Sunday Snapshot from India
The wonderful faded frescoes adorning the walls of the havelis (houses) of the Shekhawati region of India are all that remain to remind us that this was once a wealthy area of Rajasthan. Situated about 150 kilometres from Jaipur , the main towns of this region include Mandawa, Fatehpur, Ramgarh and Nawalgargh. On caravan routes of old, the merchants of these trade centres built their houses and temples between the 18th and 20th centuries as a display of their wealth. They then commissioned artists to paint the buildings.
The sense of humour displayed by some of these artists is a surprise. At Vishunath Keria Haveli in Fatehpur, Queen Victoria is depicted as a Rajasthani matron, King George is also dressed in local clothes and Lord Krishna is shown with a gramophone instead of a flute.
The Shekhawati region is often overlooked by travellers to Rajasthan but for those who visit this open air art gallery, as it is often referred to, it is a step back into the past.
Related Articles
Sightseeing in Jaipur
Travelling in Rajasthan
Faces of Rajasthan
Romantic Udaipur
Thanks for a new idea for my travel list!
Pleasure Cindy…any time!! Hope you get to vist one day…India is an amazing country!
Ahhh a wonderful snippet of information to bring a myriad of memories tumbling back to me. I visited Rajasthan in 1983 and loved everything about it. As you say, finding evidence of its faded glory in unlikely places is fascinating and is almost like being on a treasure hunt.
Rajasthan is full of hidden treasures if you wander from the main tourist track. I’m glad it bought back memories for you Jo. Rajasthan is never forgotten…
I studied art in India and found it fascinating.
If I ever do go to India I will be sure to follow up all that I learned including the area of Rajasthan.
Murissa
Indian art would have been fascinating to study Murissa. You definitely have to visit and bring it all to life…after Paris!!