Shekhawati

Still, because of his efforts, the colors of the wall paintings in the Morarka Haveli Museum and the scenes depicted, such as Jesus in Shekhawati, have taken on a new life.

A Home Alone Tom Vater 2009

The Shekhawati region in northeast Rajasthan has about 20 townships, all of which are veritable open-air museums of crumbling havelis.

A Home Alone Tom Vater 2009

Randhir Vikram Singh, the owner of Castle Mandawa, a historic hotel in the heart of Shekhawati, notes that besides the fact that many owners are long gone or uninterested, "it is not easy to restore even a single building."

A Home Alone Tom Vater 2009

The Camel Caravans The story behind the Shekhawati havelis began nearly 300 years ago.

A Home Alone Tom Vater 2009

Many tours of Rajasthan now include side trips to Shekhawati -- primarily to see the havelis.

A Home Alone Tom Vater 2009

Soon, camel caravans carrying spices, precious stones and silk from the ports of the Arabian sea began to bypass Jaipur, and go through the towns of Shekhawati on their way northeast to Delhi and beyond.

A Home Alone Tom Vater 2009

Back then, the lesser princes of Rajasthan's Shekhawati region were competing economically with their more powerful counterparts in neighboring Jaipur.

A Home Alone Tom Vater 2009

"The particular building style of the painted haveli is completely unique to Shekhawati," says Dr. Mishra, the historian.

A Home Alone Tom Vater 2009

"It's a great loss for Indian culture," says Ratanlal Mishra, who teaches museum organization at the University of Rajasthan in Jaipur and is an expert in Shekhawati history.

A Home Alone Tom Vater 2009

From the 1880s to the early 1900s, the family built four havelis in the Shekhawati town of Nawalgarh.

A Home Alone Tom Vater 2009