Patwon ki Haveli of Jaisalmer

S Balakrishnan *

The Havelis of Jaisalmer are one of the topmost attractions of the Desert City. So much so that we preferred to see the unique havelis and altogether skipped the Jaisalmer Fort as we had already seen 2-3 forts. Rajasthan being the Land of Rajas, there is no dearth of forts & palaces. Of course, Jaisalmer Fort is a living fort wherein life & business continue to thrive even today.

Our schedule was too tight; the truth was, after landing in Rajasthan we realized that a lifetime was not enough to see all the tourist spots in that State. Alas! If at all I am reborn – God forbid it – let my next Avatar be in Rajasthan!

Havelis belong to the rich and royal, ranking just below the palace. Some havelis are more opulent than even the palaces. It is an Arabic word that can match with the English mansion, manor or bungalow. There are three prominent havelis in Jaisalmer – Patwon ki Haveli, Salim Singh ki Haveli and Hatmal Ji Ki Haveli.

Being the largest and the most decorated among these three, we were goaded to Patwon ki Haveli, a cluster of five havelis in a very narrow lane, not even a street. Before I take you on a tour of Patwon ki Haveli, a few words about the other two – Nathmal Ji ki Haveli was built in the 19th century by two brothers simultaneously from two sides and it emerged as a unified, symmetrical, beautiful structure.

Well, the two brothers were both architects! The Salim Singh ki Haveli is a marvelous edifice whose projecting topmost floor with double arched balcony virtually seems to delicately hang out! Built in the first half of the 18th century, legend has it that it had two more wooden floors which were removed on the orders of the king as the haveli competed with his palace.

Now, for a tour of Patwon Ki Haveli – It is not only the finest and largest of havelis but also one of the earliest in Jaisalmer (2nd haveli in the desert city?) and also in the whole of Rajasthan. It is so vast because it holds within it five different havelis, each with varied quality; it is built of yellow sandstone that gives out a golden hue to the edifice, as most of the buildings in Jaisalmer in unison with the golden sand of Thar desert that surrounds the city.

The structure has a vast open courtyard at the centre for light and air, as is customary. Among these five, the first one is built most extravagantly. The basic construction style is like Lego blocks – carved sandstone slabs with grooves and projections are locked together to form the wall. It appeared that the whole structure could be easily dismantled in whole and shifted elsewhere in a jiffy. You know what my thoughts were – stealthily carry it off in the night!

Patwon ki Havaeli is also known as Brocade Merchants Mansion because the trader, Guman Chand Ji Bapna, who started raising it in 1805, was a trader in brocades & jewels besides being a banker. He had five sons, so one by one havelis were added for each one of them, ending up in a cluster of five havelis that took 55-60 years to complete by the sons.

The five Jain brothers involved themselves not only in banking & financing but it is rumoured that they also dealt in smuggled opium. The Bapnas were honoured with the title of “Patwa” by the Prince of Jaisalmer long ago. So the Bapnas came to be known as Patwas. The five brothers were Bahadurmal Ji Bapna, Sawairam Ji Bapna, Magniram Ji Bapna, Johrawarmal Ji Bapna and Pratapchand Ji Bapna.

The Bapnas/Patwas were so rich that at times they lent money during emergencies to the king of Jaisalmer and Udaipur also! No wonder the interior of the haveli is so opulent that seeing is believing; no words can describe the luxuriance. Simply stunning! From the floor to the wall to the ceiling, everything, including the pillars, gateways, is decorated with murals, glass artwork, carvings, wood work, etc.

The jharokas (windows with projections/balconies) are so richly carved. Mind you, there are a total of 60 jharokas in Patwon ki Haveli! The museum inside is a proof of their rich lifestyle – brocade attire, furniture, artifacts, paintings, ornaments, massive utensils, etc.

Thus, Patwon ki Haveli is one of the most exquisite buildings and it truly showcases the typical Rajputana architectural style. However, the beautiful façade of the haveli conceals the sad history. Why is it now called Kothari’s Patwa Haveli? Here is the (his)story – In the early 18th century, the Patwas were trying to establish their business in Jaisalmer.

A Jain priest foretold that if they wanted their trade to flourish they should once for all leave Jaisalmer. Accordingly, they did succeed outside of Jaisalmer to such an extent that they even loaned to the Royal State. So they were tempted to return to the city. Ghuman Chand Patwa was then the head of the family.

He was also tempted to construct the cluster of five havelis for five of his sons despite the priest advising against it; thus emerged the grandiose Patwon ki Haveli. The priest’s words came true and their fortune took a u-turn. Leaving the haveli complex in the hands of caretakers, they again left the city. Probably an effect of evil eyes!

As years rolled by, the caretakers became the owners and the first haveli was put up for sale. This was bought by Jeevanlalji Kothari, a native of Jaisalmer but living elsewhere. Hence it is now called Kothari’s Patwon Haveli. It saddens me that I wasn’t aware of the sale of Patwon ki Haveli. I could not steal it, I could have at least bought it!