Shekhawati ( RAW AND UNCOMPILED DATA ) sources used : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shekhawati https://insideinside.org/project/shekhawati-haveli-shekhawat-rajasthan-17th-20th-century/ https://indianewengland.com/people-of-shekhawati-region-cherish-legacy-of-b-k-birla/#:~:text=Major%20industrialists%20namely%20G.D.,different%20parts%20of%20the%20world. Shekhawati is a tourist's paradise. The land is laced with innumerable beautiful havelis or grand mansions that are guaranteed to capture one's imagination. It is a haven for a true connoisseur of art and architecture. Shekhawati is a semi-arid historical region located in the northeast part of Rajasthan, India. The region was ruled by Shekhawat Rajputs. Shekhawati is located in North Rajasthan, comprising the districts of Neem Ka Thana , Jhunjhunu, parts of Sikar that lies to the west of the Aravalis and Churu. Exterior elevation of the Nadine Haveli in Fatehpur https://insideinside.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/SH1.jpg The first courtyard of Nadine Haveli in Fatehpur, now being used as a modern day lounge https://insideinside.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/SH3.jpg (left ) Saraf Haveli in Mandawa. (right) Nadine Haveli in Fatehpur https://insideinside.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/SH6.jpg (left) Art Deco style architecture interspersed with Traditional fresco paintings in a Haveli in Churu. (right) Fresco's of the same haveli https://insideinside.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/SH9.jpg Art deco style arches with indian freso painting in a Haveli in Churu https://insideinside.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/SH11.jpg A haveli from Churu with fresco paintings : https://i0.wp.com/imagewrighter.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Havelis-of-Churu-4.jpg?ssl=1 A haveli from Dudhwa kara : A Silent village from Churu that speaks with its havelis https://www.aapnodesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Dudhwa-Khara-Fresco.jpg Something to use for Jhunjhunu cover : https://www.inditales.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/jhunjhunu-rajasthan.jpg A ceiling painting from 'Sone Chandi ki Haveli' - Jhunjhunu https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/07/8c/ec/2f/sone-chandi-ki-haveli.jpg A Shekhawati mansion falling apart : https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/1600x900/p03m9yqy.webp Map of the shekhawati region : INFORMATION TO BE COMPILED : Ancient history Main article: Matsya Kingdom Many historians have considered this region included in the Matsya kingdom. Rigveda also provides certain evidences in this matter.Manusmriti has called this land as 'Brahmrishi Desha'. Shekhawati region was included in 'Marukantar Desha' up to the Ramayana period. Out of 16 mahajanapadas prior to Buddha, only two Janapadas, namely Avanti and the Kingdom of Virata, were counted in the Rajasthan area. This region was also influenced by Avanti but later on Nandas of Magadha defeated Avanti. Historians believe that Mauryas obtained the Rajasthan from Nandas. In ancient times Shekhawati was not limited to the present two districts. During the Mahabharata period, it was known as Matsya Kingdom and extended to the Sarasvati River. Matsya Kingdom was founded by King Matsya (named Matsya because he was born from a apsra living as a fish), Son of King Uparichara Vasu. During ancient times this region was divided into several janapadas. Dhosi Hill, the revered hill bordering Haryana and famous for Chyavana Rishi's Ashram, as well as the place where Chyawanprash was formulated for the first time, has extensive mentions in the epic Mahabharat in Vanparv. After the collapse of the Gupta dynasty, The Shekhawati was controlled by the Chauhan Rajputs. Some parts of Shekhawati, Jhunjhunu, Fatehpur, and Narhar were taken from them by Kaimkhanis which in turn were defeated by Shekhawat Rajputs. Kaimkhani is a branch emerging from the Chauhans. The first progenitor of Kaimkhanis was Karamchand, born in the family of Moterao of Chauhan clan, the ruler of Dadrewa. Firuz Shah Tughluq converted him to Islam and named him Kaimkhan. Thus his descendants are called Kaimkhani. Geography Shekhawati is in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan and has special importance in the history of India. It also covers part of the Bagar tract along the Haryana-Rajasthan border. The climate of the desert region is harsh and extreme. The temperature ranges from below 0 °C (32 °F) in winter to more than 50 °C (122 °F) in summer. The summer brings *** waves of air called loo. Annual rainfall is at around 450 to 600 mm. The groundwater is as deep as 200 feet (60 m), and in some places, the groundwater is hard and salty. The people in the region depend on rainwater harvesting. The harvested rainwater from the monsoon season (during July and August) is stored in pucca tanks and used throughout the year for drinking purposes. Culture, heritage and tourism Shekhawati painted houses. Architecture Shahpura Haveli is a 300-year-old palace built by Rao Pratap Singh, descendant of Rao Shekha, in the 17th century. In the zenana (women's quarters), various rooms offer different themes. One room has antique murals, another has a marble fountain, while the turret room has walls that are 7 feet (2.1 m) thick. Diwankhana, the formal drawing room, is decorated with family portraits and an array of antique armour. The Haveli was then renovated by Maharaj Surendra Singh and is now running as a Heritage Hotel. The haveli was recognized as one of the Historic Hotels in the World in the year 2018. Havelis, temples and frescos Most of the buildings of the Shekhawati region were constructed between the 18th century and the early 20th century. During the British occupation, traders adapted this style for their buildings. Shahpura Haveli in Shahpura, 65 km from Jaipur on Jaipur - Delhi Highway, and Nangal Sirohi in Mahendragarh district, 130 km from Delhi, are popular for their Shekhawati architecture within the National Capital Region (NCR). Dress Women wear ghagra lugdi as their traditional dress and men wear usual Rajasthani dress. Shekhawati's women's dress is very costly and unique. Why were these havelis abandoned? The havelis and frescoes of Shekhawati blossomed until the early 20th Century; after which, the rich business tycoons left the desert wasteland for better opportunities in bustling metropolises like Bombay and Calcutta and even abroad. After the trade moved elsewhere, there was little development in the arid lands of Shekhawati, and the havelis were abandoned for good. The high cost of upkeep By the 1950s, the thriving towns that had raised these billionaires were falling into steady despair. Selling or renovating these rural family bungalows – some of which could house up to 50 families at once – is a difficult job. The cost of upkeep is high and many of the properties, usually shared between multiple heirs, are embroiled in legal disputes. But since havelis are private properties, the government cannot do much to preserve them. Language: Shekhawati dialect Shekhawati is a dialect of the Rajasthani language and is spoken by about three million speakers in the Churu, Jhunjhunu, and Sikar districts of Rajasthan. Even though it is a very important dialect from the grammatical and literary points of view, very little work is carried out on it. In 2001 a descriptive compendium of the grammar of Shekhawati was published. Shekhawati, like the Bagri dialect of Ganganagar and Hanumangarh districts, has a parallel lexicon which makes it very rich from a lexicographical point of view.[citation needed] Word order is typically SOV and there is the existence of implosives. The presence of high tone at the suprasegmental level classifies it with other dialects of Rajasthani. It has contributed significantly to the development of Rajasthani language and linguistics. Some samples in Shekhawati are: Ke Hoyo? के होयो?, 'What happened?' The Kai kar raya ho? थे के कर रया हो?, 'What are you doing?' Ma Thane ghano samman devungo. मैं थानै घणो/बोल्लो सम्मान देवूंगो।, 'I will give you great respect.' The kathe padhar raya ho? थे कठै पधार रया हो?, 'Where are you going?' The ke jeem raya ho? थे के जीम रया हो?, 'What are you eating?' Mann koni bero मन्ने कोनि बैरो, 'I don't know' Education Recently, the Shekhawati region has shown immense growth in the education sector and has become one of the most successful belt in terms of merit results. There are many schools and colleges that have been established, which is the prime reason of the huge success the region is seeing. Shekhawati is even used for name keeping of the Institutes[clarification needed]like Shekhawati Public School, Dundlod, Shekhawati Engineering college. There are many institutes named after Shekhawati. The Shekhawati region has the highest literacy in the state. A few prominent shekhawati havelis that belonged to ancestors of well known business tycoons : Major industrialists namely G.D. Birla, L.N. Mittal, Goenkas, Singhanias, Bajajs and several others belong to the Shekhawati region who later migrated to different parts of the world. The Birla family hailed from Pilani in Jhunjhunu district. The son of renowned industrialist G.D. Birla, B.K. Birla(Basant Kumar Birla) established technical institutes like Birla Technical Training Institute (BTTI) and B.K. Birla Institute of Engineering and Technology, Pilani (BKBIET) in Pilani to ensure that students from rural backgrounds get connected to the technical world. (IANS)