Bikaner – This name was only associated with Bikaneri Bhujia in my mind. Bikaner, which I thought of as nothing more than a desert city like other Rajasthani cities – same heritage Havelis, same stories!
But, on the very first day of my visit to Bikaner, Junagadh Fort impressed me immensely. In my estimation, this will be the best maintained and well-maintained fort in India.
The second day’s visit to Bikaner was a very unexpected but pleasant experience for me when my host, Narendra Bhawan, took me on a commercial route passing through the old Havelis of Bikaner.
I had anticipated that this excursion would end up showing a few Havelis here and there, passing through a dusty marketplace. But what I saw and experienced was quite the opposite.
When we came to one end of this road for a tour of the trade route, I was presented with a part of a high mansion, built by sandstone, with blue vents.
Taking a few steps towards that, I captured its nuances in my camera. When I looked to the left, my eyes were torn apart. I had reached another time cycle.
In front of me were huge pieces of wonderfully carved red sandstone. The overall architecture of this route was very much European.
A triangular building in the middle and a road passing on either side of it. But the carving of these stones was completely Indian. The closed doors and windows full of colors seemed as if many secrets and stories were hidden inside them.
We chose the path leading to the high mansion and walked on it. The sunshine and shadows falling on the foreground of these mansions of wealthy merchants were busy in their own games and were giving them a sense of playfulness.
After some time of being immersed in my surroundings, reality slowly dawned on me, and I began to carefully observe the details of these facades of the havelis.
Bikaneri Havelis – Architectural Features
balconies, vents and nets
The facades of the havelis are mainly built by 3 features. These are-
balcony
The part hanging on the outside, above the vents and doors, is called a balcony. It is mostly carved and crafted. Chhajja is an integral part of North Indian architecture. It adorns the façade of the building as well as providing a third dimension to the two-dimensional walls.
vents
Ornate and hanging windows are called Jharokha. Literally it means windows that show the view from outside. It is a quintessential Rajasthani element.
Dressed in colorful dupattas, when women peep out of these vents, it is seen as if a beautiful picture is on a beautiful door frame. It’s an amazing sight to take a picture of in the camera.
nets
Fine and intricate perforated carvings done on stones are called jaali. It gives the impression of a rhythmic lattice on the stones.
It appears as if you can see inside through these nets but in reality it is difficult due to the fineness of the carving. Originally it is a gift of the artwork of Central Asia, but at present it has become a part of Indian craft and architecture.
There is a beautiful and creative mixture of these three elements in the havelis of Bikaner. It also has an equal share of European elements, such as stained glass, Victoria-era arches, and some statues of royal chests.
Other Elements of Bikaneri Havelis
relief
Most of the havelis are sculpted with bulges, which are also called reliefs. The images of Hindu gods and goddesses are painted or their statues are buried at the entrance.
On some of the side walls there are half-statues of royal English figures and on the rest of the surface there are beautiful figures.
The nameplate on the entrance also tells the name of the owner of that haveli and the time of establishment of the haveli. Most of the havelis were built around the year 1920, that is, about 100 years old.
narrow entrance
There are huge ornate entrance gates and windows on the front of the Bikaneri Havelis. But mostly the narrow stairs lead to the main gate to enter the haveli.
Their width is so small that only one person can descend from these stairs at a time. The entrance is very beautiful and very ornate which shows the interest of the owner.
central courtyard
Jodhpur taxi service
I had the privilege of going inside some Havelis. There were courtyards in the middle of those Havelis. I was told that no matter how small a haveli, a grand courtyard is an essential part of the architecture of a haveli.
The specialty of this courtyard is that it is visible from every part of the mansion, except the basement.
basement
Each haveli has a basement of 1 or 2 storeys below ground level and residences of 3 to 4 storeys above ground level. In this way the complete haveli is 5 or 6 storeys high. Random stairs take you to different floors.
In order to move freely in these havelis and to move up and down, complete knowledge of these havelis is necessary. Whether this is a security arrangement or a shortcoming in the plan, it is difficult to guess.
Sculpture and painting on the mural
Beautiful paintings are done on the walls and ceilings inside the Havelis. The niches of the wall are also beautifully decorated and most of the deities are placed on them.
The roofs are painted in bright colors, with embossed patterns. In Sopani Haveli, we saw pictures of Saraswati and Lakshmi, done in the style of Raja Ravi Varma. Most of the painting was done on white reefs with bright colors, mainly blue and red.
vault
The safes used to be an integral part of the Bikaneri Havelis. The banking system did not become a part of the mainstream during that period, the safes used to be an important and safe store of wealth for any wealthy family.
These are families who lived in Havelis full of servants. In the absence of a Dharamsala and an inn, the haveli was full of a constant influx of relatives and guests.
That’s why safes used to be very important to keep our wealth safe away from the eyes of others. These safes, at the will of the owner, were mounted on the walls or buried in the ground.
Whenever you enter these Havelis to visit them, you will find these safes buried in secret places, like behind pictures, under carpets, or inside cupboards!
The stone for the construction of these Havelis was brought from Dulmera. These are light pink colored stones.
Unfortunately, most of the Havelis are lying vacant these days and are completely closed. To see the interior decoration of these Havelis, all the ways to go inside have been closed. You can see their decoration only in your imagination.
center of Havelis
During my visit to the havelis, at the corners of the streets, I saw many wooden planks. It must have been here to discuss tea at that time.
I stood there, seeing the scene in my imagination when the residents of the mansion, sitting on these strips, would be busy in discussion over tea and the children would be engrossed in playing on these streets.
However, at present this place is surrounded by cars and vehicles. It is heard that gradually some Havelis started opening.
History of Bikaneri Havelis
These havelis have been built by the merchants and traders of the city who earned a lot of money in big cities like Calcutta. It has been a major trading center since its discovery by Rao Bika more than 500 years ago.
However, 100-200 years ago some merchants from cities like Rampuria went to Calcutta, earn money, and built beautiful Havelis here in Bikaner.
Most of the Havelis here were built between 1887 and 1943 during the reign of Maharaja Gangasing. It is said that he had given orders for the construction of 1001 Havelis in Bikaner.
Havelis are found here in all sizes. Even the smallest Havelis are decorated with beautiful façades, balcony, jharokhas, jaalis etc., as if following the tradition of Bikaner.
Some Famous Bikaneri Havelis
Rampuria Havelis
The Havelis of the Rampuria family are the grandest and most famous among tourists. The bright colors on the doors and windows add more prominence to the pink stones of these Havelis.
From the statues of European rulers to the sculptures of Hindu deities can be seen here on these Havelis.
Kothari Haveli
It is smaller than the Rampuria Havelis but is famous for its most crafty exterior.
Sopani Haveli
It is one of the few havelis that are open for visitors to visit. But to see them it is necessary to get prior permission. The owner of the mansion gives you a tour of his mansion with a detailed description. If you want, you can taste the food with them.
Bikaneri Havelis – Some Tips for Darshan
• There is no doubt that you will want to take pictures of these beautiful havelis. Therefore, for their darshan, fix the time of the golden moments of the sun i.e. morning or evening.
• You can walk around these havelis on foot, but if you want to see the entire area, then you can enjoy this heritage to the fullest by renting a tonga.
• Be sure to carry drinking water with you as there are not many shops available on these routes from where you can buy water. It is another matter that you can try to talk to the residents of these havelis on the pretext of asking for water.
• Try and see from inside a mansion and enjoy their grandeur.
• Don’t miss out on the paintings on top of some havelis.
• It may take 2 hours to visit these havelis at a leisurely pace. However, sitting on the tonga, they can be seen in 30 minutes. But with this you will not be able to pay attention to their nuances.
