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| == Mughal Havelis == | == Mughal Havelis == | ||
| Many of the havelis of Pakistan and India follow the ] of architecture and usually contain a courtyard often with a fountain in the centre. The old cities of ], and ] in ] , ], ] and ] in ] have many fines examples of ]-style havelis. | Many of the havelis of Pakistan and India follow the ] of architecture and usually contain a courtyard often with a fountain in the centre. The old cities of ], and ] in ] , ], ] and ] in ] have many fines examples of ]-style havelis... | ||
| == Rajasthani Havelis == | == Rajasthani Havelis == | ||
Revision as of 06:32, 29 January 2010
Haveli (Hindi: हवेली, Urdu: حویلی) is the term used for a private mansions in India and Pakistan. The word haveli is derived from Persian meaning "an enclosed place".
Mughal Havelis
Many of the havelis of Pakistan and 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 Peshawar in Pakistan , Agra, Lucknow and Delhi in India have many fines examples of Mughal-style havelis...
Rajasthani Havelis
The term Haveli was applied by the Vaishnava sect to refer to their temples in Gujarat. In the northern part of India havelis for Lord Krishna are prevalent with huge mansion like constructions. The havelis are noted for their frescoes depicting 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 frescoes were imitated while building huge individual mansions and now the word is popularly recognized with the mansions themselves. Between 1830 and 1930, Marwaris erected buildings in their homeland, Shekhawati and Marwar. These buildings were called havelis. The Marwaris commissioned artists to paint those buildings which were heavily influenced by the Mughal architecture.
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 but the first one are maintained. 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. For more details on the first haveli, visit its official website: www.patwahaveli.com.
Other famous havelis
- Khan Klub , haveli in the old city now a restored hotel in Peshawar, Pakistan
- Chunnamal haveli in Delhi
- Nahr wali Haveli, the birth place of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, situated in Kocha Saad Ullah in the old city of Delhi
- Samode Haveli near Jaipur
- Bhagton ki choti Haveli
- Chhauchharia Haveli
- Hira Lal Sarowgi Haveli
- Mantri Haveli in Churu
- Mubarak Haveli in Lahore, Pakistan
- Lal Haveli in Rawalpindi
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.