Jaipur Houses | As I sipped my morning coffee and leafed through the newspaper, a headline caught my eye: “Preparations for the Gangaur Julus (procession) might lead to a traffic diversion in parts of Jaipur’s walled city.”
I was quick to phone Bharat Singh who runs an Instagram page called Jaipur Houses and goes around cities like Jaipur and Jodhpur to document its vanishing structures, stepwells, cenotaphs, and havelis. We were to meet for a walk to one of the havelis that he had spotted in Jaipur's Johari Bazaar’s Pitaliyon ka Rasta, located inside the walled city.
Singh started his journey of capturing and documenting these disappearing havelis and structures of Jaipur back in 2014. It was only seven years later in 2021 that he decided to put them out on social media. Currently he runs three Instagram pages: Jaipur Houses, Jodhpur Houses, and Stepwell Country that collectively have over 55,000 followers.
We both decided to park our cars near Gem cinema hall and take a rickshaw to Johari Bazaar. “Stop at LMB (Laxmi Mishthan Bhandar),” Singh instructed the puller. We hopped out of the rickshaw and started walking inside Pitiliyon Ka Rasta. The gully, like most others in the Bazaar, only had enough space for a hatchback.
We were greeted by the stench of urine and walls that had turned brownish red with paan peek (betel leaf spit). “It is in these lanes that the architectural wonders of this city that tell the tales of the bygone era lie,” Singh remarked. I failed to see how; yet, I followed along. After walking past one chauraha (crossroad), we reached a large pistachio green gate. Inside was the haveli we were chasing today.
A large courtyard enveloped by four floors, lavish verandahs, intricately carved pillars, a small Bhomiya ji temple, tall ceilings, and a life-sized prayer room made the haveli what it was. The house was built more than 80 years ago by a jeweller named Vijaylal Bhorilal Saraf.
Five generations of the family have lived in the house that is slowly approaching its ruin. “Before this house is lost to history, I want to capture it for the future generations,” remarked Singh as he pulled out his phone to capture the nooks and corners of the haveli.
Singh aims to create an archive that will serve as a window into the stories that remain embedded in the walls of the city’s houses and structures. He believes that these are an integral part of our architectural and cultural heritage that must be preserved.
While we couldn't stop marvelling at the grandeur of the haveli, the chipped walls, the pigeon-beat covered verandahs, and pillars obliterated by cobwebs, signalled that the end was close. "The most I can do for these beautiful structures is capture them to keep them alive in our memory," sighed Singh.
He is currently also working on a coffee table book around the bazaars of Jaipur. “Streets like Laal ji Saand Ka Rasta, Jat ke kuwe ka rasta, and Purane Pagal Khane ka Rasta, among others have many interesting stories linked to their names. Through the book, I am trying to write down all these tales before they are forgotten,” said Singh.
From walls decorated by the Araish art and pillars engraved with names of the house owners to the age-old saankals (locks) on the doors, unique switch boards, and jaalis (lattice work) above the ceiling for ventilation and light, Singh captured every little detail of the haveli.
Looking at him click away with joy and tell stories with such passion, I was left curious to learn more about his motivation to capture these decaying structures. "It is a coming together of many reasons. One being my own fear of losing a family home," said Singh.
He grew up in Calcutta (now Kolkata) and went to boarding school in Ajmer. It was during his summer and winter vacations that he would take a jaunt to Jaipur to visit his nani's (maternal grandmother) home, his only idea of 'home.'
"When I knew that my family would eventually redevelop the house, I felt a strong urge to document every detail and corner, so the memory of the house stays alive," said Singh. He wanted to do so not only for himself, but also for his nephew.
This urge extended to thousands of other neglected and ignored natural and built structures across Jaipur and Jodhpur, finally gave birth to his current projects. "My fear might be felt by many others who will lose their homes," he added.
His love for old things, art, architecture, and storytelling also comes through with his meticulous documentation.
"This visit is only the first part of the process. I usually visit houses and havelis more than once to get a sense of the place, ask more questions, and walk around alone so I can ideate on how it can be preserved—or restored, too," he explains as we progressed to the second floor of the haveli.
With his other page called Jodhpur Houses, he captures similar structures and havelis of the Blue City of India. He started exploring the city with his cousins well before he published it online.
It was later in 2023 that he started his third page called Stepwell Country. "A stepwell is a unique underground structure that is very unique to India. You can cross the road with a stepwell a 100 times without even noticing it," said Singh. It was after he visited a stepwell in Rajgarh that he was left fascinated about the expanse and richness of these "water monuments" (as he calls them to highlight the monumental aspect of these stepwells).
With each click, Singh cements memories long forgotten—this time, with the hopes of them never fading again. While only time can tell whether his projects will prove to be successful in its missions, till then, he'll continue to knock the doors of Jaipur's homes and histories.
