RAAS Haveli
In the heart of the old walled city of Jodhpur, built with red sandstone walls framed by a beautiful arched doorway, stands an eighteenth century haveli that once belonged to the ‘thakurs’ of Ras Village.
Nestled at the base of the historic Mehrangarh Fort, the RAAS Haveli is framed by glorious fort views everywhere one looks. The heritage structure housing the original haveli, has an ancient shrine, a rasoi ghar, a Marwari pendo, and heritage rooms with arched windows and jharokhas, all built in Jodhpuri red sandstone – “chattar ka patthar”
‘Raas ke Thakur’ used the haveli as a capital house, whenever they travelled from the Ras village (en route from Ajmer) to attend meetings in the fort.
As the story goes, in the times of the thakurs, elephants were used for transport. A doorman that worked at the Haveli recounted how the entrance doorway still holds stone platforms on either side – as they were then used by the family to dismount from the elephants while they walked through the haveli doors.
Painstakingly restored to its former glory, with the help of traditional craftsmen and regional artisans, using locally sourced materials like lime mortar and Jodhpur sandstone, the RAAS Haveli stands gloriously in the heart of the walled city.
Inspired by the age-old double skinned structures of Marwar, using the traditional stone lattice jharokha form of Rajasthani architecture, new buildings were added to the haveli that blend harmoniously with the elegant old structure. Hand-cut moveable stone screens on the windows, made from the same red stone as the fort, act as lanterns framing the Haveli, with light streaming in, yet veiling it from the harsh desert sun.
Old meets new through the alchemy of inspired design, and red sandstone jaalis that are the ethos of the majestic RAAS Haveli; a beautiful amalgamation of classic and contemporary. Where the walls breathe history, and every corner tells centuries old Rajputana stories.
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Written by Anushka Gupta @AnushkaGupta5
