Rajasthan is a state in the northwest of India. It is mainly arid and its western border is adjacent to Pakistan. The main attraction for travelers is the vast Desert of Thar and one of the oldest mountain range in the world - Aravalis - and the Rajput heritage which is apparent in the forts, temples and palaces established by the Rajput Kings. Rajasthan is famous for the majestic forts, intricately carved temples and decorated havelis. Many of these sites  are true World Architectural Heritage.

One of the major attraction  in Rajasthan are the splendid houses called Haveli. They were built  between 1830 and 1930 by the business community people along the Silk Road  as evidence of their success.  The havelis were status symbols for them as well as homes for their extended families, providing security and comfort in seclusion from the outside world.    The typical havelis in Rajasthan consisted of two courtyards — an outer one for the men which serves as an extended threshold, and the inner one, the domain of the women. The largest havelis could have up to three or four courtyards and were two to three stories high. Most of the havelis are empty nowadays or are maintained by a watchman. Many of them are unfortunately in poor shape but some are still well maintained and used as museums or hotels. For more information about Havelis please visit www.alkapatel.com.

 The galleries below show some examples of these treasures as well as views of the daily life and landscape of this wonderful land.