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Arjun Das always thought big and bold. Once the decision was made he never looked back. Life had bestowed on him wealth and grace that is what the word 'Seth' denotes.
His outlook on life was large and generous. He could have built a small house for himself and his family.
After all there was just his wife and two children, a couple of servants perhaps. But when the time came to decide on the size of the haveli he included the extended families of his brothers and cousins to live together so that love and affection may pervade and the family bond grow stronger.
Thus the Goenka Haveli came about having 20 rooms, big and small, spread on first and second floors in a square courtyard for their living. The outer courtyard had ample space for offices on the left hand side and on the right hand side rooms for guests.
Adjacent to the Haveli a garden was maintained to be as self-sufficient as possible to supply flowers, seasonal vegetables and milk. Thus, there were sheds for cows and storage of fodder. Bullocks for the raths and camels for transport of goods were also kept there. Trains and petrol vehicles were unknown to the people in those times.
View of the outer courtyard from the main gate. Rooms on the left were used as office and to the right were rooms for guests. Entrance to the inner courtyard is marked with a small vermillion coloured idol of Sri Ganeshji, the remover of all obstacles, above the door. The elaborate carvings and painting took a team of 5 carpenters a duration of full one year to complete. The stone carvings and woodwork on the floor above is also very eye-catching.
In a few places the paintings cover the area from the ground floor to below the chhajjas. Vegetable dyes were used which have withstood the vagaries of weather for over 125 years.
Entrance door to the inner courtyard. The woodwork is covered with brass plates embossed in miute floral designs. The intricate carvings on the top of the door frame are a piece of highly skilled craftsmanship.
These three doors above and the 'jharoka', projecting window, at left are executed in charming designs. On the main floor there are several doors with a wide variety of patterns. Engraved appliques in iron, bronze, copper and brass have been used. In many places ivory nails have been used.
Jhoola (swing) for Baby Krishna. Images of celestial musicians and colourful singing birds have been woven into this mirror-work studded design. Note the combination of auspicious happy colours. This design is one of the very few in the whole of Rajasthan.
The colourful inner courtyard with an open-to-sky large chowk. Living rooms, water storage rooms, kitchens, shaded verandas for work and rest. The maginficent touch of colourful wall paintings.
Beautiful wall paintings showing scenes of everyday life of the period and of mythological sub-jects. The geometric and floral patterns are exquisite.
In the ladies rest room on the top storey use was made of stained glass to create a harmonious lighting.
A scene from Krishna-Lila, Vastraharan.
Not only did Arjun Das want his haveli to be functionally efficient but he also wanted the views to be aesthetically appealing from all sides. He took the advice of an architect who had experience of designing havelis. He had gone around some of the towns to see for himself the finer points of design in the havelis recently constructed in Nawalgarh, Bissau, Jhunjhunu, Churu. And after much consultation awarded the building contract to one of the best men in the profession.
Arjun Das saw to it that the roof had ample space for sleeping out under the sky on hot summer nights. The gaddi (office) had on either side rooms and gallery space for staff and storage. He got large size wooden boxes made for safe storage of winter clothing and linen. All members slept on cots woven in jute fibre.
The finishing touches to the haveli commanded his special attention. The best artists and craftsmen available were hired for their services. It was made of dressed stone, terra-cotta bricks and lime mortar in construction.
Carved stone pillars in sandstone have been used in both courtyards. Other than their beautiful visual appeal they lend an air of temple-like sanctity. Stone carving was also used to advantage above the doors and windows. The floral and geometrical designs blend beautifully with the architecture.
The smooth white plaster finish seen on the walls in the office was achieved by laborious burnishing for several days using sea shells: it has withstood weathering for over a century and a quarter.
Beautiful designs and patterns were adopted for various doors. The design of the main entrance to the inner courtyard is exceptionally gorgeous. The wood carvings have been done by hand and there is rich embellishment with handmade appliques in steel, copper, brass and in some places even ivory. Incise work on metal on some doors invites special attention.
Painting the front walls of a haveli had become fashionable by then. Bright and eye catching vegetable dyes were used that did not wash away in the rains. The most common motifs were scenes of Rajput bravery and chivalry. So, we see handsome riders on elephants, horses and camels, alongside floral motifs painted on the frontage of the Goenka Haveli. And on the four sides of the inner courtyard there is a profusion of scenes from the early life of Lord Krishna and some from the daily life in the Dundlod of that period. These paintings take us to those ancient times sung in legends. At some places the wall has been painted from the ground floor of the courtyard to right under the chhajjas (eves). The style is bold and rather folkish. The artist could have been a local citizen or from Nawalgarh or Jaipur. The two street lights in front of the Haveli were the latest in design of gas lighting.
In any Hindu house this room is a miniature temple wherein idols of the family deities are installed. Daily worship, morning and evening, is performed by the elders in particular with great reverence and fervent gratitude. Lamps are lit, incense burnt, flowers offered, prayer mantras uttered and bhajans sung in soulful voices. All the articles for decoration and for pooja have to invoke in the devotee feelings of bhakti and surrender. Seth Arjun Das would acquire beautiful pieces whenever and wherever he got the opportunity during his various tours.
A unique piece in the Pooja room is a jhoola (swing), beautifully carved in wood and painted in shimmering shades of gold, bright yellows and sindhoori reds. Baby Krishna was made to sit in it and sweet songs sung in His praise.
In 1996 two grandsons of Seth Anand Ram Goenka namely Mohan Goenka Son of Purshottam Lal Goenka from Chennai and Basant Goenka son of Ram Narian Goenka from Kolkata were remembering fondly their Dundlod Haveli and decided to restore their heritage to its original glory. Their sturdy mindset and persistent efforts to secure the services of worthy craftsmen and artists paid handsome dividends over the next 10 years. The doors and windows were meticulously cleaned. The drainage system was put in working order. Many items of wooden furniture were carefully repaired.
Inventory was made of all the articles stocked in various rooms as they belonged to that era of bullock carts and camel carts.
To give the viewer a wholesome idea of the atmosphere of those times some mannequins have been specially made and installed at the gaddi (office), in the rath, to show the grinding of wheat flour and the churning of butter. The Haveli became a tourist draw in the region.
It is worth mentioning that in all these efforts no financial help was accepted from any outside quarters. All efforts were motivated by inner devotion to the task of a neat and presentable restoration.
