Albums of Heritage

The Jaipur Chapter

Amit Parekh
Ashwin Vir Dayal
Hanumant Pandey
Shashank Bharadwaj
Tushar Bhargava
 Albums of Heritage
The Jaipur Chapter
Amit Parekh
Ashwin Vir Dayal
Hanumant Pandey
Shashank Bharadwaj
Tushar Bhargava

LEFT A gate to the Bolee Walon Ki Haveli in the

Sankari Gali. The haveli is one of twelve and two
Mandirs restored by the Jaipur Virasat Foundation over Albums of Heritage
2005-06 in the Singhji ka Rasta. Funding for the Chicago, Illinois
restoration of the facades was provided by the Prince of
USA
Wales and Prince Charles Trust. Prince Charles subse-
quently visited these havelis in 2006. © 2007
 1
1. Amber & Shoor Singh
ki Haveli
2. Char Darwaza
3. Balanandji ka Math
4. Choti Chaupar
5. Bari Chaupar
6. LMB
7. Modi ki Haveli
8. Sharma Bhawan
9. Jargab Haveli
To Amber & Delhi
10. Mathuresh Bhawan
11. Johari Bazar
13 12. Ram Prakash Theater
12
13. Talkatora Lake
3
14
2 14. Chaugan Stadium
15. Ajmeri Gate
(Back Cover)
4
5

8 6 9
15

11 To Galtaji

To Sanganer
The Jaipur Chapters 3

PREFACE 4

FOREWORD 6

THE ASTRONOMER’S CITY 8

THE JAIPUR CHAPTERS 10

THE EXPERIENCE 48

MEDIA NOTES 50

ACKNOWDGEMENTS 52

THE TEAM 54

LEFT: A Google satellite image of the Jaipur City highlighting the sites featured in this book..
 Preface
4 Albums of Heritage

Vireshwar Dayal Mathur, Senior Citizen, Jaipur

In the early nineteenth century, it was said that Jaipur City had the best skyline in the world. Built in 1727, with
grand avenues resplendent in gilded palaces and majestic havelis, the city was the fitting abode of the maharajas and
their people. Jaipur was the unblemished conception of the vision of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II and the architec-
tural genius of the Bengali architect Vidhyadhar Bhattacharya. Each building served a distinct utilitarian purpose,
and yet was an artistic expression of the cultural propriety of its owners. By every conceivable measure, Jaipur was
one of the great cities of its time. Unfortunately, the famed city is now a shadow of its former self. One of India’s
great treasures is being lost, perhaps ravaged by the inattention of the very people whose priceless legacy it was.

Jaipur was designed by Vidhyadhar according to the principles of Vaastu, the traditional Indian system of architec-
ture, and is considered by urban planners to be one of the best planned cities. It is set in a grid system, arranged in
nine rectangular sectors. A wall with seven gates was built to fortify the city from invaders and wild animals. Every
haveli or home was intricately designed with beautiful jharokas (windows), aangans (courtyards), cornices, plinths and
pillars. The walls inside and on the outside of homes were embellished with colorful paintings and the ceilings be-
decked in intricate mosaics of mirrors.

Today, we can only imagine what this city once was. A hint of its former grandeur can be seen in a mid-19th cen-
tury canopy fresco painted on one of the turrets of the old fort of Nawalgarh, a stunning photograph of which ap-
pears in Jaipur – The Last Destination by Aman Nath and Samar Singh Jodha. The beauty of the city was not lost on
the well traveled pardesis, conversant with the great cities of the world of the time. In the year 1890, British civil en-
gineer, Colonel Sir S. S. Jacob, recognized Jaipur for the treasure it was. He commissioned his office to produce over
three hundred hand drawn sketches of architectural elements of the city’s best known structures. These incredible
printed volumes, Jeypore Portfolio of Architectural Details, are held in various private collections and are in precarious
condition. The studio of Gobindram and Oodeyram in Jaipur and various British photographers (Bourne & Shepherd) of
the time took some of the best pictures of the city in the period 1880-1920 . The photographs that survive are scat-
ter all around the world in various private collections, libraries (see British Library, Queens Library and the Smithsonian)
and unavailable to the general public in India. The Albums of Heritage Foundation is actively engaged in an effort to
acquire digital copies of these images from various owners and present a pictorial record of the city on its website.
The Jaipur Chapters 5

The Album of Heritage Project emanated from the desire of a few concerned citizens of Jaipur to create a visual record of their histori-
cal city before it withered beyond recognition. While the best known sites, such as the Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar are well pre-
served, other parts of the city are falling victims to neglect and urban destruction. It is these secondary sites, outstanding in their own
right, that are the focus of this project. Without them, Vidhyadhar’s grand composition of a single great city of unprecedented scale
and beauty is precipitously endangered. Today, much of the city itself is gone, but notably not long gone. The urban destruction
surely has taken place in our times and on our watch – namely, in the post-independence years of economic development. The goal of
the project was to seek out the havelis that survive, but are at risk of annihilation, and commission artists to recreate images of what
these structures may have looked like in their pristine state over three hundred years ago. In this manner a visual history of the archi-
tecture of the Jaipur city may be preserved.

Some ask how such a devastation of a national treasure was possible with no armies of pillaging invaders to assign blame to. We have
to wonder if the generation of our forefathers will be remembered best for architecting one of the greatest cities of the world, and the
generation of their sons remembered most for its destruction. A prominent historian has argued that Jaipur citizens, who always relied
on the Maharaja for the maintenance of the city, were never adequately prepared to live up to their own civic duty. But ultimately it is
we, the citizens of Jaipur, whose rightful legacy and heritage it is, who have to raise their voice. When in the next instance, a three hun-
dred year old jharoka is torn asunder to accommodate a desert cooler or accommodate a chappal store display, and a citizen of the city
raises his voice, the Albums of Heritage will have found a voice. If only one more citizen of Jaipur adds her voice to those that say
that “something can and should be done”, the Albums of Heritage will have been heard.
 Foreword
6 Albums of Heritage

Salahuddin Ahmad, Principal Secretary of Arts and Culture, Government of Rajasthan

I congratulate the Albums of Heritage team on completing a remarkable project that

celebrates the architectural heritage of the city of Jaipur.
In my tenure as the Principal Secretary of Arts and Culture for the state of Rajasthan, I
have come across many projects led by professional organizations interested in preserv-
ing the precious arts and architectural heritage of the Jaipur city. The task is daunting
and there are no easy answers to what to do and how. Hence, many such efforts begin
nobly but end quickly in frustration.
When a small band of high school students approached me about helping them with
their Albums of Heritage project, I was inwardly skeptical about what they could really
accomplish in just six weeks of the hot season. But the quiet passion with which the
young men spoke of their desire to do something for preserving the city, intrigued me
and moved me to assist them.
There is something unique about the Albums of Heritage project. Firstly, it is an initia-
tive conceived and conducted by the children of Jaipur, whose heritage ultimately this is.
When the children themselves take such pride in their city, the complex task its restora-
tion seems so much more worthwhile and doable. Secondly, the Albums of Heritage is
an initiative led by the citizens for the citizens. This effort is therefore unique because in
this instance the involved citizens asked only what they themselves could do and without
much ado set about doing it.
The task of restoring our great city’s architectural heritage is a diffcult one, beset as it is
by questions of property rights, national legacy, social equity, politics, and economic de-
The Jaipur Chapters 7

velopment. However, when proud citizens of the city themselves make a personal commit-
ment and Jaipur’s own children take steps to control their destiny, I am left feeling person-
ally energized and optimistic about the future of the city.
If I said I was skeptical of the idea at the beginning, I hasten to add just how amazed and
proud I am now at the result. This book presents a visually stunning collection of “before
and after” images of the havelis, temples and courtyards that at one time were the pervasive
adornments of the walled city of
Jaipur. They were more than just
impassive stone and stucco struc-
tures. They represented the very
spirit of the city; a spirit of unpar-
alled elegance, honor and solidarity.
This Album of Heritage is there-
fore a tribute to that spirit and
perhaps the only such album of its
kind. No reader can look at these
images and not feel pride in and
hope for our great city and heri-
tage. It deserves the widest possible circulation in the city and I hope it compels more citi-
zens, and especially children in schools, to participate in and support efforts to conserve the
city in their own way. In that manner, the contribution of the Albums of Heritage project
will be immeasurably more far reaching than the pages of the Album themselves.
 Jaipur – The Astronomer’s City
8 Albums of Heritage

Perhaps there is no better way to intro-

duce the erstwhile city of Jaipur than to
let a traveler of the 1920s describe it.
Major H. A. Newell, was no ordinary
tourist. He wrote succinct and highly
regarded guide books on a handful of
Indian cities before heading off to active
service with the Expeditionary Force in
France.
Jaipur was surely special for him, for in
his introduction he gushes, “In Jaipur, the
traveler realises the India of his dreams. Ele-
phants and camels, tigers, peacocks, monkeys
and alligators, temples and palaces are here pre-
sent in number and variety, greater even than
his fancy had painted. … Not only does the
Dhoondar capital provide the Westerner with
the mise en scene his fancy had conjured up as typically Oriental, it
introduces him to an undreamed world of Eastern romances.”
The Jaipur Chapters 9

LEFT & RIGHT: Scanned introductory chapter

from Major H. A. Newell’s definitive travel guide
to the city of Jaipur. The full 38 page booklet with
a 2 day walking itinerary is available for download SOURCE: Acquired by Shri Ashwin
from albumsofheritage.com. Dayal in an ebay auction
10 Albums of Heritage

Shoor Singh ki Haveli

Before Jaipur city, there was the town of Amber, which was established
in 1135. Then it was the home to the Kachhawahas, a Rajput tribe, that
eventually built Jaipur. When Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II came to power,
he realized that Amber was no longer large enough to meet the peoples’
needs. They required a city that could support trade with the major cen-
ters of the Mughal Empire, such as Delhi and Agra, while being able to
defend itself. The site for Jaipur was finally chosen on land that used to
be the Maharajas’ personal hunting reserve.
Located by the Amber Palace, the Shoor Singh ki Haveli is a majestic
building that has unfortunately fallen into ruin. Maharaja Man Singh I’s
cousin, Shoor Singh was the kotwal of Amber and in charge of maintain-
ing the discipline in the area. The building was used not only as Shoor
Singh’s home, but also for holding court.
Eventually, when the citizens of Amber moved to Jaipur, the haveli was
abandoned. Over time, people began to encroach upon the building, in-
cluding a Bengali priest named Bhattacharya. In both 1968 and 1974, RIGHT Artist Shri Hamlet uses a pencil sketch to show
the government attempted to intervene and protect the building as it had what the Shoor Singh Ki Haveli may have looked like in its
original condition about five hundred years ago. No exact
collapsed from decay. The government is currently involved in a court images are available but the Albums of Heritage team was able
case with the Bhattacharya family over control of the haveli and has plans to recreate the most probable view based on surviving elements of
the building, location of the ruins and the advice of architects
for its restoration. familiar with the Jaipur heritage architecture.

The Amber valley at one time must have had 20-30 havelis descending
from the grand palace of Amber and down the hills. After the migration
to Jaipur, Amber became a ghost town and its havelis started falling in
disrepair. Visitors in the late 1800s described the abandoned Amber as
“the city of dead splendors”. Of the original havelis and mandirs, five to
eight still survive and can be restored.
FOLLOWING PAGES Show a July 2007 photograph of
the ruins of the Shoor Sing Ki Haveli. Hard as it may be to
believe, parts of the Haveli are still in use by the Bhattacharyas.
The stunning image of the original building is also brought to
life in a 3D rendering by Shri Surjit Singh and the Studio
IMCON.
SOURCE: Information supplemented by interviews with Dr.
Zafferulah Khan, Superintendent of Amber and Hawa Mahal
and Shri Prakash Verma.
The Jaipur Chapters 11

THEN
12 Albums of Heritage

Shoor Singh ki Haveli

The Jaipur Chapters 13

NOW & THEN

14 Albums of Heritage

Char Darwaza
The old city of Jaipur was surrounded by a wall
about 6 meters high and 3 meters thick. It had
seven gates, a model number in a temple de-
RIGHT: Moti Katla Darwaza, one of the four gates that make up the Char Darwaza, in a July
signed according to the shastric principles, one 2007 photograph.
each on the east, west and northern flank and FAR RIGHT: A painting by Shri Hamlet of the Moti Katla Darwaza depicts the structure as
it may have looked today had it been preserved in its original state.
four on the south. The more exposed southern
SOURCE: Information supplemented by interviews with Shri Ranbir Sing, Shri Vinod Joshi
side, was further protected by a ditch, which is and Sushri Reema Hooja.
now mostly filled. The gates were
closed at night, a practice continued in
the city until as late as 1942.
There were other smaller gates inside
the city that separated some of the city’s
chowkris (wards) one of which were the
Char Darwazas, or the Four Gates.
While two of the gates have been re-
stored and one is currently being
worked on, the Moti Katla Darwaza is
not one them.
The Jaipur Chapters 15

NOW & THEN

16 Albums of Heritage

Balanand Ji Ka Math
The Math was built on land the temples of Jaipur are among the few structures that BELOW: Balanand Ji Ka Math in a July, 2007photograph.
Behind the tree, the only standing right tower of the building is visible.
given by Maharaja Sawai Jai have not been ravaged by urban development, though
RIGHT: A traditional Jaipur style painting by Shri Vishnu Soni
Singh II to his guru Shri many, including this Math, suffer from the lack of funds shows what the Math may have once looked like in its day. The
Balanand Ji. It preceded and neglect. The Math had a pond that supplied water surviving right side of the building as well as old documents with the
priest helped the team recreate the dramatic original façade.
Jaipur and was an important via canals to tanks in the Chaupars (see later pages). A
SOURCE: Interviews with Shri Vinod Joshi and the temple priest.
gathering place. The west government school also operates in the Math now.
side of the Math was the city
wall. The small Balanand Ji
ki Mori (tunnel) in the wall
provided the only city access
for late night travelers as the
main gates would be closed.
Shri Balanand Ji belonged to
the Balanandi Ramanandi Vai-
shno Sect, a community fa-
mous for having ascetic war-
riors. The head gurus of the
Math were highly revered be-
cause they led the Jaipur
army into battle, astride on
their elephants. Laxaman-
andcharya, the current
mathadish, is the 22nd guru
of the sect.
Interestingly , given the god
fearing nature of Indians,
The Jaipur Chapters 17

NOW & THEN

18 Albums of Heritage

Choti Chaupar
The Choti Chaupar forms a filled and replaced with the square that exists today. The removal of the original water collection
large town square which points has been an endemic problem for the city. It faces depleting ground water levels caused by the
was constructed along with destruction of wells previously used for rain water harvesting and a rapidly growing population. Fur-
the rest of the city. It thermore, street merchants have encroached upon the square on all sides, worsening its condition.
originally had a water tank
and well. A fountain was
added later. The source of
BELOW: Choti Chaupar in a July 2007 photograph.
the water to the tank was
RIGHT: Choti Chaupar in a rare postcard created before 1875 from the private collection of Shri S. D. Mathur.
another tank in the Balan-
SOURCE: Information supplemented by interviews with Shri Pankaj Sharma.
andji ka Math. NEXT PAGE: Panoramic 1900 photograph of Bari Chaupar by the Gobindram and Oodeyram Studio of Jaipur. Some of the finest pho-
tographs of Jaipur were produced by this duo and their studio survived until 1975.
In the 1900s, the tank was
The Jaipur Chapters 19

NOW & THEN

20 Albums of Heritage

Bari Chaupar
The Jaipur Chapters 21

EARLY 1900
22 Albums of Heritage

The LMB Hotel

At one time, the LMB Hotel may have eventually bought all of the Lakshmi Bhandar. He then began constructing LMB Ho-
been a classic example of Jaipur architec- tel in 1958 and finished in 1962.
ture and lifestyle. The lowest storey was He built the hotel by demolishing the original structure in favor of a more modern
used for shops and the upper two as a look with glass windows. The LMB hotel, or Lakshmi Mishthan Bhandar, was thus
residential area. The shop owners likely
sold jewels as the building was situated in
the jewelers’ bazaar.
However, this changed in the 1900’s, with
the opening of the Lakshmi Industrial
Works’ Jaipur branch known as the Lak-
shmi Bhandar. This business was estab-
lished in 1929 and sold cosmetic prod-
ucts, including an especially popular type
of hair oil.
Shortly afterward, the location attracted
the interest of a man named Mr. Maliran
Ghodhawat. He was a neighborhood hal-
wai, or sweets maker, and felt that Jaipur
lacked good vegetarian food. He was in-
spired to convert the building into a vege-
tarian hotel and restaurant. Maliran had
little money and had to sell many of his
possessions and take heavy loans, but
The Jaipur Chapters 23

NOW & THEN

born. Unfortunately, while the LMB Hotel is a great success story, it may have unknowingly set a prece-
dent at the time and inspired others to follow suit. Johari Bazaar, where the LMB hotel is located, now
is lined mainly by many unsightly urban structures that have replaced the old havelis.

LEFT PAGE The LMB

Hotel as seen in a July
2007 photography
RIGHT PAGE 3D
depiction of what the
LMB hotel may have
looked like had it been
developed within the
constructs of its his-
torical architecture.
3D rendering by Shri
Surjit Singh Ji of archi-
tectural design firm
Studio IMCON
SOURCE: Informa-
tion supplemented by
interviews with LMB
owner Shri Ajay Agar-
wal and Shri Om
Prakash Sharma, Head
of Archaeological So-
ciety in Albert Hall.
24 Albums of Heritage

Modi Ki Haveli
Modi Ki Haveli was built 150 years ago on
land called the kuncha upaad zameen (uncleared
land). It has one courtyard and is three stories
high. The eventual owner, Ramnath Modi, di-
vided the haveli amongst his four children. His
eldest son, Lalith Modi, currently has control
and has left the haveli largely unattended. In
1952, electricity and water was added to the
building to improve the living conditions. But
poor execution only contributed to the dete-
rioration of the haveli.
Pro-tenancy laws may have forced owners to
give up on the haveli. Some tenants pay only
Rs. 25 per month in rent, but cannot be
evicted.

CENTER Modi Ki Haveli in a July, 2007 photograph. The ground

floor of this grand home now serves as a collection point for discarded paper
which is recycled into hand-made paper.
LEFT A 3D rendering of the Modi Ki Haveli depicts the structure in its
original state. Drawing by Shri Surjit Singh and the Studio IMCON
FAR RIGHT A pencil sketch by Ajit Singh also shows a restored
perspective of the Modi Haveli.
SOURCE: From interviews with Shri Vinod Joshi.
The Jaipur Chapters 25

NOW & THEN

26 Albums of Heritage

Sharma Bhawan
The Sharma Bhawan on Maniharon ka
Rasta derived its name from its original
owners who belonged to the Sharma caste.
Today the Sharma Bhawan has a tunnel
that connects Maniharon ka Rasta to Kishan-
pol Bazaar and is a key route on a heritage
walk designated by Dharmendar Kanvar.
in her book "Ten Heritage Walks of
Jaipur".
Unfortunately, much of the history of this
building is lost.

RIGHT A 3D rendering of the Sharma Bhawan depicts

the structure in its original glory. Drawing masterminded by
Shri Surjit Singh and the Studio IMCON. While some
buildings in the original city were made of pink sandstone,
most were white as shown in this image. Maharaja Man
Singh, who renovated the city in the 1870s, had it painted
pink and the name “The Pink City” for Jaipur has since
endured.
LEFT Sharma Building in a July 2007 photograph.
SOURCE: Information supplemented by interviews with
Shri Vinod Joshi.
The Jaipur Chapters 27

NOW & THEN

28 Albums of Heritage

Jargab Haveli
The Jargab Haveli or Pahari House is located in Johari Bazzar, almost directly opposite from
the LMB hotel. It is a typical example of the old Jaipur architecture and was painted in the
pink color made out of sand stone (garu). Built by a feudal lord in the 1700’s, it was a large
estate that included three separate courtyards and dozens of rooms. The courtyards were
used for music and dance performances as also for holding court and conducting business.
These courtyards still survive today but lie locked up and in neglect.
The last feudal lord to live in this house was Mohan Singh, who owned the building until
1948. After that the building was sold multiple times. The majority of its owners were
farmers who ran shops from the haveli. At the present time, the ownership of the haveli is in
dispute. On one hand this is the reason for its decay, but on the other it may also be the rea-
son for survival. Had it been sold, the haveli’s new owners would have been free to tear it
down and replace it with lucrative commercial structures, as so many others have done.

RIGHT Jargab Haveli in a recent photograph in July, 2007. Even though the structure is clearly in neglect,
visitors passing by are still awed by the breathtaking beauty of its façade. In many ways, this building is a perfect
example of how the skyline of Jaipur was lost to surreptitious ravaging by its residents. The original windows on the
building are seen to be intricately carved meshes from stone. To the far right, one can see that some of those open
jharoka have been replaced by crude, planked windows to allow residents to close and lock them. Likewise, arched
doorways have been replaced by wooden doors. A window at a time, history itself is disappearing.
FOLLOWING PAGES Artist Shri Hamlet uses masterly strokes with his paint brush and pencil to restore
the Jargab Haveli to its former glory.
SOURCE: Information supplemented by interviews with Shri Hem Singh and his father, Pratap Singh, whose
family owns the Sankotra Haveli, another prominent home in Johari Bazaar.
The Jaipur Chapters 29

NOW …
30 Albums of Heritage

Jargab Haveli
The Jaipur Chapters 31

… THEN
32 Albums of Heritage

Mathuresh Bhawan
LEFT: Mathuresh Bhawan in a July
2007 photograph.
RIGHT: A 3D rendering of the
Mathuresh Bhawan depicts the structure
in its original state. Drawing by Shri
Surjit Singh and the Studio IMCON.
SOURCE: Information supplemented
by interviews with Shri Vinod Joshi.

The Mathuresh Bhawan

was so named because
it was originally owned
by Shri Mathur Prasad
Saxena of the Kayastha
caste. The building was
built in 1890 and had
one courtyard. In 1892,
the building of the
third floor began and
six years later, a temple
was added to the haveli when the owner’s eldest daughter’s husband died at a young age.
In 1936, electrical lines were set up in front of the house and water lines followed four years later. In 1952, the third and fourth
floors were made by Jag Mohan Prasad Saxena. Now, shops have encroached upon the home including in front of the entrance.
The Jaipur Chapters 33

NOW & THEN

 34 Albums of Heritage

Johari Bazaar

ABOVE: The bustling Johari Bazaar in a July 2007 photograph. The beautiful haveli facades that once lined this street on both sides, are all but gone. The lampposts running through the center of the street adorn an
The Jaipur Chapters 35

NOW

image of the rising sun, a common symbol of the ruling dynasty. The original street was partially cobblestone and had broad sidewalks. The verandahs to shops were added later by Mirza Ismail, Diwan f Jaipur 1942-46.
36 Albums of Heritage

Johari Bazaar
Johari Bazaar was built along with the rest of the city around 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II. Originally, this
main road connected the old city of Amber to the town of Sanganer, a major trading post. Hence, the gate at the en-
try of the bazaar was called the Sanganeri Gate.
From the outset, Jaipur had prospered quickly and become a major regional trading center. Jai Singh decided to
build houses for all the important jagirdars of his state in the city, ordering them to send 10% of their income to
Vidhyadhar annually. These jagirdars, business persons and government officials formed a large population of the
city and there was thus a market for costlier luxuries. The term johari literally means jeweler and Johari Bazaar was
and is home to jewelers, who likely served the needs of this affluent community.
The advent of the British brought about the influence of the western architecture. Maharaja Ram Singh the IInd
modernized Jaipur adding gas lights throughout the city and its avenues. He also built the Ram Prakash Theatre
which was based on the Victorian style of architecture (see later pages).
After independence, the Maharaja of Jaipur relinquished power to the government of India. The codes that regu-
lated the building construction within the walled city, were effectively erased and the door to urban destruction
opened. City residents, who had always relied on the Maharaja to provide order and civic services, were unpre-
pared to take on the responsibility of maintaining their city, and it deteriorated steadily. Now, one can barely see
remnants of the havelis of the jagirdars that at one time must have dotted the peripheries of Johari Bazaar.

RIGHT: A watercolor painting of Johari Bazaar by Shri Hamlet portrays an impressionistic view
of the erstwhile havelis that lined the street on both sides.
The Jaipur Chapters 37

THEN
38
Ram Prakash Theatre
Built in 1879 by Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II, Ram Prakash was the first theatre
to be built in Jaipur. It was part of Ram Singh’s strategy to modernize the city
and its design reflected Victorian architectural principles. Upon completion, it
was promptly listed amongst the top performance theatres of India.
Ram Prakash not only was the home to Parsi (Hindi) theatre, but also was fre-
quented by the traveling British theatre groups. It had one of the largest collec-
tions of translated Sanskrit plays and at its time was something of a revolution.
Back when men and women were separated by the purdah system, the plays
Albums of Heritage
RIGHT: A pencil sketch of Ram Prakash Theatre by
Shri Manish Raj depicts the front facade in its original state,
a model of which lies in the City Palace.
SOURCE: Information from interviews with Shri Ranbir
Sing, Vinod Joshi, Pankaj Sharma nd Sushri Reema
Hooja.
BELOW Ram Prakash Theatre in July 2007.
The Jaipur Chapters 39

THEN & NOW

staged at Ram Prakash were amongst the first in India to have female roles played by women.
Originally cream-colored, Ram Prakash received a pink coat later to match with the rest of Jaipur. In the
1940s, it was remodeled into a cinema hall and the rear that harbored the stage fell in disuse. The back
area was once oranate and had a fountain, but is now in disrepair and used as a bakery. After it was sold
to a new owner, Ram Prakash was closed down and its ownership disputed by the government and a pri-
vate citizen who did not pay the property tax. Some therefore argue that the government should with-
draw property taxes for owners that maintain their buildings in a heritage condition.
40
Talkatora Lake
Traveler H. L. Showers described Talkatora in his “Notes on
Jaipur” in 1909 as follows: “The Talkatora (Cup Lake) or as
visitors call it the Alligator Tank, lies at the northern extrem-
ity of the Palace Gardens and immediately beyond the Badal
Mahal (Cloud Palace). There was always a lake in this place,
and in the days when Amber was still the Capital the forests
about the lake provided a favourite hunting ground for the
Chiefs. What is now the Badal Mahal was then a Shikar Odi.
This Palace may therefore claim to be the oldest building in
Jaipur. The tank is now crowded with alligators. These are
regularly fed at the Darbar expenses. They are quite tame and
come up the steps of the tank to receive food from the hands
of the attendants.
A pastime occasionally indulged in is the feeding of the alliga-
tors with a bait tied to a long rope. This is thrown out into the
tank and there is soon a battle royal for its possession. The
successful combatant having bolted the bait, rope and all, a
tug-of-war ensure between him and the men holding the rope.
It takes many men to haul the monster on shore. Finally he
bites the rope through and escapes.”
Albums of Heritage
Later in 1948, traveler B. L. Dhama, who wrote “A Guide to
Jaipur and Amber”, described Talkatora thus: “From the vi-
cinity of (Maharaja Ishwari Singh’s) cenotaph a view of the
Talkatora may also be had … enclosed on three sides by
broad embankments and on the fourth or the south side by
Badal Mahal … The embankments were once laid out with
fine gardens. They were approached fro the Palace by the
corridors on either side of the Badal Mahal.
The north bank of the Talkatora is odorned with octagonal
pavilions placed at the corners and a fine curvilinear roofed
pavilion in the middle. Between the central pavilion and the
corner chatris are built rectangular pavilions with flat roofs
and their openings filled with jails.
Here in the tank the immersion ceremony of Gangaur and
Teej is performed which is watched by the Royalty in the
midst of amusement, dances and singing in durbar held on
the occasion.
The Talkatora, situated in the midst of the lake, the Raja
Mull-ka-Talao, when full with water and with its inmates, the
The Jaipur Chapters
crocodiles, must have indeed appeared to be like what its
name implies, namely, a cup floating in a lake.
The lake of Raja Mull, named after the eminent prime minis-
ter of the founder of the city, spreads over an extensive area.
It receives the drainage of the north part of the city and that
of Nahargarh hill. The latter is first received into a catch-
ment area by twelve huge and massively built arched openings
placed at skew in the fortification wall and then discharged
into the lake by means of three rows of four square orifices
arranged one over the other, thus making in all twelve orifices
which are called Bara Mori (Big Channels). The Bara Mori are
situated at the foot of the Nahargarh Fort and close to the
Tiba or the sand-mound of Fatehram which fall ahead on the
road from Gangauri Bazar to Brahmpuri, while the sluice of
the lake exists by the north side of Madhobilas.
The ravine along the foot of the Nahargarh hill is called
Nandi (nadi) or river which flowed full in the time of good
rains into the Raja Mull-ka-Talao. The population along the
Nandi is largely or exclusively of cloth printers.”
41
NOW & THEN
Today, the Talkatora lake, if it can be called that anymore, is
usually barren, its famous crocodiles a distant memory. Col-
lector canals that were the life line of its water supply have
been blocked by urban development. The area next to Talka-
tora Lake was used as a major dumping ground for the city’s
solid wastes until 1991 . Commercialization of the northern
part of the lake resulted in further disposal of wastes into the
lake.
A 1999 study by the Malaviya Engineering College found sig-
nificant amounts of pollution in the lake, accounting for the
black color of the water, the surrounding odor, the persis-
tence of mosquitoes and risk of epidemics. A mitigation
plan was submitted to the Jaipur Municipal Corporation that
included covering the drains to prevent open defecation, de-
veloping a solid waste disposal system including scheduling a
solid waste pick-up by the Municipality, maintaining the exist-
ing sewer as well as a planning a comprehensive public educa-
tion program. These improvements are needed urgently.
NEXT PAGE (LEFT): Talkatora in an October 2007 photograph.
NEXT PAGE (RIGHT): Talkatora Lake in an early 1990’s an-
tique photograph acquired by Shri Ashwin Dayal in an ebay auction.
SOURCE: Shri Vinod Joshi. The two guides references in the text are
available in the University of Chicago Regenstein Library.
42 Albums of Heritage

Talkatora Lake
The Jaipur Chapters 43

NOW & THEN

44 Albums of Heritage

Chaugan Stadium
Chaugan literally means an open space. The stadium was built
as a fortified maidan (ground) consisting of a larger enclosure
There are three octagonal bastions at the Chaugan Stadium
and several smaller playgrounds. It is situated between the
surmounted by pillared and flat roofed pavilions within the
Gangauri Bazar and the west wall of the City Palace and is
larger enclosure. The first burj on the right at the north-west
close to the Talkatora Lake. The Teej festival used to be held
corner of the smaller playground, where the elephants were
here and still is, as also other amusements, including equestrian
kept, is known as the Chini-ki-Burj. Its walls and ceilings were
displays and elephant fights. The latter continued till the early
covered with blue porcelain (Chini) tiles. The British resident
1900s.
and other foreign officers watched the festivities from here.
Chaugan is also a pharsi word for a hockey stick like piece of
Further at the north-east corner of another playground, ad-
wood which is curved on one end. The game played with that
joining the Palace is the Moti Burj, which was built by Ishwar
stick and a ball was also referred to as Chaugan. At the time
Singh. This was reserved for the Raja himself. In the north-
of Akbar and other Moghul emperors, even the princesses
east corner is also the Chatar Mahal with fine arched dalans
used to play Chaugan astride on their horses.
and the Chatar Burj. The dalans were used by the Royalty as
pavilions for watching the elephant fights within the enclosure
below.
To the north of the Moti Burj lies the Shyam Burj. Within it
was a big well, whose water was raised to a high level to work
the fountains in Palace Gardens. On its upper storey was an
octagonal verandah whose arched openings were fitted with
jails (meshes) for the privacy of the Royal ladies watching the
sports. The roof was used by the Maharaja and his nobles.
The Jaipur Chapters 45

NOW & THEN

Today, the Chaugan Stadium has lost its royal amphitheater like
elegance. A number of structures have been erected without
much planning and unsightly buildings surround the stadium.
However, all is not lost and the stadium comes alive during Holi,
when an elephant festival is held at the stadium. The owners
decorate their elephants with bright colours, jhools (saddle cloth)
and jewellery. Cow elephants are made to wear payals or anklets,
which tinkle as they walk. Prizes are given for the most beauti-
fully decorated elephant.
Some of the events are a polo match, an elephant race and even
a tug-of-war between one elephant and 19 men and women, of-
ten tourists. Those that feel that the challenge is unfair will take
heart in noting that the elephant usually wins hands down drag-
ging the tourists around the stadium for good measure.
The most exciting part of the festival is playing holi while seated
on the elephant. The elephants put up a variety program and
Chaugan Stadium blooms with musicians and dancers. The cere-
monial procession has caparisoned elephants, lancers on horses,
chariots, camels, canons and palanquins.
46 Albums of Heritage

Chaugan Stadium
The Jaipur Chapters 47

NOW & THEN

BELOW: An antique postcard by the studio of Gobindram Oodeyram, from the private collection of Shri Ashwin Dayal (purchased on ebay) shows an Elephant Fight in progress
sometime in the early 1900’s. In the “bhurji” on the left one can see purdahs sheltering the women above and perhaps the Maharaja himself standing below watching the fight from
a vantage point. Farther away the crowds of commoners watch the spectacle free, from a safe distance atop the gate.
 The Experience
48 Albums of Heritage

Traveling to Jaipur and working on the Albums of Heritage project has been an experience that none
of us will ever forget. While we greatly enjoyed the group camaraderie, it was the lessons that this ex-
perience taught us that were invaluable. We learned how to work with different kinds of people (from
government officials to art experts), navigate a city unfamiliar to most of us, and adapt to a new cul-
ture. Ultimately, these lessons will shape our lives and future endeavors in innumerable ways.
We surely expected the work to be hard, but never did we imagine that the challenges would descend
upon us from the very first day. The original plan had been to have four students from local schools
join the team so as to have some members with local knowledge, Hindi speaking skills and the means
to continue the work beyond the summer. But two of the girls dropped off immediately upon learn-
ing how much work was entailed at a time when they needed to focus on their board exams and one
other student had a family emergency. Young Hanumant who had been following us around every-
where was quickly drafted to the team and went on to become a popular media icon and project
spokesperson. By the end of the first day a much more had happened; we had met the Maharaja of
Jaipur who bought the entire team a round of ice cream, we saw incredible but deteriorating havelis,
one owner offered to sell us his for the trivial sum of $1 million and a conservation team invited us to
roll up our sleeves and work at an actual restoration in progress. We did not buy the haveli but the in-
trepid, Ashwin Dayal, undeterred by the 46 degree heat did spend one morning working at the site.
We had to not only overcome the language barrier, but also understand the local “style” of communi-
cation. Initially, we tended to be very direct in our approach and were eager to get to our questions
quickly. Many of our interviewees, however, liked to chat cordially before settling down to “business”.
Eventually, we figured the system out, even learnt to savor the tea and cookies first and adjusted our
interviewing techniques to local customs and practices.
Much later, another difficulty arose when we tried to get our viewpoint across to the school children
of Jaipur. Many questioned the value of a “fruitless” exercise to preserve the city given its impending
The Jaipur Chapters 49

and certain destruction. Being outsiders

to the city, we felt uncomfortable preach-
ing to local students about the need to
preserve their own city. We tried desper-
ately to convey both our enthusiasm for
our project and our concern for Jaipur.
We hope we were successful.
Adjusting to a new city was in itself a ter-
rific learning experience. Two of our
members had never been to Jaipur before,
but by the end of the trip, they felt like
they knew the city of Jaipur inside and
out. They even learned where the best
dosa restaurants were! Thanks to the fam-
ily with whom we stayed, integrating into
a new lifestyle was made into a much eas-
ier, smoother process. All in all, the end
result was quite exciting.
After we had returned to our respective
countries, we learnt that the Mayor of ABOVE: The Albums of Heritage team at the Ganesh Pol in
Jaipur, Shri Ashok Parnami, had invited Hanumant to an important meeting held with the Amber Palace
citizens of Jaipur to discuss the heritage of the city. He expressed hope that the children
of Jaipur would draw inspiration from the Albums of Heritage project and continue the
work in future years. To our great surprise, he made a spot honorary award of Rs. 21,000
to the team, funds that will be used for the printing of the Jaipur Chapter of The
Albums of Heritage.
 Media Notes
50
The Albums of Heritage team held
four exhibitions highlighting its re-
search and the picture collection. To
engage high school students in a dia-
log of heritage, three exhibits were
held at St. Xaviers School, the Maha-
rani Gayatri Devi School and the
SMS School. A final two day exhibit
was held at the Jaipur Kala Kendra, a
leading center for the developments
of arts and culture. Several people
from Jaipur attended the event and
the Albums of Heritage project was
covered extensively by the local press,
on radio and on national television
(Doordarshan and Bhaskar TV). Sev-
eral of the attendees also wrote
words of encouragement to and sup-
port for the team in a guestbook.
The following are translated excerpts
from some of the local Hindi news-
paper coverage.
Albums of Heritage
Hopes! Hopes!...
… The five students traversed every corner and lit-
tle streets of the walled city, taking thousands of
photographs, researching the history of the havelis
by interviewing surviving elderly owners and resi-
dents. With the help of artists and computers they
recreated the images of these buildings… Team
spokesman Ashwin said, “I hope in subsequent
years such an effort is unnecessary and that
Jaipur
citizens
them-
selves put those that would destroy the heritage on
notice” … If Jaipur’s great havelis are to survive,
citizens have to have respect for their heritage. If
these buildings continue to be ignored, Jaipur’s ar-
chitectural heritage may be lost in as little as ten
years. The conservation of heritage and moderni-
zation are not ideals at odds with each other but
must live together. July 21, 2007
The Jaipur Chapters 51

A Heritage Wrapped in Pictures

Five students take on the responsibility of highlighting the
Pictures Tell the Secret
city’s heritage in pictures
If Jaipur’s heritage is not protected in a timely fashion, then in
Story of Crumbling Havelis
a few years we will have to content ourselves by looking at A group non-resident, Indian origin and
these pictures alone. local students joined hands to put together
To direct peoples’ attention to the city’s rundown havelis, five the “Albums of Heritage” project, which has
students set up an intriguing exhibition of pictures called the brought residents of the city face-to-face
“Albums of Heritage”. with the delicate condition of their havelis
and maths. … Guru Padamshri Kripal
These students researched the
Singh inaugurated this colorful exhibit at
city’s buildings, havelis, and
the Jawahar Kala Kendra …He said the ex-
streets extensively … and pro-
hibit was a “must see” for the responsible
duced pictures that show them in their current condition and
leaders of the state so that they may pur-
under the possible and beautiful restored condition.
sue efforts to preserve the true heritage of
The team wants to gift its pictures to the children of Jaipur so Jaipur with renewed vigor.
they develop an interest in the heritage of the city. They will
July 24, 2007
be assembling an album of these images and take the mes-
sage of conservation of Jaipur’s havelis to a worldwide audi-
ence. July 24, 2007
 Acknowledgements
52 Albums of Heritage

The Albums of Heritage project was completed in only eight weeks of the summer of 2007. Three of the five team
members came from abroad, spoke no Hindi and had not lived in India for more than a week or two at a time. An
undertaking of this magnitude would have been impossible without generous assistance from many in Jaipur.
Shri V. D. Mathur, an 80 year resident of the city and ex-Senior Vice President of NEI, but babaji to us, mentored the
group brilliantly with his knowledge of Jaipur, its architecture, history, and people. He prepared the group meticu-
lously for its myriad tasks, so that work that should have taken months took only days and weeks. It is his commit-
ment to the city of Jaipur that made this album possible.
Recognizing our inexperience, several prominent Jaipur residents stepped forward to give us a crash course in art and
architecture. Principal Secretary of Art and Culture of Government of Rajasthan Shri Salahuddin Ahmad opened
doors and provided valuable counsel on the conduct of the project. Dr. D. Kanwar led us on heritage walks, helped
create a list of deteriorating sites and educated us on the methods of restoration. In a rare treat, Padamshree Kripal
Singh gave the group an impromptu, personal lesson on the different techniques used for painting the buildings of
Jaipur (photo on next page). Sushri R. Hooja enlightened us on the hard-to-find histories of many buildings. Shri Vinod
Joshi, an anthropologist with the Jaipur Virasat Foundation, a veritable walking-talking human encyclopedia on the
history of Jaipur havelis and galis, gave us a personal tour of the city and helped select the final sites for this album.
Without his assistance, many of these havelis would be consigned to be being faceless buildings without a living past.
Shri Garg arranged for us to get hands on experience in restoration work. Shri V. K. Mathur, a leading architect of
the city, taught the group the technical aspects of Jaipur architecture. Many others helped with valuable research,
among them Dr. A. Shekhar and Shri P. Sharma, Curator of the City Palace Museum, who provided us with access to
the INTACH listings and museum archives respectively.
Critical to the success of the Albums of Heritage was the genius of its artists. Shri Surjit Singh of IMCON, was so
passionate about our cause that he allowed the team to in effect hijack his design studio and redirect its talents to the
building of the Albums of Heritage. He and his colleagues worked with the us to create sophisticated Autodesk 3D
renderings, sometimes till the wee hours of the morning. They also helped setup the Jawahar Kala Kendra exhibition,
hanging pictures on the wall and arranging exhibits. Shri Hamlet, an accomplished professional artist in his own right,
traveled all the way from Gurgaon and hoteling in Jaipur for three days to paint some of the most fascinating water-
color impressions and pencil sketches, bringing near dead havelis to life with the brilliant strokes of his brushes.
Shri Nikhil Pandit, director of Tourist Guide Service, gave the Albums of Heritage team a running start. Always mi-
The Jaipur Chapters 53

raculously present in times of dire need, “Nikhil Uncle” was virtually a team member, hiking up the hills of Galtaji, Amber and travers-
ing every nook and corner of the city. As our designated photography advisor, he schooled the team on digital SLR photography,
spending many sunny and odd hours of the day taking pictures. Furthermore, it was the close inspection of his inscrutable traffic
hopping skills that revealed to us the secrets of crossing Jaipur streets without being run over by rickshaws or muscled out by cows.
The Albums of Heritage exhibitions would have been be-
reft of an audience without timely rescue efforts from other
Jaipur citizens. Shri Rajiv Acharya gave us free use of the
JKK exhibition space for two full days. Shri and Shrimati S.
D. Mathur educated us on the fine art of inviting residents
to the exhibition in the Jaipur way. (hand-delivered card,
personal entreaty and reminder in that order). Shrimati Su-
jata Parekh, young Nikita and Shrimati Chandralekha Sahai
aided the group in setting up the exhibitions and ensuring
that the images did not simply flutter to the ground with the
first whisper of the monsoon winds.
Shri Ishwar Mathur, a one-man, public relations machine,
helped the Albums of Heritage find a voice well beyond the
exhibition. His efforts resulted in the project being covered in all of the major local publications in Jaipur, and on Radio and national
television (Doordarshan and Bhaskar TV). Shri Harish Tyagi’s technology firm Taarak built the first website albumsofheritage.com in
just one week and continues to provide high-tech support to the team.
Sometimes the best of intentions can go a little farther with a bit of funding. Several individual stepped up to the plate and donated
nearly Rs. 3,00,000 in cash to fund our activities, not including travel or equipment. We thank Shri Vijay Parekh, Shri Sundar Bharad-
waj, Shri Nikhil Pandit, Shri V. D. Mathur, Shrimati Sujata Dayal and Shri Sandeep Dayal for their unstinting donations.
The team may have quickly wilted in the face of the 460, boiling summer had it not been for the unrelenting pampering by host Shri-
mati Damyanti Mathur, or Daadi. Shri Puran Arya and Shri Dinesh Pandey kept the team in fighting fit shape with a factory stream of
samosas, mutton pullao and daal chawal. Driver Shri Deepak Bahadur made it physically possible for us to be where and when we needed
to be with adroit gali navigation.
For all of that and much more, we are deeply grateful to these individuals and so many others.
 The Team
54 Albums of Heritage

Amit Parekh is 15 years old and in grade 10 in the Singapore American School. He enjoys playing tennis, fol-
lowing sports and reading. When that is not enough, he bails out of airplanes in tandem parachute dives with
his instructor. Back on earth and in the future, he would like to go to a leading college in engineering and fi-
nance. He retains a passion for continuing the work on preserving the heritage of Jaipur. On the Albums of
Heritage team, Amit was finance manager and photographer.
Ashwin Vir Dayal is a 16 years old, 11th grade student at the Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, near Chi-
cago. His interests include traveling to interesting parts of the world, reading non-fiction, history and politics,
rollerblading at breakneck speeds around the neighborhood, and teaching his nine-year old younger brother ob-
scure facts. He has broad academic interests, but knows that in whatever he elects to do in the future, history,
people, and doing more of the right stuff will matter. On the Albums of Heritage team, Ashwin was the project
coordinator, researcher and PR manager. He also led the production of the printed volume of the Albums of
Heritage.
Hanumant Pandey, just 13 years old, is the youngest team member and an 8th standard, scholarship student at
the St. Xaviers School in Jaipur. His interest include watching and playing cricket, programming babaji’s com-
puter, running errands and helping anybody and everybody. When he grows up, Hanumant wants to be a com-
puter engineer. On the team, Hanumant was chief assistant to anyone that needed help and a passionate and elo-
quent advocate of the cause in interviews with the media.
Shashank Bharadwaj is 15 years old and in grade 10 of Westminster Schools in Atlanta. He enjoys playing ten-
nis and chess and likes to travel. He is also a sharp “techy” and took the lead in managing the “freewebs” web-
site for the project. He was the scribe of the teams daily journal and managed the guest book. Never shy from
The Jaipur Chapters 55

engaging in political debates and always ready with a thoughtful word, Shashank has a passion for social causes. At the moment, he is
undecided on what career he will pursue.
Tushar Bhargava, is 16 years old, 10th standard student of the St. Xaviers School in Jaipur. He is an avid football (soccer) player and
wants to serve in the Indian Armed Forces when he grows up. On the Albums of Heritage team, Tushar was the local cul-
ture liaison and helped the team navigate its way in the city as well conduct field research.

BELOW: From left to right: Amit Parekh (15), Tushar Bhargava (16), Hanumant Pandey (13), Shashank Bharadwaj (15), and Ashwin Dayal (16).
Albums of Heritage Foundation
1747 RFD Tanager Way
Long Grove, Illinois 60047
USA

2 Bhagat Marg
C-Scheme
Jaipur, Rajasthan 302001
INDIA

If you wish to volunteer to work

on the Albums of Heritage project,
or share historic information,
old photographs, postcards and
movies about Jaipur Havelis, or
request the team to cover other
parts of the city’s heritage build-
ings please contact us at:
info@albumsofheritage.com.

© 2007

BACK COVER:
Ajmeri Gate. July, 2007
58 Albums of Heritage