Painted stories

Imagine driving through Rajasthan and suddenly coming upon a haveli whose walls seem to tell stories in colour. Elephants march across faded facades, horses gallop through painted courtyards, gods and goddesses gaze down from balconies, while trains, cars, traders and travellers unfold across walls that have stood for generations.

This is Shekhawati, often called India's open-air art gallery. Its towns are dotted with hundreds of lavish merchant havelis, built when Marwari traders carried their fortunes across the country. But many are now crumbling, their frescoes fading and their elaborate courtyards falling silent.

That's where The Man Rescuing Shekhawati's Historic Havelis takes us. On this episode of Village Vibe: India's Podcast About All Things Rural, host Lyndee Prickitt speaks to heritage conservationist Atul Khanna, who has spent years rescuing neglected havelis in Shekhawati.


Khanna talks about realities behind conservation - complicated ownership, restoration costs, local communities and the search for sustainable ways to keep these buildings alive. Some havelis have become hotels, museums and cultural spaces. Others are helping local children discover the history painted on the walls around them.