Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Hotel Mandawa Haveli.

We chose Hotel Mandawa Haveli, a haveli built in the 18th century by a wealthy Marwari jeweller for our stay at Mandawa, Shekhawati, Rajasthan during our winter break.
Soaking up the winter sun in the outer courtyard of the haveli.

Entrance to the haveli.

The outer walls of the haveli framed by flowering trees.

The haveli has been restored and converted into a hotel by Dinesh Dhabhai. There are beautiful frescos painted all over the haveli and especially in the inner courtyard. The theme is of Lord Krishna and scenes from his life.

The inner courtyard being spruced up for the Christmas Eve celebrations...
The intricate rangoli design painted by a local grandmother & grand-daughter team...
The original intricately carved Rajasthani doors have been restored.
Lovely antique furniture line the courtyard.

The rooms have been named after the various names of Lord Krishna.

We stayed in 'Rasesh':-)
The inner view of the room.

The stunning view of the courtyard all lit up for Christmas eve and the melody of Rajasthani folk music just took our breathe away!


The friendly turbaned gate-keeper at the Mandawa Haveli:-)

Do stay at a restored haveli, when you visit Shekhawati to truly experience the local flavor of the region:-)


(images by Arch)

20 comments:

deepti said...

Hey there Archana,
I must say..you have been responsible for the past 2 days..of having me glued to my computer as I cannot get enuf of the gorgeous, colorful pictures u take and the sheer magic of you taking everyday simple stuff and turning them into thought-provoking, interesting and captivating subjects.
I admire all the creative gifts you have been blessed with and I only wish I could meet, in person, people like you here where I live..so we get to truly relish and value everyday, small precious things that we take for grated.
Keep doing what you do best and inspiring women like me who find you totally refreshing..and hatke..!!!

Divija Reddy said...

God, Archana...envy you...LOL

luk at d paintings on the walls..thnq very much 4 d virtual tour, dear!

made my day more beautiful...

Vineeta said...

WO!!! What intricacy- you must have gone crazy shooting & then gone crazy shortlisting :) it happens to me all the time. I will take your advice & look up this or some other restored Haveli when I head to Shekhawati next! Brilliant pics & what a hauntingly beautiful place.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the beautiful pictures!

Sans! said...

Yes, I will LOVE to stay at a haveli. Will be a dream come true. That and staying at a restored palace :). Thanks for sharing the pictures!

Preeti Kashyap said...

wow archana! love these!

rk said...

Beautiful place and gorgeous photos! I love all things/places Rajasthani. I just find it a tad upsetting that ancient palace settings are places for xmas decor. Why should they? I saw some real tacky xmas decor in the beautiful Lalit Mahal palace in Mysore in 2007. It ruined the traditional decor. At least your photos just show some lights that look tasteful. May be I have become a traditionalist especially after being away from India for so long:)

Shubha said...

Archana, wonder what kind of camera you use ? I made a mental note to visit these in our next vacation to India. Thanks for sharing.

Anil P said...

I've been meaning to travel to Mandawa, Shekhawati. The picture you paint of the haveli makes it a tempting getaway.

Archana Srinivas Pottery said...

Thanks all:-)

Glad you liked the place.

rk- I appreciate your point of view, but hey it was Christmas eve and a small christmas tree doesn't harm right? I liked the fact that all festivals are celebrated with the same enthusiasm:-)

Shubha- I use a Canon EOS 350D but some of these pics are shot with a very basic point and shoot Olympus camera:-)


Anil p-This is how it is inside the haveli, but let me warn you...the Shekhawati region is quite arid and Mandawa is a dusty little town, with open drains and bumpy roads...;-)
...but the heritage havelis and the whole experience worth the effort.

Britt-Arnhild said...

I miss India. I must come back.....

Queen Of Småland said...

Beautiful!

Anonymous said...

Awesome and inspiring!

Shalini said...

What a beautiful and historic place to stay in. You always find such interesting hotels for your trips.

Unknown said...

Beautiful! How about a Kerala heritage home for your next break?:) Pics on The Keybunch.

Sharon

Ann said...

The last few nighttime pics of the haveli all lit up - caught my breath for a second. Imagine all the stories locked behind those walls and hidden behind the mirrored frescoes.Tears, joy, rage, jealousy, love, suffering, hate, conspiracy...life. Its like a full length movie or novel could be spawned from all the history within those walls....

Meena Mahal ~ Silks & Jewels said...

beautiful haveli ! missing the sub-continent.....thanks for all your postings!

Hotels in India said...

Hi,
Thank you for the beautiful pictures!

Hotels Estique said...

wow!!! love these!

Beautiful place...

sunita said...

Archana,I completely agree with Deepti.

Archana,I cant tell you how much you inspire me more and more everyday to go back to my country.

Love your work! Give us more! God bless you!