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Heritage of Shekhawati Present Challenge
Heritage of Shekhawati Present Challenge
!
I. Why the heritage is significant: historical, social, economic and cultural
significance, and background of heritage
II. Threats to heritage
III. How the heritage can be preserved again
I.
Rajasthan as a unified state is only an infant conception of the area, conceived by the
British and taken forward by the sovereign Government of India in the last six decades.
1Known for lending the most colourful life any area can to its people, Rajasthan is in fact
geographically, politically and culturally a very diverse region. Beset within this diversity is
Bikaner constituting the core of Thar desert, Marwar at the centre, Mewar touching the
present day borders of Gujarat and Shekhawati, flanked by the kingdom of Jaipur and Delhi,
As one inevitably paints this picture in mind, one is automatically wondering how
societies spread wings in each of these kingdoms. In the 15th century, Shekhawati as we know
of it today found grace and got it’s name ‘Shekhawati’ or the garden of Shekha.2 The region,
a conglomeration of feudal kingdoms and merchant towns is the apple of the eye for any art
1For the trends in this debate see Deryck O. Lodrick in The Idea of Rajasthan: Explorations in Regional
Identity
2 Hooja, Rima. History of Rajasthan
HERITAGE ASSIGNMENT !1
historian worth his/her name. It stands tall over a syncretic architectural blending of Islamic-
styled wells, merchant havelis, Rajput forts and the characteristic Shekhawati wall paintings.3
‘…in the same desert is a wonderful city where all the fortunes (fortunes so vast that
the owners cannot trust even the strong hand of the government to protect them, but take
refuge in the waterless sands) and drive sumptuous C-Spring barouches and buy beautiful
girls and decorate their palaces with gold and ivory and Minton tiles and mother-of-pearl.
- Rudyard Kipling4
3 From fieldwork
4 Kipling, Rudyard in one of the short stories from The Strange Ride of Morrowbie Junkies. 1899
HERITAGE ASSIGNMENT !2
Kipling’s description of Shekhawati paints a picture of excessive indulgence and
opulence; for art and architecture, back in those days, was a means to display wealth and
Sandwiched between Jaipur, the state capital of Rajasthan and the national capital of
India, today Shekhawati stands as a most untouched resource for the country in terms of
While most of the ongoing research and development initiatives are in awe of
Shekhawati frescoes, there is more to Shekhawati which makes it a melting pot for different
kinds of heritage:
Lying in the lap of Aravalis, many regions enjoy the picturesque beauty of the long-
standing mountains. Aravalis, ageing almost thrice as old as Himalayas, provides a stable
topography create a thriving trekking culture. Here lies the possibility to channelize the entire
Added to the natural landscape is the presence of Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, Keoladeo
Ghana National, Sariska National Park, Ranthambore National Park flanking the borders of
Shekhawati. Natural heritage can hugely benefit from increased but regulated and safe
tourism in Shekhawati.
politico-cultural and economic reasons. Shekhawati broke conventions of the medieval world
of feudalism in introducing community leadership. This unique political structure was based
HERITAGE ASSIGNMENT !3
on shared rulership, found nowhere in Rajputana and also gets reflected in the influence these
It is this polity which allowed for a greater symbiotic relationship to develop between
Rajputs and merchants, allowing the latter sufficient social mobility and status in the power
structures of the region. These very relations created an atmosphere for the flowering of
fresco culture at such a large scale, a phenonmenon which failed to achieve such heights in
fieldwork from Shekhawati.5 This speaks volumes about the rich oral and musical traditions
Shekhawati.6
II.
Putting this haven of frescoes in the modern day context, one is taken aback by the stealthy
HERITAGE ASSIGNMENT !4
5. Meal piecing heritage properties causing random alterations not fitting the building’s
aesthetics
richness which must driven an endeavour towards tapping community resource to empower
people through a watershed management plan, make the region self-sufficient and a healthy
earning economy.
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GOVERNMENT PROGRESS(?)
2013
In 2013, UNESCO declared 6 Rajasthan forts as World Heritage sites at the World Heritage
Committee held at Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The then Art and Culture Minister, Bina Kak,
announced in the media that the application for Shekhawati is being preparedo for way – “In
fact ,the work relating to stepwells of Abhaneri, Bandikui, Bundi as well as the fresco
HERITAGE ASSIGNMENT !5
paintings of Shekhawati region for being submitted for consideration to the UNESCO list has
already started” 7
Ar. Urvashi Srivastava submitted concept paper ‘On Merchant Trails in Shekhawati’ for
2016
7Singh, Mahim Pratap. “Unesco declares 6 Rajasthan forts World Heritage Sites”. The Hindu. June 22, 2013
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/unesco-declares-6-rajasthan-forts-world-heritage-sites/
article4838107.ece
8Srivastava, Urvashi. “Indian Heritage Passport Programme: On The Merchants’ Trail in Shekhawati,
Rajasthan. A concept paper”. UNESCO. 2009
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001812/181292e.pdf
9 “शेखावाटी अंचल का हेिरटेज काफी समृद्ध : धनखड़”. Dainik Bhaskar. September 11,2013
https://www.bhaskar.com/rajasthan/jhunjhunu/news/MAT-RAJ-JHUN-c-212-102179-NOR.html
HERITAGE ASSIGNMENT !6
Heritage Council for Restoring Shekhawati Havelis soon (Realty, Economic Times, May
24, 2016)
Highlights:
The Local Self Government (LSG) department will soon constitute a Heritage Development
Council to preserve and restore ancient havelis in the Shekhawati region…A draft of rules
has been prepared and forwarded to Urban Development and Housing (UDH) minister Rajpal
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III.
As one looks into the history of Shekhawati, it is not surprising to note that the region
finds no answer in the restoration of a few forts and havelis in isolation, the title of ‘open-air
art gallery’ can only be justified by pumping in economic viability to sustain the region as a
importance, identifying and studying them in detail will constitute primary research before
taking off the project. Once a model is ready, community, at all levels, must be invited to
HERITAGE ASSIGNMENT !7
The community as a whole will be seen as accountable stakeholding constituents in this
relating to the area. The eventual objective can only be achieved by bringing the community
migration factors bringing rural population to cities. Shekhawati, with its rich culture of
traditions and frescoes, can become a major economic center, bringing the natives back to
seek better opportunities than those available in cities (generally demanding technical skills
rural people lack, in turn leading to taking up of low paid, exploitative jobs). Bringing
Shekhawati on the world map will increase self-esteem of natives and generate appreciation
for local culture. This project takes the path of making the global market into a patron of local
resources, in turn pumping population and economic self-sufficiency back into the rural
areas.
Introduce plan of action at policy level makes an entrypoint into area development
uplift Shekhawati has failed. It needs to be understood that successful individual effort were
possible because of isolated and personal interest in family property and not community
development.
The massive coverage of the project area and all round development and economic self-
HERITAGE ASSIGNMENT !8
Leveraging upon underdevelopment as opportunity is essential. The
underdevelopment of the area gives scope to implement a controlled growth plan for the area
this project is to tackle overcrowding and employment issues occurring in metro cities due to
migration from rural areas. Poor people are being forced to take up low paid jobs and
Such a visionary plan must aim at self-sufficiency on economic and cultural level:
crafts. Promoting craft and souvenir shops, tying up with music and literature
buildings as hotels, wellness centres, research centres and sites for heritage walks.
nature walks in the Aravali Ranges. Popular pilgrimage sites may push different
kinds of demands and therefore businesses. Pickle business and orchard farming
have been successful experiments with great potential to expand in the market of
hail from this region- who own more than 50% of India’s industrial capital- can potentially
The Aravali Ranges is an enterprising environmental hub of flora and fauna. Safe
hiking and camping is possible in these mountains and can be employed to capitalize on the
HERITAGE ASSIGNMENT !9
tourism industry of the national capital of India. Tourism of landslide prone lower Himalayan
ranges can be diverted to the stable ranges of Aravalis and build the economic capabilities of
this region. Additionally, the watershed model will achieve water security for this region by
This approach for Shekhawati arose out of my grave concern about contemporary
trends surging towards homogenization that fail to identify humans as social beings moving
people in their own lives and how they project it. My research proposes to act as a potential
gateway to situate Shekhawati in the larger understanding of spaces for museum experience,
it’s status of world’s ‘open art gallery’ presenting unique possibilities- in visitor experience
use- convert the capitalist market into a patron of local resources. Applying my education in
History, leadership and policy-making will empower me to create a museum region based on
watershed model employing historical traditions and skills as a creative factor and builder of
resilient livelihoods.
Bayly, C A. Rulers, Townsmen and Bazaars: North Indian Society in the Age of British
Expansion, 1770–1870. New Delhi: Cambridge University Press, 1983
Cooper, Ilay. Rajasthan: Exploring Painted Shekhawati. New Delhi: Niyogi Books, 2014
Das Gupta, Ashin. “Ashin Das Gupta: Indian merchants and the decline of Surat c. 1700–
1750” in The Mughal State 1526-1750 edited by Alam and Subramanyam. Oxford University
Press, 2000
Mehta, Kaiwan. “Picture urbanity: towns in Shekhawati and empire cities” in Shekhawati:
Havelis of Merchant Princes edited by Abha Narain Lambah. New Delhi: Marg Publications,
2013
Nath Aman, Wacziarg. Rajasthan: The Painted Walls of Shekhavati. Croom Helm Limited,
1982
Seth, Mira. Wall Paintings of Rajasthan. New delhi: National Museum, 2016
Tanwar, Ram Singh. Lokgeet accessed from Mehrangarh Museum Trust, Jodhpur
Timberg, Thomas. The Marwaris: From Jagat Seth to the Birlas, Penguin, 2015