Rampuria Havelis of Bikaner: A stunning photo-story from Rajasthan

Built over a period of a few hundred years, Rampuria Havelis of Bikaner are not just a visual delight, but also a living example of the exquisite sense of aesthetics that our forefathers had, but we somehow lost. These havelis (large traditional houses from the Indian subcontinent) make you jump with joy with their beauty and splendor, but at the same time they also make you cry with grief because of their degeneration over the past few decades.

Built for the richest merchants of Bikaner, the Rampuria Havelis are the most opulent of them all, and despite the ravages of time, they still stand tall and proud.

rampuria haveli bikaner rajasthan india
A Rampuria Haveli in Bikaner


Havelis of Bikaner

I will certainly write more in detail about the havelis of Bikaner, but here is a quick overview. These mansions were commissioned by the King of Bikaner for the merchants of the city so that they make Bikaner their home and do business from here. It was a tactical move and played a huge role in making the city a major commercial center.

rampuria haveli bikaner rajasthan india
Front facade of a Rampuria Haveli

After independence, Bikaner lost much of it's sheen and merchants started migrating out of the city to the rest of the India, especially Kolkata (then Calcutta) as well as many parts of Maharashtra, like Pune. With time most of the big players were gone and with that started the decline and demise of the haveli culture of the city.

Read more: Historic Havelis of Bikaner

But why are they called Rampuria havelis?

Rampuria havelis belonged to one of the richest and the most powerful families of Bikaner - Rampurias, and so were named after them. Each haveli has it's own name though and I am sure this collective name came into use much later and was not an official name.

Walk through the Rampuria havelis

The best time to wander around the havelis is early in the morning when the city is still waking up. The roads are empty, the sky is blue (and full of pigeons) so you can get picture perfect shots easily. You can either do it on your own on foot, or on a horse-driven tonga if you are staying with Narendra Bhawan. The best part of doing it with Narendra Bhawan is that there will be a guide with you and he can tell you tons of stories and answer all your questions as well. I recommend a tonga visit with the guide, and later a solo visit in the morning.

Check out this video about the havelis from my walk in the city :)









If you enjoy history and photography, keep about two hours for the havelis. They can be done in flat 15 minutes as well, so it's all up to you.

There are only 4 havelis, and they are all almost all connected. All, except one haveli, are no longer in use and are maintained only by a caretaker. The Rampurias still own these havelis and spend at least some money to provide security. I tried going inside one of these and was angrily shooed away by the guard inside. But the place looked hi-tech from inside - with CCTV cameras everywhere and lots of big monitors on the wall for the guard.

Exploring a Rampuria Haveli from inside

I was clearly not satisfied seeing the havelis from outside and was almost desperate to see them from inside, even if they were dilapidated and no longer looked their best.

My habit of picking up conversations with locals came to my rescue here, and over a casual conversation an old man told me that there was a hotel in one of the havelis. This was enough for me to conceptualize a plan to make a visit and see the place - as long as the hotel was there and accessible to it's guests, I was sure they would welcome me as well.

bhanwar nivas palace rampuria haveli bikaner rajasthan india
That's my chai table on the left :)

As soon as I was done taking pictures, I decided to have my morning tea and eat my breakfast at this (still unknown) hotel. Surprisingly, the entrance to the hotel is not on the main road, but on a back road, so you never really see it unless you know about it. It's called Bhanwar Nivas Palace and is housed in the last haveli on the right. I walked in confidently, told them I was a travel write and blogger and would like to eat breakfast there. Usually the breakfast is only for the guests, but they were happy to have me there. The spread wasn't as appetizing, so I settled for ginger tea which was superb. Without even asking for it, I was also given a tour of the property and I loved it. They did seem a bit more stiff, but I think I also took them a little off-guard with a sudden appearance :)

If you are planning a visit to Bikaner, or even passing by, these should be your number one destination. They are not just a visual delight, but also a lesson in history and a study of our illustrious past.

Curious to know? Check out my video on YouTube from my early morning walk at the haveli :)

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Disclaimer: I was in Bikaner on invitation of Narendra Bhawan. All views expressed are unbiased and my own, and based on my personal experience. 

Comments

  1. Loved to read your awesome post.
    Brilliant photos. My favorite 1 & 2 no pic.

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    1. Thank you so much Rupam. Always great to hear from you :)

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  2. Looks like you read my mind. :)

    The first two shots are just two gorgeous. I see, you went there in the morning and that made all the difference. We went when it was the sun was up on our heads.

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    1. Yes I agree, morning light made all the difference. I also went in the afternoon with everyone else, but the photographer in me wasn't just happy with the results. Mornings are anyways so beautiful :)

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  3. Magnificent frames of the beautiful havelis.

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  4. Nice blog! Awesome Photo ! For Flight, Bus and hotels booking online visit : www.kosytrip.com

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  5. I love all of your photos, Sid. But that second image to me evokes this air of mystery of this corner of Bikaner. I have to admit, prior to reading this blog post, I only knew the Indian city for its rat temple. But it seems to have a lot more to offer and explore. Thanks for the introduction!

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    1. Thank you so much Mama...it's always so nice to receive a comment from you :)

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  6. Brilliant photographs!! Almost unreal, as if made up :)

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  7. Your photos really capture the beauty of the place. What does the word haveli actually mean? It must have been great to get a tour of one of these buildings

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  8. Sounds like an interesting place to visit! The architecture is really neat, and your photos capture so much beauty. I love the picture with the horse, so neat.

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  9. I prefer to explore places when everyone is just waking up. It still fascinates me to see everything what changes take place over the course of a day in a given location. I've been reading so much about Rajasthan since I started blogging and I hope to put some experience with the name someday!

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  10. The architecture of the Rmpuria Havelis looks incredible. I haven't seen any buildings that look quite like it before. It's too bad the condition isn't better and you couldn't go inside more.

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  11. The architecture and the detailing are absolutely stunning. The first and second photos nearly took my breath away! Thanks for sharing this, I will make a point to visit.

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  12. The architecture is so colorful and ornately beautiful! I've never really considered this as a destination top of my list, but now convinced I have to make an appearance.

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  13. Your photos really capture the beauty of the architecture. That's nice they gave you a tour and accommodated you for breakfast, but not so good it wasn't that appetizing. Thanks so much for sharing!

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  14. Bikaner is truly an exotic city with great heritage. Exploring such cities is always a treat. Bikaner is another gem of Rajasthan that is in the shadow of other illustrious cities like Jaipur and Jodhpur. The Rampuria Havelis are a great example of the exquisite architecture of Rajasthan of yore.

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  15. I love seeing photo stories because they give off so much more depth, sometimes more than just writing. Hearing about it is one thing but seeing it makes it way more amazing. Would love to visit here one day!

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  16. Wow, the mansions are so opulent and intricate. What amazing craftsmanship! And I love the colour of the stones chosen - the red makes for a really atmospheric feeling. You captured it really well in the photographs.

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  17. We haven't visited Bikaner yet but had an amazing experience at the Patwon ki Haveli in Jaisalmer. One of the haveli was open to visitors and the opulent interior left us awestruck. Good that being a travel blogger helped you gain access to to haveli and we could get a glimpse into the interior. We would definitely go with a guide and hop on a tonga to a ride back in time.

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  18. I'm kind of confused. What is a haveli? Is it like an apartment complex? A temple? One big house? You don't really make it clear what we're looking at here. They look beautiful but I don't know what it is.

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  19. Rmpuria Havelis looks really incredible, I really love the indian architecture, so well detailed. India is a fascinating country, Bikaner is absolutely a place to add in my list :D

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  20. Just love the amazing architecture and the photographs look so amazing as well. The brownish tinge to these buildings i think makes them look so special and inviting as well.

    I think every building will have a different story to tell. Have you heard any stories of who built them or something like that?

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  21. I really liked your post. The Havelis are really fascinating and are beautiful heritage. The interiors are mesmerizing. The atmosphere bring us back to the old times. It is a marvelous experience.

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  22. Hey Sid,

    You have clicked some amazing pictures and with that a great article.
    Congrats

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  23. loved the amazing architecture.

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  24. Good article about our heritage. Great pictures.

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  25. Hi! We'd like to get in touch with you for a collaboration. Can you give us your email id or you could mail us at pr@woodgeekstore.com.

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  26. Very well written. All the very best for further articles. You're doing a great job.

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  27. Very well written. All the very best for further articles. You're doing a great job.

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  28. beautiful and magnificent photography
    described very well

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  29. This post made my day. Visited Bikaner way back in 2007. Presently based in UAE.Was surprised as to why it was not a part of the main tourist trail. There were hundreds of havelis ( some 600 accoridng to the locals)there , some almost as dazzling as the rampuria havelis. I wished you had also posted a few photographs of the other famous havelis like the daga chowk havelis. There was a serious issue of some owners dismantling the havelis to sell of the antiques . It broke my heart to see a few being destroyed right before my eyes. I do not know how may havelis have survived since then. Would like to know from you if there are still hundreds of havelis in reasonable condition still to be found in Bikaner. Would like to visit the place once again with daughters next summer. Joe Aranjo

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    1. Thank you so much Joe! I am quite sure that some of the havelis you saw must be gone by now...just thinking about it breaks my heart too :(

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