They are situated in narrow lanes in the old city. Such havelis or residential houses do not exist anywhere in the world. In fact it may be said that carvings find best expression in Bikaneri havelies like Binsidhar Newatia Haveli, Murmuria Haveli, Lakshminarayan Ladia Haveli, and Mohan Lal Saraf Haveli. Havelis in Bikaner: These are a marvellous construction in home architecture. Nathmal ki Haveli, which was the residence of Diwan Mohata Nathmal, the then Indian Prime Minister is another architectural wonder, created by two brother architects. Rajasthani motifs and an arched roof decorated with a series of blue peacocks characterize the haveli. Another famous haveli of Jaisalmer is Salim Singh ki Haveli which was constructed by the Prime Minister Salim Singh in 1815.

Manufactured from yellow sandstone, the haveli took 50 years to be completed. Patwon ki Haveli, Jaisalmer, created in 1805 by a merchant named Guman Chand Patwa is said to be amongst the grandest mansions of the area. Later, regional artisans of Rajasthan imitated these temple architecture and their frescoes while constructing the havelis or mansions. Havelis of Rajasthan: The word 'haveli' was first utilized in Rajasthan by Vaishnava sect for addressing their temples in Gujarat.

Some of the popular Havelis of India are as follows: Ghalib Ki Haveli, Nathmal Ki Haveli, Samode Ki Haveli, Kanor Ki Haveli, Sardargarh ki Haveli and Chunnamal Haveli are some popular havelis of India. Jaisalmer, Delhi, Udaipur, Shekhawati and Jodhpur are home to the best havelis in India.

India is spotted with a number of havelis. Havelis in Rajasthan are considered to be some of the most magnificent specimens of impressive architectural grandeur in the nation.įrom the Mughals to the Hindus and from the Shekhawats to the rich Goenkas, each Haveli clearly reflects the class and magnificence of its vendor. Large Mughal-styled havelis can be observed in regions which include Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Shekhawati in Rajasthan and Lucknow, Agra in Uttar Pradesh and much more. They generally contain an extended courtyard equipped with an ornamental fountain at the central portion, while their architectural patterns are inspired by Indian, Central Asian, Persian and Islamic forms of architecture. Indian states like Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and many others boast of exquisite 'havelis', which are significant contributors to the tourism industry of the economy. Havelis of India are majestic, spacious, palatial abodes famous for their elaborate architectural styles, stone carvings, intricate art-works, grand chandeliers and several other instances of the influential or royal strata of the society, existent in the ancient India.

Haveli by Zeenat Mahal