Beautiful Poddar Haveli and the paintings on its wall and ceiling

Poddar Haveli was just a stone’s throw away from our hotel. This Haveli is spread over 11,200 square meters. It is well maintained both from inside and outside.

Under the supervision of the experts, the seven hundred fifty frescoes spread across its entirety, have been restored to their original beauty. The restoration work is carried over using the natural colors extracted from the stones and vegetables. This restoration work has brought back the flamboyance and the grandeur of the Haveli.

What is a Haveli?

Well, before entering the Poddar haveli, let us talk about Havelis in general. What makes a mansion fit to be called a Haveli? Its size! Of course, but Havelis have distinctive features too.

Invariably, the entrance to Havelis are through an ornamented wooden or brass door that opens into an arched porch. The entrance lead to the forecourt, known as मेहमानखाना. The visitors are received here. The guests of the family stay in the rooms around this court – अतिथिगृह.

The side of the guest rooms is usually flanked by a large pillared reception area, or the बैठक, where the business and the meetings were conducted. In the galleries surmounting the बैठक, women-folks would sit and participate in the business conducted below.

The main courtyard lies after the first courtyard. It is separated from the first courtyard by a beautifully ornate doorway. Main courtyard is the place where normal household chores took place. The life proceeded here, shielded from the eyes of the street and the business conduct taking place in the first courtyard. These courtyards were an important architecture feature of these Havelis and provided the sunlight, ventilation and the cooling effect.

One courtyard is reserved for the cattle of the family. This courtyard is called the Nohra. The size of the livestock represented the prosperity of a family.

Many havelis in Shekhawati have around four courtyards and some like the “Aath Haveli” of Nawalgarh have as many as eight courtyards. The courtyards invariably had rooms for drinking water called “परेंदा”, and several other rooms were used as storerooms to keep the clothes, utensils, food grains, firewood etc.

These havelis have airy, well-lit living rooms with light and air entering from small jharokhas. These jharokhas are also tastefully decorated. To assist elder folks coming down on narrow-stairs at the time of dawn and dusk, the stairs usually had chains or ropes to hold.

Poddar Haveli Museum

The Poddar haveli is converted into a Museum that gives glimpses of this part of Rajasthan. Different courtyards are remodeled and are decorated as different galleries displaying musical instruments, miniature paintings, bridal costumes and the typical Rajasthani baithaks.

I find such galleries a cliché. The unique and the most striking feature of this Haveli are the murals and frescoes adorning every nook and corner. I was keen in studying and observing the themes selected for the paintings.

Themes used for Haveli Paintings in Nawalgarh

The local artists, Chiteras and Chejaras, selected wide ranged themes. Though, as I expected, most of these themes were religious, depicting selected episodes from Mahabharat and Ramayan.

However, an artist with the task of embellishing the complete Haveli, cannot choose only the religious themes. It limits creativity, moreover, the task is to paint a living place and not a religious place.

Choice of coloring pigments in the paintings of Nawalgarh

The artists in Shekhawati used richer palette including natural cinnabar, green copper chloride, indian yellow and natural ultramarine made from lapis lazuli, gold and silver.

The painters initially sketched the design on the surface and then painted them in. The paintings on the external walls were painted onto the damp plaster so the pigments were bound to the surface as it dried.

They used pigments resilient to the strong sunlight. Later on, starting mid-nineteenth century two new artificial pigments – Chrome red and artificial ultramarine blue, synthesized in Europe become more popular.

Nawalgarh Haveli Paintings – Secular Themes

There are paintings with secular themes as well. These paintings portray folklores, proud Rajasthani men in thick moustaches, thick-manly beards and colorful pagdis, nimble women-folks in pretty costumes, all supporting the concept of “Rangeela Rajasthan”, and others celebrating the love-story of Dhola-Maru.

What is unique about the haveli Paintings of Nawalgarh

However, one thing that makes Shekhawati murals unconventional and unique, lies in its naive depiction of machines, events and contemporary fashions of the British world.

The Marwari merchants wanted to share the emerging trends and probably wanted to boast about their new learnings. Sometimes the artists drew these frescoes after witnessing the advancement themselves and sometimes they drew it from narration using their imagination.

The other havelis of Nawalgarh – Morarka, Aath and Goenka Havelis

After Poddar haveli we visited the Morarka haveli, Aath Haveli and then the Goenka Haveli. All of them are close-by. As the differences lies mainly in the paintings, wood work, I let you enjoy the tour in pictures.

Who takes care of these Havelis now?

The havelis in Shekhawati are scattered in every nook and corner. Many of these Havelis are looked after by the caretakers. In most of the cases, the owners have not visited these Havelis for years.

A very few of these Havelis are maintained. Most of them are in dire need of maintenance and general repairs. Some of them are even vandalized. Portions of some other havelis like Morarka haveli are used for running school.

No Random Haveli Hunting!

In my zeal to discover more than what my guide-book recommended, I entered random havelis, in one case disturbing a caretaker who was about to start his meal. He continued only after the assurance that we are around and would be visiting the haveli after he finish his meal.

The haveli was not impressive; I was intruding and causing trouble to random people; So as we came out of that haveli I was cornered and told by fellow travelers and the lady boss that no more random haveli hunting. The rests were ready to explore only if there was something different in that haveli. The only one I could remember at that time was Surajmal Chhavchharia Haveli.

Looking for Surajmal Chhavchharia Haveli

Orders flew, “Ok, then move to this haveli and move straight to this one, no looking left or right. And as you enjoy asking directions, we let you have some enjoyment too”.
Wifely generosity!

Finding Chhavchharia Haveli by asking directions from people and wandering in street, did not turn out to be that easy.

Most of the locals were unaware of it, the name itself was tongue twisting. It forced Jaishree to correct me several times, generating giggles from the kids. Even then when I continued committing mistakes in pronunciation, it brought a helpless-frown on Jaishree’s forehead.

I think most locals don’t understand the value of these havelis and so don’t know the names. The comment is not to blame them, after all there are so many of such Havelis. After checking with many, finally I managed to find a boy cum guide who was aware of it.

“So you are looking for the famous painting of European ladies floating in a hot air-balloon, blowing into the balloon to power their journey”.
“Yes, Yes”, eager me replied.
“Ok you are near, go straight, continue on the main road and remember not to leave the main road and stray in side lanes”.
I smiled,
“कोशिश करने वालों की हार नही होती,
लहरों से डरकर नैया पार नही होती|”

Voila we are close in finding the haveli

We paced up. Suddenly there was hope against hopes in me, who like Columbus was well aware of the brewing revolt against the idea of exploration of new lands and new havelis.

The pace slowed when we reached a point where the road forked in two. I could not make out which one was the main road and which one was the side road. Again, no one was there to help us and we had to move on. We moved in one direction and after some time met another person aware of the haveli.

The suggestion was again the same, “Go straight …, and don’t stray on side lane”. Again it was the same. And these two were not the stray cases. It happened several times. Confused, we admired the acute sense of main road and side lanes of the Nawalgarhis.

For us, Nawalgarh is a place that present two options to its explorer, one bringing him closer to his destination and the other taking one to his destiny.

Missing Surajmal Chhavchharia Haveli and finding Parasrampuria Haveli

Well, the outcome was that neither Columbus could reach India nor we could spot the Chhavchharia Haveli, Columbus went the opposite direction, I feel that we were still close.

He discovered America in the process and we stumble upon Parasrampuria Haveli. Columbus used force and money power to further his explorations, in my case the caretaker probably well aware of what happened to the original inhabitants of America after Columbic explorations, denied me any opportunity to enter inside.

We could explore it only from outside and this time another theme appeared on the walls of this haveli, the portraits of Indian Freedom Fighters and the proud and valiant kings. Very impressive, I wish we could visit it.

Lunch at Natraj Hotel in Nawalgarh

By this time, the patience of fellow explorers gave way to the primal desire for food.

They revolted, subdued the Columbus in making, and the diktats were clear, “No more Haveli hunting! Enough of Murals and Frescoes”. They asked for a decent food joint and headed to the Natraj Hotel. At the lunch table, it was decided to take a nap followed by a camel cart ride.

I was quietly enjoying my destiny in search of the destination. If not in Shekhwati, where else you could walk in narrow lanes with looming opulence on its sides, in between stepping on stairs to give ways to the donkey carts. The hidden open art gallery, which was always so close to the place where i grew, was a treat for the art connoisseur in me.

Life in these Havelis

I have talked about the outer view of these Havelis, let us talk about the life that once took place in these grand places. I read snippets of the lives that took place in these Havelis in a story by Author Shrimali in “Rajsathan Patrika” .

The real Nagar-Seth

Two men are walking around one beautiful haveli.

“Look here is the haveli of Nagarseth.”

“What Nagarseth! I have more money than him now.”

“You may have. But he is the Nagarseth. Look how much he has done for our town. He has given so many jobs to people of the place, he has opened schools, at so many places he has opened Piyau where people are offering water to the thirsty. He has earned the Mahatmya.

What have you done? Nothing.

Yes, you have more money, but you are sitting on it. Such people are not Nagarseth, they are Snakes, who are sitting over their wealth wrapping everything under them”.

I have personally seen such plain speaking from the people of the place.

Sukha-Kaka

The Seth is the second eldest in the house and had a bad temper. One day he is very angry on his son. So much so that he beats him up and ties his hands and feet, and hung him from a tree in the house.

There is pin-drop silence in the house. No one dare to confront the Seth. Everyone is worried especially the Zenana part of the house. Suddenly Daadi, mother of the Seth, remembered someone and asked a kid in the house to call Sukha Kaka. Sukha Kaka come running to the Haveli.

He immediately untie the kid and bring him back to the ground. Seth is angry beyond limit and shout, “Don’t dare touch him Sukha Kaka”

Why not?
How would you feel, if I do the same with you. Was the reply of the servant “Sukha Kaka”.

And the Seth knew he dare not to confront him.

These havelis and their owners wielded so much power to the workers of the family. They were part of the family.

Boodhi Kaaki

The newly wed bride enters the haveli. The first person she was taken to get her blessing was the old kaki, milking buffaloes in her old saree.

She immediately rose on her feet. The bride touches her feet and she took out small money tied on one side of her Sari and gives it as her blessings.

The message to the bride was clear, Boodhi Kaaki is the elder most in the house and is treated with respect.

Allah-Noor

The kids are lazily dozing on the roof of the Haveli even when the sun is shining bright.

Allah-Noor, the house servant, comes up; He warns the kid to get up immediately.

There is no second warning; the kids still sleeping are wrapped up in the quilts and mattresses and are dumped in one corner. No one minded the punishment given by the house servant to the lazy kids.

The Mother

The lady of the house died while giving birth; at the same time, another worker of the house got baby. The newly born was fed by this worker like her own.

She was treated with equal respect like the mother of the kid.

Join me for the camel-cart ride in my next post

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