The Royal Thikana – Bagore ki Haveli
A look into the hierarchy of Mewar
The Bagore ki Haveli is situated near the Lake Pichola. It was built by Arnarchand Barwa who happened to be the Chief Minister at the royal Court of the Maharana of Mewar, in the year 1671. This Haveli became the home of the second son of Maharana Sangram Singh II, Nath Singh. Hence, this Haveli is prominent in understanding the hierarchy in the royal family. The Haveli is built with the same architectural accuracy and beauty with which the other Palaces and the forts of Mewar are built.
The awe-inspiring Haveli is not less than a palace itself. It has a series of interconnected courtyards called chowks. These chowks separate the public areas from the private areas in a definite pattern. These chowks provide privacy to the Zenana (part used by the females), Mardana (part used by the males) and the Rang Mahal. There are 134 rooms in this Haveli which range from the huge darikhana (public court) to very small rooms and some stores.
Architecture
The architecture uses the finest Rajputana techniques like the intricate jallis, the beautiful jharokhas with pacchikari, the mighty gokhadas and gumthas. There are ostentatious stone pillars which support the ornamental carved parapets along with heavy doors made of wood and embossed with motifs in brass giving them the rich royal look. The interior of the Haveli is equally rich with beautiful fountains and stained glass windows giving beautiful light effect. The private rooms have an intricate work of mirrors on the walls. The walls were also decorated with frescoes and tempera paintings which are known as the Alagila and bhitichitra, respectively.
Entry Timings
The Haveli gives an insight into the life, culture and tradition of the other important people in the medieval Rajput states. However, over a period of time the Haveli was left by the people residing there and it slowly deteriorated. The West Zone Cultural Centre (WZCC) took notice of the Haveli in 1986 and started to revive the Haveli. To renovate this Haveli a detailed research was undertaken by the government and the Haveli could be restored to its original shape with original art forms and techniques. Every space has been assigned the same function, with all the interior and architectural renovations, as was originally used. This Haveli is also a masterpiece of modern restoration of the historical structures which was able to recreate the life of medieval period.
The Haveli gives an insight into the life, culture and tradition of the other important people in the medieval Rajput states. However, over a period of time the Haveli was left by the people residing there and it slowly deteriorated. The West Zone Cultural Centre (WZCC) took notice of the Haveli in 1986 and started to revive the Haveli. To renovate this Haveli a detailed research was undertaken by the government and the Haveli could be restored to its original shape with original art forms and techniques. Every space has been assigned the same function, with all the interior and architectural renovations, as was originally used. This Haveli is also a masterpiece of modern restoration of the historical structures which was able to recreate the life of medieval period.
The Haveli now has a puppet museum. The puppets are popular handicraft of Mewar and there can be a variety of puppets that can be found in this museum. There is a puppet show as well which is held regularly at the Haveli. Similarly, there is a museum of turbans which houses various turbans that are used by various communities and states in India. There is also an art gallery. The Haveli also has regular folk dance performances called the Dharohar Dance Show. In this dance show the performers perform various types of folk dances like the beautiful Chari, the musical Terha Taal, Gorbandh, the popular Ghumar and the most difficult dance form called Bhavai.
Entry Timings
The Haveli can be visited any time between 9:00 am – 5:30 pm. However, the dance show and the puppet show take place from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
Entry Fees
The entry fee is different for different sections of the tourists.
For Adults the fee is as follows:
- Indian tourists – INR 60 per person
- Foreign tourists – INR 100 per person
For children the fee is as follows:
- Indian tourists – INR 30 per chid
- Foreign tourists – INR 50 per person