Jat houses for farming

caste
Bhungas (Circular
Huts)
Havelis (Pukka houses)

Rajasthan

JAIPUR ARCHITECTURE

Jaipuris thecapitalandlargest cityof

theIndianstateofRajasthan. The city
today has a population of 3.1 million.
The city is remarkable among premodern Indian cities for the width and
regularity of its streets which are laid
out into six sectors separated by broad
streets 34m (111ft) wide.
The urban quarters are further divided
by networks of gridded streets. Five
quarters wrap around the east, south,
and west sides of a central palace
quarter, with a sixth quarter
immediately to the east.

Climate & Geography:

Jaipur is located at 2655N

7549E / 26.92N 75.82E.
It has an average elevation
of 432 meters (1417 ft).
The district is situated in the
eastern part of Rajasthan. It
is situated in the north by
Sikar and Alwar, in South by
Tonk, Ajmer and Sawai
Madhopur, Nagaur, Sikar
and Ajmer in the west and
in east by Bharatpur and
Dausa districts.
Banas and Banganga are
the major rivers passing
through the Jaipur district.

Architecture

Jaipur architecture is world wide famous

because of its technical details and
beauty. Jaipur architecture is based on
Indian Vastu concepts. Maharaja Sawai
Jai Singh II - the founder of Jaipur was a
great architect and astronomer. He also
had a good knowledge of Indian Vastu.
This is the reason that the architecture
of Jaipur is a wonderful case study for
the modern architects across the world.

Jaipur architecture includes all the

Vastu principles and astronomical
principles precisely so that Jaipur
could be a prosperous and peaceful
city.

Pink city

Jaipur which is also referred to as the

Pink City is noted for its architectural
wonder. The architecture of this
capital city of Rajasthan is a
beautiful fusion of yesteryears and
modern architectural pattern. This
city, with its well planned roads, can
be compared with recently designed
cities.
It has earned the name Pink City,
because most of the buildings have
been painted pink. The main
architectural creations of Jaipur are
the amber fort palace, the City
palace, the Jantar Mantar and the
Hawa Mahal.

The town of Jaipur is built in the form of an

eight-part"Mandala"known as
the"Pithapada". The city was divided into
nine blocks, of which two consist the state
buildings and palaces, with the remaining
seven allotted to the public. The width and
regularity of its streets which are laid out into
six sectors separated by broad streets of 111
ft. 111 is a holy number in Hinduism and
hence considered lucky also. The commercial
shops were designed in Jaipur in the multiples
of nine (27), having one cross street for a
planet. "Nine" signifies the nine planets of the
ancient astrological zodiac, and twenty-seven
signifies the 27 nakshatras.

Town Planning

In Jaipur architecture, the urban quarters were further divided by networks of

girded streets. Every street is connected to main road. Because of this sort of
architecture of Jaipur, nobody can wander in the streets of Jaipur whether he is
familiar with the paths or not. Further, the five quarters wrap around the east,
south, and the west side of a central palace quarter, with a sixth quarter
immediately to the east.
Now, Jaipur is clearly divided in two parts, an old"Four Wall City"and a new
city; having 5 stars hotels, air port, railway junction, MNCs, internationally
recognized colleges, shopping malls, hospitals etc. Architecture of new city is not
as per Indian Vastu and astronomy, but the architecture of new Jaipur is based
on modern architectural concepts.

Walls

As Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh was keen on the security

aspect of the city, he constructed 20 feet high fortification
walls to wrap the city all around, called"Parkota", and
designed seven entry gates of Jaipur. The gates used to be
closed at sunset and opened at sunrise. There are only
three gates facing East, West, and North, while other gates
face South. wall is six meters high and three meters thick.
There are seven gates in the wall.The gates are:
Chandpole Sanganerigate
Surajpole Ghat gate
Ajmerigate Samrat gate
New gate Zorawar Singh Gate

Gates of jaipur

Residential and
commercial
The distinction between a
commercial and residential
street is in its section:
commercial streets contain
shops on the ground floor
that are shaded by an
arcade running the length
of the block, which also
serves as a foundation for a
terrace in front of the living
quarters located on the first
floor, above the shop.
Residential streets also
contain a shop/trade/sitting
space, used originally for
family business or trade,
above which the residential
space pushes up close
against the narrow street.

Royal architecture

Walks and Gateways

Extremely preoccupied with palace
security, Maharajas would also build
fortified walls and gateways around
their residences. These heavily
guarded structures were
architectural marvels in themselves,
mammoth in size and wrought with
complex geometric designs that
communicated the authority of the
royal family. The beating of drums
at palace gateways would announce
the coming of visitors to Indian
royalty.

Courtyards
The Indian nobility's belief in their divine
right to power manifested itself in the
planning of palaces. The palace was
designed following architectural
guidelines described in ancient Indian
texts known as the Vastushastras some of
which are more than fifteen hundred years
old and was meant to be a physical and
spiritual microcosm of the universe. The
central courtyard of a palace was said to
be the building's most powerful point, and
always contained a representation of a
prominent deity. Views of the courtyard
and deity could thus be enjoyed from
each of the palace's residential quarters.

Royal architecture

Corridors, Arches
The secret tunnels and doorways
that abounded in Indian palaces
allowed Maharajas easy access to
their queens' quarters and provided
them with quick getaways from
public reception halls. More
importantly, these clandestine
passageways were a precaution
against assassination plots and
enabled a king and his entourage to
slip in and out unnoticed.
Canotopes
When The Maharaja would sit on his
throne or walk an umbrella like
jeweled canopy was held over his
head, the palaces would have
similar umbrella like structures
called chhatri on top of their
buildings these actually were a
common design indicating celestial
power, its multiple tiers indicated
the ascending realms of heaven.

Gardens
Indian rulers and their courtiers drank, ate
and listened to music in the privacy of
verdant, breathtaking gardens. Gardens were
planned according to geometric patterns and
were usually arranged in plots of four, known
in Persian as charbagh. Court celebrations
such as Holi took place in gardens, during
which courtiers squirted each other with vivid
colours.

City palace

City Palace, Jaipur, which

includes theChandra
MahalandMubarak
Mahalpalaces and other
buildings, is a palace complex
inJaipur, the capital of the
Rajasthanstate, India. It was
the seat of the Maharaja of
Jaipur, the head of the
KachwahaRajputclan.

The palace complex lies in the

heart of Jaipur city, to the
northeast of the very centre,
located at
26.9255N 75.8236E. The site
for the palace was located on
the site of a royal hunting
lodge on a plain land encircled
by a rocky hill range, five miles
south ofAmber (city).

Mubarak Mahal

Mubarak Mahal, meaning the

'Auspicious Palace', was built
with a fusion of theIslamic,
Rajput and European
architectural styles in the late
19th century by Maharaja
Madho Singh II as reception
centre. It is a museum; a fine
repository of variety of textiles
such as the royal formal
costumes,sanganeriblock
prints, embroidered shawls,
Kashmiripashminasandsilk
sarisas part of the Maharaja
Sawai Man Singh II Museum. A
noteworthy display here is of
the set of voluminous clothes
worn by SawaiMadhosingh I,
who was 1.2 metres (3.9ft)
wide and weighed 250
kilograms (550lb) but
interestingly had 108 wives

Chandra Mahal

Chandra Mahal or Chandra

Niwas is the most
commanding building in the
City Palace complex, on its
west end. It is a sevenstoreyed building and each
floor has been given a
specific name such as the
Sukh-Niwas, Ranga-Mandir,
Pitam-Niwas, Chabi-Niwas,
Shri-Niwas and Mukut-Mandir
or Mukut Mahal. It contains
many unique paintings,
mirror work on walls and
floral decorations. At present,
most of this palace is the
residence of the descendents
of the former rulers of Jaipur.
Only the ground floor is
allowed for visitors where a
museum is located that
displays carpets, manuscripts
and other items that

Pitam Niwas Chowk

It is the inner courtyard,

which provides access to the
Chandra Mahal. Here, there
are four small gates (known
as Ridhi Sidhi Pol) that are
adorned with themes
representing the four seasons
and Hindu gods. The gates
are the Northeast Peacock
Gate (with motifs of peacocks
on the doorway) representing
autumn; the Southwest Lotus
Gate (with continual flower
and petal pattern) suggestive
of summer season and
dedicated to Lord
Shiva-Parvati; the Northwest
Green Gate, also called the
Leheriya (meaning: "waves")
gate, in green colour
suggestive of spring and
dedicated to LordGanesha,

Diwan-I-Khas
Diwan-I-Aam

Diwan-I-Khas was a private audience hall of

the Maharajas, a marble floored chamber. It
is located between the armoury and the art
gallery. ). There are a number of crystal
chandeliers hanging from the ceiling
(normally covered with plastic sheets to
prevent dust collection), which are
uncovered on special occasions
The 'Diwan-E-Aam' (Sabha Niwas) or the
'Hall of Public Audience' is an enchanting
chamber, with the ceiling painted in rich red
and gold colours, which still looks vibrant. It
is a major attraction in the Mubarak Mahal
courtyard. This chamber, functioning now as
an art gallery, has exhibits of exquisite
miniature paintings (of Rajastahni, Mughal
and Persian art), ancient texts, embroidered
rugs,Kashmir shawlsand carpets.

Other places

Maharani's Palace was originally the

residence of the royal queens. It has
been converted into a museum, where
weapons used by the royalty during war
campaigns are displayed, including
those belonging to the 15th century.
Bhaggi Khana is a museum in the palace
complex where a collection of old
carriages, palanquins and European
cabs adopted as baggis to Indian
situations are on display here.
Govind Dev Ji temple, dedicated to
theHindugodLord Krishna, is part of
the City Palace complex. It was built in
early 18th century outside the walls set
in a garden environment. It has
European chandeliers and paintings of
Indian art.

Hawa mahal

The palace is a five-story pyramidal shaped

monument that rises to a height of 50 feet
(15m) from its high base. The top three
floors of the structure have a dimension of
one room width while the first and second
floors have patios in front of them, on the
rear side of the structure. The front
elevation, as seen from the street, is like a
honeycomb web of a beehive built with
small portholes. Each porthole has
miniature windows and has carved
sandstone grills, finials and domes. It is a
veritable mass of semi-octagonal bays,
which gives the monument its unique
faade. The inner face on the back side of
the building consists of need-based
chambers built with pillars and corridors
with least ornamentation, and reach up to
the top floor. The interior of the Mahal has
been described as having rooms of
different coloured marbles, relieved by
inlaid panels or gilding; while fountains

Jantar mantar

TheJantar Mantaris a collection of

architectural astronomical
instruments.He had constructed a
total of five such facilities at
different locations, including the
ones at Delhi and Jaipur. The Jaipur
observatory is the largest and best
preserved of these. It has been
inscribed on theWorld Heritage
Listas "an expression of the
astronomical skills and cosmological
concepts of the court of a scholarly
prince at the end of the Mughal
period". The observatory consists of
fourteen major geometric devices for
measuring time, predicting eclipses,
tracking stars' location as the earth
orbits around the sun, ascertaining
the declinations of planets, and
determining the celestial altitudes
and related ephemerides. Each is a
fixed and 'focused' tool. The Samrat
Yantra, the largest instrument, is 90
feet (27m) high, its shadow
carefully plotted to tell the time of

Planning
Internal open spaces, thematic
element in all scales of domestic
architecture.
Courtyards became the key
organisational elements responding
to climatic conditions as well as
the cultural needs of
communities.
This private internal open space
also acquired special significance
while serving various levels of
privacy.
A wide range of household activities
could extend into courtyards. These
spaces became the living areas
of all domestic architecture.

Terraces serving similar functional and climatic

needs.
Courtyard contributes to its spatial quality beautifully by
bringing in a subdued light, creating a peaceful
environment.
Courtyard is often bounded by verandahs along its
periphery.
Other rooms open into these verandahs creating a
spatial organisation based on a hierarchical sequence of
spaces ranging from open to enclosed
The rooms get their light and ventilation from this
courtyard and have very few openings onto the exterior.
This spatial sequence encourages the intermittent flow
of activities responding to various private needs.
The tropical climate of India demands air movement
as well as shaded spaces for comfort.
The open, yet protected spaces, become the heart of
Rajasthani living.
Variations in the generic form of the courtyard come
from changes in materials, articulation of the enclosing
elements, scale, proportion and complexity of plan.
The articulation of the sides of a courtyard is dependent
on the kind of building and the users.

 By and large they receive a

treatment similar to the external
facade; they are in fact facades
inside the house.
In large houses, havelis, palaces or
public buildings, the nature of the
architecture is formal. Hence, all
sides tend to be of symmetrical,
orthogonal and ordered.
In vernacular conditions where the
houses are smaller, it is quite
different.
In most cases courtyard is scaled
to human proportion making it
comfortable space to use.
At houses it becomes larger, it is
the number of courtyards and
terraces that multiply, not the
size. A sequence of courts is
generated based on a hierarchy
ranging from public to private.
It is the courtyard that gives
porosity to an otherwise extremely
dense fabric of the city. It is the
breathing space the lungs of an
Rajasthani city.

 The grid system of planning was

always followed regardless of the site
or building type.
The grid was made flexible enough to
accommodate any site condition and
topography.
Grid system is more sustainable
in terms of economy and speed
of construction.
It is also easier to recycle materials if
it was built on a grid. Prefabrication
also favors the grid.
The grid was not always symmetric or
simple. Complex geometry and
curvilinear grids were also adopted.
The central courtyard is the lung
space 'of either the house or the
housing block. Just to ensure there is
a courtyard in every house,the centre
of the house is never built up and is
called the Brahmastana, the genius
loci of the house

 The heat inside of the building is controlled by the use of

textures in Rajasthan. This is organized at three levels.
At the town scale the buildings are of unequal height
with parapets and high walls, creating uneven sky lines
and desired shading of each other.
Secondly, the building facades have large number of
projections like jharokhas and chajjas which
provide shade to the facades.

Thirdly, the front part of the facade

which remains exposed are
controlled by creating deeply
carved patterns. Use of such
devices minimizes the heat gain by
providing shading due to texture.
Such devices also result in increased
convective transfer of heat
because of increased surface
area. In summer in day time when
the major heat source is Sun the
exposed textured surfaces will
be cooler than plain surfaces.
In evening when ambient
conditions are cool the increase
surface area helps in cooling it
faster. However, an extended
surface will warm up faster than a
plain surface under winter
conditions due to low solar altitude,
therefore the location in context of
these surfaces is very important.

Jat Houses
The history depicts the Jats as a
brave, courageous and loyal race of
India. They are divided in many
clans.
Jats are not only Hindus but include
Sikhs and Muslims as well.
Jat people are followers of many
faiths. Today they mostly
followHinduism,Islam, orSikhism,
with a minority followingChristianity.
The Jat people are required to marry
within their community.
Thejoint familysystem was popular
amongst the Jats and large families
use to share the same house
andhearth.

Marriage ceremony
When engagement is fixed, the bridegroom comes with
relatives to the house of the bride and presents
theengagement ring. Invitingmaternaluncles for bht by the
mother of bride or groom about a month before marriage.
After theGanesh ceremony, the bride or groom do not take
food at their home. First meals are at priest's house known as
bamanbanori. Subsequent meals at close relative's house till
marriage. On the night before marriage all family members
sing songs, dance, and worship deities without sleeping. The
function at the time of a boy's marriage in which all relatives
and villagers are invited on lunch one day before the main
ceremony. The wedding is normally conducted under a
mandap, a canopy traditionally with four pillars, and an
important component of the ceremony is the sacred fire (Agni)
that is witness to the ceremony. Worship of potter's wheel. Jats
marriages start with the Chak Pooja. It is done in Jats of all the
states. Departure of wedding procession. The groom leaves for
the wedding venue riding a decorated horse. This is a very
colorful and grand ceremony. The feast in a frequent
occurrence in Jat wedding

Bhungas
The bungas which even a
kind would envy for its
elaborate design and artistic
elegance.
It has a light dome shaped
bamboo and circular wall
plastered with mud, twig
and dung.
Their thick walls keep the
interiors cool when the
temperature rises to 46
degrees Celsius in summer
and warm when it drops to
two degrees Celsius
The circular design and
steely mesh of mud plaster
and twigs make them resist

Jaisalmer Forts and

Havelis
Area:38,401 sq. Kilometers

Population:5 Lacks 8000 aprox.

Location:Jaisalmer is situated in the western
Rajasthan amid Thar Desert.
Longitude:69.3 to 72.2 East
Latitude:26.01 to 28.02 North
Climate of Jaisalmer:Summer 42 C to 25C
Winter 24 C to 7 C
Best time to visit:October to March
Nearest Railway Station:Jaisalmer Junction
Nearest Airport:Jodhpur
Famous Buildings:Jaisalmer fort, Havelis and
Gadsisar Lake.
Language spoken:Rajasthani, Hindi and Urdu

Jaisalmer

History
Jaisalmer is named after
its founder Maharawal
Jaisal Singh, a Rajput king
in 1156 AD.[2]"Jaisalmer"
means "the Hill Fort of
Jaisal". Jaisalmer is
sometimes called the
"Golden City of India"
because the yellow sand
and the yellow sandstone
used in every architecture
of the city gives a
yellowish-golden tinge to
the city and its
surrounding area.

The city of Jaisalmer

Representing the glorious past, Jaisalmer

has several beautiful architectural
monuments that portray the rich artistic
skill and creative imagination of the local
craftsmen of the region. The Rajmahal,
Jaisalmer Fort, Chandraprabhu Temple,
Parsvanath Jain Temple, Salim Singh-kiHaveli and Nathmal-ki- Haveli reflect the
unique architectural style that were
adopted by the imperial Rajput rulers of
the bygone era.
The forts, palaces and religious shrines of
Jaisalmer are exquisitely ornamented with
fine and delicate works. A marvelous
creation of the ancient times, the beautiful
monuments of Jaisalmer bear an Indian
architectural style of constructing the
edifices.

The winding streets

wander between the
havelis, with their
beautifully carved
fretwork and jali
screens, and the
equally stunning Jain
temples. We visit
the old palace of
Maharawal painted
in extravagant
Rajput style. In the
late afternoon we
relax at the oasis
which led to the
foundation of the
city, Gadi Sagar, and
explore the Royal
cenotaphs at Bada
Bagh before
enjoying the desert
sunset.

Buildings in Jaisalmer
Museums
Desert Culture
Centre & Museum
Jaisalmer Folklore
Museum
Government
Museum

Jaisalmer Fort
Jain heritage of
Jaisalmer
Patwa Haveli

Jaisalmer Architecture:
Pre-Cast Construction
It is a system of carved elements stone slabs, beams, columns - pieces
put together, the putting together - a
carefully pre-planned process.
Stone carvers - the artists, the
artisans working in groups to deliver
the pieces as required, with every
piece cut, carved, to make a railing,
to turn it to make a junction or to
break the monotony of a symmetrical
faade.
Stone blocks cut and carved to make
an arch, a doorway, a jharokha,
brackets that support a circular
jharokha, brackets that are radiating
out from a point and therefore vary in
their sizes.

Jaisalmer Fort
Jaisalmer Fort is a magnificient
monument in Jaisalmer.
The Jaisalmer fort is the
second oldest fort in Rajasthan
after Chittorgarh.
Jaisalmer fort is also known as
the "Sonar Quila" or the
Golden fort. This fort was built
by the Bhatti Rajput chieftain
Rawal Jaisal in 1156 AD.

Jaisalmer Fort

The five storey fort adorns itself with balconies and windows that
displays some of the finest masonry work, while the interior is painted
and tiled in typical Rajput style.
The bastions envelops a whole township that consist of palace
complex, the havelis of rich merchants, several temples and the
residential complexes of the armies and merchants.
These merchants served and acquire a great deal of power and noble
status in the royal courts of Bhatti Rajputs who founded the state in
the 12th century and proceeded further.
But the rich merchants inspired by the classic style of the royals,
constructed huge mansions or havelis. These merchants engaged
stone - craftsmen who worked delicately on the sandstone mansions.
They filled up facades with sculptural figures, screen windows,
delicate pavilions and beautiful balconies.

 The main attractions within the fort are a group of beautifully carved Jain
temples built between the 12th and 15th century.
The architecture of the Jaisalmer fort is exquisite. The ramparts, bastions
and the long stretching walls of the fort dazzle gloriously during early
morning and at the sunset.
The fort is two hundred and fifty feet tall and reinforced by an imposing
crenellated sandstone wall which is 30 feet high.
The fort has 99 bastion, out of which 92 bastions were built between
1633 and 1647.
The fort stands almost 30 metres over the city and unbelievably houses
an entire living area within huge ramparts.
It is approached through Ganesh Pol, Suraj Pol, Bhoot Pol and Hawa Pol.

Tazia Tower

Tazia Tower of Jaisalmer is one of the

major tourist attractions. It is situated
in the 'Badal Palace' complex located
near Amar Sagar Gate. These were the
homes of the former royal family. The
Tazia tower is a 5-storied structure
where each story has significance in its
own. On each floor there is a balcony
that is famous for their individual
designs. This was built by Muslim
craftsmen and is based on the shape
of Tazia. Tazia is actually the replica of
Mausoleum of various Imams. They are
made of wood, thermocol and colored
papers. The architects gifted it to the
then royal patrons.

Jain Temples of Jaisalmer

Jain Temples situated in the Jaisalmer Fort.
These temples to be very old and high
pilgrimage as well as archeological value
attached to them. These are a group of Jain
temples dating back 12th and 15th centuries
and are dedicated to various Jain Tirthankars
(Hermits). On the walls of the temples, you can
find animal & human figures, carved in famous
Dilwara style.
The Jain temples in the Jaisalmer Fort are
dedicated to the famous Jain hermits known as
'Tirthankars'. Like all other structures in
Jaisalmer, these temples are craved of yellow
sandstones. The beautifully carves decorations
on the wall will give you divine peace.

Havelis

Haveli- Is a huge
private mansion in India
or Pakistan.

The Rajasthani havelis

were constructed by the
wealthy Marwari
community in the
Shekhawati region of
Rajasthan in the 19th
century.

A haveli typically has

two courtyards one for
the men and the inner
one for the women, the
walls were adorned with

Havelis of Jaisalmer

The city of Jaisalmer has witnessed different forms of architecture in

different eras. The ancient times saw dominating Rajputana architecture
where as the medieval period witnessed the fusion of Rajputana and subtle
Islamic architecture.
It is this era that saw the construction of most of the Havelis. Haveli is
places, which served as the residence of Wazirs i.e. ministers and landlords.
Usually they are very big and have lots of rooms and open space.
There is no dearth of Havelis in Jaisalmer as the place has witnessed many
wazirs and Landlords. The most famous among these is Patwon Ji ki Haveli.
This Haveli was the first in Jaisalmer that is why it has greater significance.
This Haveli became the pioneer of the constructions in Jaisalmer. Patwon Ji
ki Haveli is actually the collection of 5 small Havelis.
Last but not the least among major Havelis is Salim Ji ki haveli. Built in
1815, this Haveli is famous for its unique architecture based on the
Peacock. Have a view of the city from one of its numerous balconies and
you will get the real picture of the bustling city.

Patwa Haveli
Patwa Havelis are a cluster of five
havelis aligned in a narrow lane in the
heart of the city.
Kotharis Patwa Haveliis one of the
finest, oldest and the largest havelis in
Jaisalmer, which is full of artistic work
in each corner, be it gracefully carved
pillars, faade or the balconies
(Jharokhas).
Kotharis Patwa Havelibears
expensive decorated items that were
imported from various countries.
The murals and interiors have derived
inspiration from theRajputi,Mughalas
well as Victorian architecture.

Patwa Haveli

Location:In a narrow lane near Patwa

Complex
Attraction:Architecture and miniatures,
balconies

The Patwon Ji ki Haveli is an interesting piece of

Architecture and is the most important among the
havelis in Jaisalmer.
This is precisely because of two things, first that it
was the first haveli erected in Jaisalmer and second,
that it is not a single haveli but a cluster of 5 small
havelis.
The first among these havelis was commissioned and
constructed in the year 1805 by Guman Chand Patwa
and is the biggest and the most ostentatious.
The havelis are also known as the 'mansion of
brocade merchants'. This name has been given
probably because the family dealt in threads of gold
and silver used in embroidering dresses..

Patwa Haveli
This is the largest Haveli in Jaisalmer and
stands in a narrow lane. This haveli is
presently occupied by the government,
which uses it for various purposes. The
office of the Archeological Survey of India
and State art and craft department is
situated in the haveli itself.
The other important aspects are its
gateways and arches. You will notice
individual depictions and theme on each
and every arch. Although the whole
building is made yellow sandstone, the
main gateway of the Patwon Ji ki Haveli is
in brown color.

Golden Ceiling
in the chamber

Jharokhas

Nathmal Ji Ki Haveli

This Nathmal Ji ki haveli was

commissioned to serve as the residence of
Diwan Mohata Nathmal, the then Prime
Minister of Jaisalmer. Maharawal Beri Sal
commissioned the construction of this
Haveli. The architects of this haveli were
Hathi and Lulu who happened to be
brothers.
this haveli is still considered the best in
Jaisalmer in terms of grandeur. There are
other minute details worth appreciation.
For example there are two Elephants made
of yellow stone. These life-size replicas
have been put in front of the main
entrance so that it looks as if they are
guarding the Haveli. Other than these,
there are pictures engraved on pillars and
walls. These consist of Horses, Cattle, and
depiction of Flora among other things.

Projections & shading

Courtyard

The themes were usually images of Gods,

Goddesses & animals.