Havelis in Jaisalmer

If you travel in Rajasthan, you’ll hear a lot about havelis. The haveli is one of the unique characteristics of architecture in Rajasthan, and local tour guides, hotel owners and pretty much anyone you spend time with will point them out with pride. And rightly so. Their design is practical, but also beautiful, and the havelis in Jaisalmer are a particularly good example.

Disclosure: On our visit to Jaisalmer, our hotel stay and a walking tour of Jaisalmer were both sponsored by Travel XS. Nevertheless, all opinions are my own.

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What is a haveli?

Housing all over rural India has for centuries been based around a central courtyard, often used for household chores like cooking. Over time, a certain architecture developed that used the same concept in urban contexts. Particularly in Rajasthan, it developed into a style that combines beauty with practicality. The design accommodates the extremely dry desert environment and the high temperatures of the summer.

The real hallmark of a haveli is the courtyard, which is open to the sky, creating a lightwell. Usually the courtyard is small, so that the lightwell is also small. Bigger havelis – the mansions of wealthy merchants – might have several courtyards, but they still wouldn’t be huge, and they’d have several stories of living space on all sides, usually with balconies facing into the courtyard.

The lightwell, of course, brings light into the interior-facing rooms, but with a difference. Because the courtyard isn’t particularly large, the light hitting the rooms is indirect. That helps keep them cool. At the same time, that opening from roof to ground channels wind into the house. With doors and/or windows open to the courtyard, that wind helped the rooms stay cool.

Speaking of which, one of several explanations I heard of the term “haveli” translates it as hawa, meaning “wind,” plus “villa.”

The courtyard itself, on the ground floor, would be a multi-purpose space. Daily tasks like cooking would take place there, but it would also become the venue for events like weddings or just be places where the family gathered in the evenings.

Another practical purpose for the lightwell had to do with water, a resource that was perpetually in short supply. If it did rain, which it seldom did, rainspouts from the roof and gutters in the courtyard would direct the water for collection. And the slightest rain, in any case, would have a welcome cooling effect.

I mentioned that besides being practical, havelis are beautiful. That’s because the families that lived in them, especially the wealthier families in the larger havelis, decorated them. The decorative elements vary from place to place. In Jaipur, the entrances were quite grand, painted ornately and also with decorative carvings. But in my view, the havelis in Jaisalmer are particularly beautiful.

What makes the havelis in Jaisalmer special?

In Jaisalmer, the havelis are made with blocks of yellow sandstone and richly decorated with an astounding array of masterful stonework. So there is no painted entrance – just this lovely stonework.

On the larger, fancier mansions, the stonework covers pretty much every surface on the visible side(s) of the haveli. Inside as well, most surfaces are decorated: the balconies, the window frames, the doorways – pretty much everything is surrounded by beautiful stonework, all in the same yellowish stone. And inside as well, surfaces were covered with painting, tilework and stonework.

An interesting thing about the stonework, by the way, is that because of the perpetual water shortage in Rajasthan, cement was not available to glue all of this stonework together. Instead, the pieces worked like Lego blocks: each block or decorative element would have either a slot or a piece extending outward, and they would slot together to hold their place.

Many of the decorative elements, particularly smaller ones like carved flowers, could be added or removed for special occasions. They’d pile them, sometimes, on an upright metal bar, like a string of beads.

Because of the traditions of purdah, keeping married women out of sight of men other than their immediate family, the larger mansions or palaces had a separate courtyard and the rooms around it just for the women of the household. These have even more decorative stonework because the balcony rails are higher and instead of windows there are mesh screens. You might assume these screens are made of carved wood or of metal, but they’re not; they’re intricate carvings in the same stone as the rest of the house. The women could look out but not be seen from outside.

In smaller houses, the area for women might be a separate floor or section of a floor. While most of the well-known havelis are huge mansions, many, perhaps most havelis in Jaisalmer are just houses, yet they’ll still have that central courtyard or at least an airshaft for ventilation.

There are so many in Jaisalmer. Which can I visit?

There are three big mansion havelis that tourists visit in Jaisalmer: Patwa Haveli (also called Patwon Ki Haveli), Salim Singh Haveli, and Nathmal Ji Ki Haveli, but there are many others too.

Patwa Haveli

You can see most of this former mansion – sometimes written as Patwon Ki Haveli – because it is no longer inhabited by the family that owned it for generations. Dating to the 19th century, it’s actually five havelis that belonged to five brothers – the Patwa family. Today, it’s a museum, and it gives a sense of how the spaces were used.

Some of the rooms are furnished. These were places where the family would entertain guests, where the head of the family would do business, bedrooms, and so on. Some of the rooms are plain, relatively speaking, but some are, for example, embellished with small concave mirrors to reflect candlelight, or lined with Delft tiles, or painted with folk stories. Make sure to notice the ceilings as well; they are often as ornate as the walls.

A mansion this big has multiple courtyards, and they are shady and pleasant places. On each floor, a balcony edges the whole lightwell, highly decorated inside and out. It’s easy to spot the spaces meant to house the women of the household: the windows have latticed stone meshes over them, so that the women could see out but not be seen. Yet the breeze could still make its way in. Visitor information.

Salim Singh Haveli

Salim Singh Haveli dates to the 19th century, named after Salim Singh, the prime minister of Jaisalmer who built it. His descendants still own it and live in it, so only a small part is open to visitors.

Not only is this haveli not a museum, but it has also not been renovated like Patwa Haveli. It is clear how magnificent it must once have been, but also how much it has deteriorated.

Nevertheless, the tour is interesting. I say “tour” because, although I stated at the door that I didn’t want a guide, when I climbed to the roof, a man appeared. He told me to sit down, and began his spiel about the history of the haveli.

It turned out to be worthwhile in that I could understand the highlight of the building better: an unusual tower. This kind of structure is something you don’t see on other havelis – but it’s very richly decorated inside and out. From the roof of the rest of the haveli I could look up at this tower, and the guide pointed out various details.

For example, he pointed out the flower figures, and explained that these were added for specific festivities and taken down afterwards, much like in the west we decorate for Christmas.

Taking us – an Indian tourist from Jaipur had joined me – further upstairs, he pointed out the stairs themselves. I’d already noticed that they were uneven, with a section of shallow steps and a section of much steeper steps. He explained that this was intentional, meant to make it difficult for attackers to climb without making noise. For the same reason, he told us, there’s a gap between the floor and the ceiling of each story of the building. This was so that, in the room where the prime minister slept in this tower, he would hear the echo of anyone walking around. The space between also served as a useful place to hide valuables.

Arriving on the top floor of the tower, we entered a small room, with balconies on all sides, open to the elements. It was breezy and cool that high up, which was undoubtedly the intention. This space was decorated on the ceiling with small mirrors and tiles for reflection, though these are in poor shape now. A fountain on the floor, fed by servants below working a crank, would have added a cooling effect. A female dancer would perform in the center of the square, with musicians on the balconies outside accompanying her. The prime minister would watch from a raised platform, open to the breeze.

Below the top floor is a room that once served as a dressing room of sorts, with eight mirrors: one for each of the prime minister’s seven wives, plus one for the dancer. I do wonder what the lives of these unnamed women were like.

As for the rest of the house, it’s out of bounds. I could see down into the central courtyard from the roof and it looked like the family living there uses the space for cooking, washing and water storage. Visitor information.

Nathmal Ji Ki Haveli

This haveli, dating to 1885, is particularly ornate on the outside – there’s no doubt this family wanted to make a grand impression. However, looking up at its façade, you’ll notice that some of the windows are blank – the rooms are empty shells.

Two brothers designed this haveli, each taking a side. If you look at it from in front of the entrance, you should be able to spot things that don’t quite match between the left and the right facades.

Still owned by the descendants of the original owner – another prime minister of Jaisalmer – this haveli isn’t open to the public except for the central courtyard, which serves as a souvenir shop selling local handicrafts. Looking up, the balconies are beautiful, but again, some of the upper rooms are empty shells. Visitor information.

Jaisalmer Fort Palace Museum and Heritage Centre

Up above the city of Jaisalmer looms Jaisalmer Fort, which dates to the 12th century. The fort – the oldest part of the city – is still inhabited and is crammed with havelis large and small. The grandest, of course, is the palace of the Maharaja of Jaisalmer, now called the Jaisalmer Fort Palace Museum. Also from the 12th century, it was built for Maharawal Jaisal Singh, who founded Jaisalmer. With many updates and additions over the centuries, most of what we see now is undoubtedly centuries newer.

Still owned by the royal family, it is open to visitors. It serves as a museum not just about the royal family but about the fort as a whole. It houses collections of art, including Hindu statuary; weapons; turbans; and lots more. At the same time, it is structured and decorated like the other mansion-havelis I’ve mentioned.

It has many courtyards and rich decorations inside and out, and quite a few of the rooms look like they did when the royal family lived there. There’s a great view over the city from the roof – the highest point of the fortress. The entrance fee includes an audio tour, which is well worth following – it includes some very evocative stories about the fort’s history. Visitor information.

Baa Ri Haveli

I didn’t get to visit this one, but like the Jaisalmer Fort Palace Museum, it functions as a museum and historic haveli. This 450-year-old haveli inside the fortress was built by a wealthy merchant family and still belongs to their descendants, which means it’s a private museum. It houses a whole collection of family heirlooms, many overlapping with the ones on display at the Jaisalmer Fort Palace Museum. An example would be the collection of musical instruments. And like the other museum, some of the rooms are furnished to period. Facebook page.

Other havelis

There are probably hundreds more havelis in Jaisalmar – both in the lower city and inside the fort. Some look quite small, but still have the fancy balconies dripping with stonework. Unfortunately, some of them have a modern block structure in front of them, with a water tank on top. These are bathrooms, added later, and mar the look of the façade. Others are veritable mansions.

What particularly struck me as I wandered the lower city with a tour guide was the unity of the architecture of Jaisalmer as a whole. Just about every building is made of the same yellow sandstone, and most have some level of decorative stonework. On the one hand, some modern buildings may have just a bit of simple decoration around a few windows. Others, on the other hand, are so ornate they practically outshine the historical havelis.

I appreciate the pride this suggests: pride in the traditions and the appearance of their city.

This well-rated tour includes all three main havelis plus the palace and Jain temple.

Can I stay in a haveli?

If you would like to experience a haveli from the inside, there are quite a few haveli hotels in Jaisalmer. The one we stayed in is called Jasmin Home, and it’s a modern haveli. It was completed quite recently, but the architecture respects the original design of a traditional haveli. Interior and exterior are beautifully adorned with elegant stonework, with a central lightwell in the traditional style. At the same time, the rooms have all the modern conveniences but the decor reflects the tradition as well. Highly recommended.

On the same street as Jasmin Home are several more modern havelis, and in both the lower city and the fortress there are more haveli hotels, both modern builds and historical refurbished homes. Don’t assume, though, that a haveli hotel will always be upscale like Jasmin Home. Like any city’s selection of hotels, they’ll range from very basic – hostels, for example – to quite luxurious.

Which havelis are best to visit in Jaisalmer?

If you’re in Jaisalmer, you’re going to see havelis whether you want to or not, since they’re everywhere. If you don’t have a lot of time, the priority should go to 1) Patwa Haveli and 2) Jaisalmer Fort Palace Museum. You could easily see both in the same day, but they would take up much of your day if you don’t rush through.

Generally when tourists see the Jaisalmer Fort Palace Museum, they also want to spend some time wandering around the fortress too. There’s some great souvenir shopping in the fortress, if that’s your thing. You’ll likely also visit the main Jain temple, which is very nearby and very worth visiting too. So ideally, you’ll visit the Jaisalmer Fort Palace Museum and the Jain temple and wander the fortress in one day. Then see other havelis in the lower city the next day, or at least see Patwa Haveli.

Have you been to Jaisalmer? If so, please add any recommendations or advice you’d add to what I’ve written here!