Having read about Mandawa prior to the trip I had some high expectations as to what we were about to visit in there but the moment we set feet onto the "haveli" lined streets of Mandawa I felt an initial shock once the "havelis" seemed to have been abandoned to their fate over the years and many were in a rather damaged "physical" state.
"Haveli" derives from the Persian and means "enclosed space" with historical and architectural importance. having been influenced by Islamic Persian, Central Asian and Indian architecture they were initially constructed by many wealthy businessmen of the villages and were noted by their frescoes depicting among others images of Gods, Goddesses and scenes from the British colonization period.
Most of the "havelis" we visited in Mandawa are empty nowadays and are "maintained" by a watchman.
It would take me a while to see
beyond the visible influence time had had on their façades and literally
"fall in love" with the master strokes of paint and intricate designs
which adorned their walls ... the once undeniably majestic porticoes
revealing an artistic brilliance second to none.
(To be continued)
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