Everything about Haveli totally explained
Haveli (
Urdu:
حویلی,
Hindi:
हवेली) is the term used for a private residence in
Pakistan and
North India. The word
haveli is of
Persian origin, meaning "an enclosed place".
The havelis of Pakistan and north India follow the
Islamic style of architecture and usually contain a courtyard often with a fountain in the centre. The old cities of
Lahore and
Delhi have many fines examples of
Mughal-style havelis.
The term
Haveli is used by the
Vaishnava sect to refer to their temples in
Gujarat. The word has a
Sanskrit origin and refers to vaishnav temples, /a temple built for Lord Krishna. Typically in the northern part of India temples for Lord Krishna are prelevent with huge mansion like constructions. Throughout north India such exclusive temples for Lord Krishna are called havelis.
The havelis are noted for their
frescoes depicting mythological themes. The frescoes frequently include images of
gods,
goddesses, animals, scenes from the
British colonization, and the life stories of Lords
Rama and
Krishna.
Later on these temple architectures and frescos was followed while building huge individual mansions and now the word is popularly recognised with the mansions themselves. Between
1830 and
1930,
Marwaris erected
(External Link
) buildings in their homeland,
Shekhawati and
Marwar. These buildings were called havelis. The Marwaris commissioned artists to paint those buildings.
The havelis were status symbols for the Marwaris as well as homes for their extended families, providing security and comfort in seclusion from the outside world. The havelis were to be closed from all sides with one large main gate.
The typical havelis in
Shekhawati consisted of two courtyards — an outer one for the men which serves as an extended threshold, and the inner one, the domain of the women. The largest havelis could have up to three or four courtyards and were two to three stories high. Most of the havelis are empty nowadays or are maintained by a watchman (typically an old man). These havelis are major attraction for tourists in
Rajasthan.
The towns and villages of Shekhawati are famous for the embellished frescoes on the walls of their grandiose havelis. Such is the magnificence and artistry of these frescoes, that they attract tourists from all over the world. In this context, the Patwa havelis of
Jaisalmer deserve special mention. Tourists from all over the world come down to Jaisalmer to glimpse the Patwa havelis' intricate stone-carved
jharokhas (balconies). Though there are five havelis standing in a row, none the first one are maintained at all. This can be attributed to the executive apathy. The first one survived because of entrepreneurial nature of the owner. He has converted the haveli in to a museum show casing the lifestyle of the erstwhile Patwas. This has added to the charm of the haveli and consequently a small amount is charged as entry fee.
Other famous havelis
- Khetan Haveli in Jhunhjunu (now demolished and school built on that place)
- Muraraka Haveli
- Hem Raj Kulwal Haveli
- Bhagton ki choti Haveli
- Chhauchharia Haveli
- Hira Lal Sarowgi Haveli
- Mantri Haveli in Churu
- Shreenath haveli in jaisalmer fort [www.hotelinjaisalmer.com]
Havelis in popular culture
Haveli the title is a young adult novel by
Suzanne Fisher Staples and is a sequel to her
Newbery Award-winning novel
Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind. Most of the book takes place in an old-fashioned haveli in
Lahore, Pakistan.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Haveli'.
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