HAVELI

Introduction :
A haveli is a traditional
townhouse ,mansion ,manor house in the Indian
subcontinent, usually one with historical and
architectural significance, and located in a town or
city. The word haveli is derived from
Arabic haveli, meaning "partition" or "private
space", popularised under the Mughal Empire,
and was devoid of any architectural affiliations. 
Later, the word haveli came to be used as a generic
term for various styles of regional mansion ,town
house found in the Indian subcontinent.
Characteristics :
• Sociocultural aspects: The chowk or courtyard
served as the centre for various ceremonies and
rituals. The sacred tulsi plant was placed here and
worshipped daily to bring prosperity to the house.
• Security and privacy: The chowk, at times,
separated areas for men and women, and provided
them with privacy.
• Climate: Using open space in the building design
to respond to the local climate, air movement
caused by temperature differences assists in the
natural ventilation of the building.
• Different activities at different times: In the
daytime, the court was used mostly by women
to carry out their work and interact with other
women in a private open space. Mansions of the
merchant class often had more than one
courtyard.
• Articulation of space: In Mor chowk, part of
the City Palace complex in Udaipur, there is the
concept of the courtyard as a dancing hall.
Similarly, in havelis, a courtyard has several
functions, commonly used for weddings and
festive occasions.
• Materials: bricks, sandstone, marble, wood,
plaster, and granite are commonly used
materials. Decorative aspects are influenced by
CITY PALACE COMPLEX , UDAIPUR
various local cultures and traditions.
Mandawa Haveli :
Location: Mandawa, Shekawati

The city of Mandawa is located in the Jhunjhunnu district of

Rajasthan, 190km north of Jodhpur. It is known as the 'open gallery' of
Rajasthan due to the beautiful frescoes that adorn the city's houses.
These houses were mainly built between the 17th and 19th century by
Mewari merchants.
Climate:

Mandawa is considered to be a Hot semi-arid climate, falling within

the BSh category according to the Koppen-Geiger climate
classification. A large portion of Outback Australia also lies within the
Hot semi-arid classification. Mandawa is located in the Thar desert,
experiencing a harsh, extreme climate. The temperature ranges from 0-
50 degrees celsius. In summer the region experiences hot waves of air
known as 'loo', while sandstorms are a common occurrence.
Plan and internal layout :
• There is a clear delineation between public
and private spaces which is reflected in the
planning of the Mandawa haveli. Each haveli
usually has two main courtyards- the front
courtyard is considered public space, where
men would conduct their business, while the
second inner courtyard pertains a semi-
private space reserved for women to relax
and carry out their daily work.
• The rooms surrounding this inner courtyard
are known as the 'zenana' - the strictly
private area in which the women of the
house live.
• In addition to carrying out daily activities,
the courtyard was also the centre of
religious and social gatherings. The inner
courtyard is surrounded by high building
mass leading to induced ventilation,
while also providing the interior with
natural daylight.
• There is generally only one entry/exit
into the haveli, ensuring both security and
privacy.
• The area surrounding outer courtyard, or
'chowk' generally consists of the reception
area (bathaik), goods store, and meeting
spaces, while the inner private courtyard
was comprised of the kitchen, store room,
and bedrooms.
• The living rooms were usually located on
the first floor
• Walls

Walls are generally between 450-1000mm in

thickness, providing high thermal mass, and
increasing the time lag required for heat to enter
the building. This ensures that the interior is kept
cool during the day. Walls are generally
constructed from locally available stone and lime
plaster.
• Roof
Most havelis employ a flat style roof consisted of
stone slabs jointed with lime mortar. A layer of
inverted earthen pots sit atop the stone slab to
create an air layer for insulation. These are covered
with a layer of lime mortar finished with broken
porcelain, to reflect sunlight.
• Openings
Due to the hot and dusty desert
conditions, natural ventilation
during the day is undesirable.
Therefore , small openings are
provided to allow for convective
cooling at night time. These are
covered by thick wooden
shutters which are kept closed
throughout the day. All
openings are protected by
carved stone projections, known
as jharokhas.
ARCHITECTURE
City Palace
City Palace Complex :
• The series of palaces in the city palace complex, behind an
exquisite facade of 244 metres length and 30.4 metres height,
were built on a ridge on the east of lake Pichola. The complex
is located in Udaipur city at 24.576°N 73.68°E, which is set
with an average elevation of 598 metres . They were built
over a long period, from 1559 onwards, by 22 generations of
Sisodia Rajputs. Several Maharanas starting with Udai Singh
II, have contributed to this edifice, which comprises an
agglomeration of structures, including 11 small separate
palaces. The unique aspect of this conglomeration is that the
architectural design is distinctly homogeneous.
• The palace complex has been built entirely in granite and
marble. The interiors of the palace complex with its
balconies, towers and cupolas exhibit delicate mirror-work, NIGHT VIEW OF PALACE
marble-work, murals, wall paintings, silver-work, inlay-work
and leftover of colored glass. The complex provides a view of
the lake and the Udaipur city from its upper terraces.
Structures within the complex :
GATEWAYS
• Gateways, colloquially called Pols, are set to the
east of Udaipur city. A number of such
gateways provide access to the palace complex.
• The main entry from the city is through the
'Badi Pol' (Great Gate), which leads to the first
courtyard. Badi Pol (built in 1600) leads to the
‘Tripolia Pol', a triple-arched gate built in 1725,
which provides the northern entry.
• The road between this gate and the palace is
lined with shops and kiosks owned by
craftsmen, book-binders, miniature painters
and textile dealers. Between these two gates, Entrance gateway Badi Pol (left)
eight marble arches or Toranas are erected. to City Palace
• It is said that the Maharanas used to be weighed here
with gold and silver, which was then distributed among
the local people. Following the Tripolia gate is an arena
in front of the Toran Pol and the facade palace, the
Manak Chowk, where elephant fights were staged in the
past to test their prowess before starting on war
campaigns.
• The main block of the city palace is approached through
a modest door from the Ganesha Deodhi terrace. The Tripolia (Triple) Gate (centre)
door is flanked by whitewashed walls vibrantly painted
with martial animals in the traditional Rajput style.
There is a big boulders in the entry where elephants
were tied. This elephant parking has now become car
parking.
• Behind the entrance of Badi Pol there is a huge wall
which was for the elephant fight. The elephant which
touches the wall first would be considered weak
elephant. Both elephants would pull each other in this
fight.

Hathi Pol (Elephant Gate) (right)

Badi Mahal :
• Badi Mahal (Great Palace) also known as
Garden Palace is the central palace situated on
a 27 metres (89 ft) high natural rock formation
bis-a-bis the rest of the palace.
• The rooms on the ground floor appear to be at
the level of the fourth floor in view of the
height difference to its surrounding buildings.
• There is a swimming pool here, which was
then used for Holi festival (festival of colors)
celebration.
• In an adjoining hall, miniature paintings of
18th and 19th centuries are displayed.
• In addition, wall paintings of Jag Mandir (as it
appeared in the 18th century), Vishnu of
Jagdish temple, the very courtyard and an
elephant fight scene are depicted.
THANKING YOU!!!
-Arul Mary Preetha.R
715720251002