Havelis in Jaisalmer

Havelis of Jaisalmer The city of Jaisalmer has witnessed different forms of architecture in different eras. The ancient times saw dominating Rajputana architecture where as the medieval period witnessed the fusion of Rajputana and subtle Islamic architecture. It is this era that saw the construction of most of the Havelis. Haveli is places, which served as the residence of Wazirs i.e. ministers and landlords. Usually they are very big and have lots of rooms and open space.
There is no dearth of Havelis in Jaisalmer as the place has witnessed many wazirs and Landlords. The most famous among these is Patwon Ji ki Haveli. This Haveli was the first in Jaisalmer that is why it has greater significance. This Haveli became the pioneer of the constructions in Jaisalmer. Patwon Ji ki Haveli is actually the collection of 5 small Havelis.

Salim Singh Ki Haveli
So on an afternoon, we sallied down from the fort and into the streets of Jaisalmer in full force in search of the havelis. The first one we found soon, the haveli of Salim Singh, in whom we find the Rasputin of Jaisalmer. He was the Prime Minister of Jaisalmer in early 1800s whose story of intrigue and revenge not only brought much misery to the kingdom but also caused the Bhati Royals to migrate northwards towards Pakistan. In the end, Salim Singh was stabbed by a noble and when he started recovering from the wound, his own wife poisoned him.
Salim Singh’s Haveli was originally built to resemble a peacock. Since its façade looks like the stern of a ship, it is also referred as Jahazmahal. The Haveli is not in a very good shape, there are cracks on the walls and the coloured glass panes are broken. However its derelict state cannot hide the beauty this building must have been once upon a time. As one goes up the narrow staircase, one cannot help but marvel at the way sandstone has been molded into art here. There are 38 balconies and not two of them are alike. It is said that Salim Singh wanted to make his haveli higher than the fort, but the Rawal was offended and demolished the top stories.

Patwon Ki Haveli
Patwon Ki Haveli at JaisalmerLocated at the town center this Patwon Ki Haveli was constructed by a Marwari business man Guman Chand Patwa and his five sons. Before the development of sea trade Jaisalmer was the part of the silk route connecting to middle east. Patwons were dealing with gold brocade & silver. There are five havelies located within the complex for the five brothers. In those days it was estimated that in total Rs 10 Lakhs ( one million ) was spent for the construction of this haveli. This was done when people Jaisalmer were facing famine and this has helped them for their survival. Hindu and Muslim craftsman hailing from Gujrat, Malwa and Sindh worked in constructing these havalies. The location of the havelies are selected based on the protection from rough sandy winds.
After staring of Bombay ( Mumbai ) dock yard the trade route shifted to sea and the importance of Jaisalmer as a trade center has declined. The business families of Patwa has migrated to Madrass, Maharashtra and Bengal.
Once while traveling by Helicopter the Ex Prime minister Mrs Indira Gandhi Identified this building and took steps to conserve the beauty of this building. Patwon Haveli given the Heritage building status by Rajasthan Government. The management of this Haveli was given to Raj Kumar Kothari family trust in 1965. Mr Raj Kumar Kothari took lot of interest and kept 12 galleries displaying some personal collection of My Raj Kumar Kothari. The collections displays the lifestyle and culture of the Bafna Family the erstwhile owner of the Havelis.

Nathmal Ji Ki Haveli
This Nathmal Ji ki haveli was commissioned to serve as the residence of Diwan Mohata Nathmal, the then Prime Minister of Jaisalmer. Maharawal Beri Sal commissioned the construction of this Haveli. The architects of this haveli were Hathi and Lulu who happened to be brothers. There is a very interesting story regarding its construction. It is said that the two brothers started building different facets of haveli simultaneously. In those days there were no such instruments, which could keep a track on continuity and thus when this building came up finally it had irregular shape.
Barring that, this haveli is still considered the best in Jaisalmer in terms of grandeur. There are other minute details worth appreciation. For example there are two Elephants made of yellow stone. These life-size replicas have been put in front of the main entrance so that it looks as if they are guarding the Haveli. Other than these, there are pictures engraved on pillars and walls. These consist of Horses, Cattle, and depiction of Flora among other things. But the most interesting aspect of this haveli is the drawing of modern amenities such as cars, fans etc. It is said and believed that the Architect brothers dint see these things ever in their life and engraved it with mere help of their descriptions given by people who had seen it.
Thus the architecture present in this haveli is quite different from the one popular in other parts of Jaisalmer. The workmanship of Jaisalmer havelis is an amalgam of both Rajput architecture as well as Islamic art that was imported via the traders' caravan through the desert.

About Jaisalmer