Bhagton Ki Haveli–This gracious haveli  is located in a narrow alley in the centre of Navalgarh town.   It is  comparatively smaller than the well known Poddar and Moraka havelis, but equally evocative. I took the opportunity to visit Bhagton Ki Haveli on a month in which the  towns and cites in India were just opening up after the second Covid wave. To experience the exquisite beauty of Bhagton  Ki Haveli  in relative  tranquility was an  almost reverential experience– it’s faded hand painted  frescoes, untouched by restoration are delicate in their allure and make the past seem even closer.

On its lower level, Bhagton Ki Haveli has an entrance, two courtyards, a public area and a private family area. On the upper level is  another family living area. Like most havelis, the walls depict a host of eclectic murals featuring lofty  Hindu religious and spiritual life alongside everyday aspects of being. At this haveli one comes in contact with images of gods, goddesses, holy sages, locomotives, flora and fauna, Indian festivals and even European memsahibs.  The eclectic wall art covers almost every inch of space in the courtyard. The walls in the private rooms are  kept sparse.

On the outside of the Haveli at the second level, surrounding wooded shutters  are more breathtakingly intricate murals. They overlook the courtyards of other smaller havelis bolted, locked and offering no resistance to the vegetation that threatens to grow in and around them.