Havelis and poverty

Plush bedroom in Castle Mandawa
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Driving out of Delhi in the early morning traffic was fun. Commuters hanging onto the the back of jeeps, suits 'n' all, coupled with immaculate school kids piled high on parents' scooters was certainly a sight to behold. Apparently two people is the legal limit, but police will only act if there are more than four on a scooter, wowsers!

We soon hit the open road and my driver, Raj Singh, opened up a little. Not on the throttle though, for which I was thankful. The Rajasthan countryside was an experience in itself. Although somewhat cocooned in the safety of the car I was still entralled by the cattle and camels who share the road with the many colourful trucks and buses. Yet more immaculately dressed school children were to be seen in the small towns we passed through on the 6 and a half hour journey, and occasionally they were strolling by the side of the road, seemingly in the middle of nowhere.

Castle Mandawa both reflects and contrasts the town of Mandawa

Restored Haveli entrance
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Hotel Castle Mandawa both reflects and contrasts the town of Mandawa itself. The outside of the small fort (Castle is perhaps a little hopeful) is tattered and crumbly (if not crumbling) whereas within it is all refinement and style. I booked a guide through reception after a quick doosh and we set out on foot. My guide was called Salim, Muslims make up approx a third of the populace in Rajasthan, and spoke faster than a racing commentator. The tourism here is centered on the delapidated Havelis. These are the former residences of the super rich merchants who lived in Mandawa when it was an important stop on the trade route for, among other things, silk and opium. There was a vaguely formal architectural battle to disply wealth which resulted in some fine architecture and artwork. The havelis became art galleries in their own right as ornate paintings and stone scultpures of gods, women and trade caravans adorned the outer walls and outer courtyards. I learnt a bit more about Hindu mythology, but have since forgotten most of it, from Salim.

Not so restored Haveli entrance
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The town is in a similar condition to the havelis, and poverty drives people to be quite keen to get hold of every rupee/dollar tourists can expend. Raj Singh advised that the quality of the merchandise was not good here, so I didn't buy anything other than a few postcards from one of the caretaker families in one haveli. The actual owners are almost without exception now living in larger cities (Often Mumbai) and do not spend anything on maintaining the art and buildings.