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Tags : Forts & Palaces

Timings : 9:30 AM - 5:30 PM

Time Required : 1 - 2 hrs

Entry Fee : Domestic Adult - INR 60, Domestic Children (Age between 5 to 12) - INR 30, Foreign Adult - INR 100, Foreign Children (Age between 5 to 12) - INR 50, Camera/ Video - INR 50

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Bagore Ki Haveli , Udaipur Overview

Situated in the Gangaur Ghat Marg of Udaipur in the state of Rajasthan, Bagore ki Haveli is an opulent gracious palace which was built in the eighteenth century on the waterfront of Lake Pichola. Boasting of over a hundred rooms which have elaborate exhibits done up in mirror and glass works, the haveli was built by the Prime Minister of Mewar Kingdom- Amar Chand Badwa. Beautiful paintings and murals from the mewar era adorn the walls of the palace; the Queen’s Chamber is the most popular of the lot which has on display two very gorgeous glass and mirror sculptures of peacocks. Restored and renovated time and again, the haveli has been finally converted into a museum that is thronged by not just regular tourists but also history buffs and culture explorers. The highlight of the haveli is the popular Dharohar Dance Show that is held here every evening which showcases the culture and folk tradition of Rajasthan.

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History of Bagore ki Haveli

Bagore ki Haveli was built by Amar Chand Badwa, who was the gallant and anointed Prime Minister of the Mewar kingdom during the rule of Maharanas Pratap Singh II, Raj Singh II, Ari Singh, and Hamir Singh for a long term between 1751 to 1778. After the death of Amar Chand Badwa, the haveli was passed on to the Mewar rulers who continued extending the architecture, design and area of the haveli. After almost a hundred years in 1878, the haveli was passed on to Maharaja Shakti Singh of Bagore who is credited with getting the gorgeous triple archway constructed. After the construction of the archway, the haveli came to be officially known as ‘Bagore ki Haveli’.

Up until 1947, the haveli was possessed by the Mewars but after independence, the building fell into the hands of the Rajasthan government who used it to house government officials. After neglect and degradation of the haveli for almost 40 years, the government decided to hand it over to West Zone Cultural Centre for restoration purposes.

It was after this handover that the haveli was converted into a museum. However, the original royal and grandiose look of the haveli was retained as was the gorgeous architecture and beautiful designs. For the same purpose, several royal Rajasthani families were consulted so that the haveli doesn’t lose its charm and glory. Even for the renovation, only premium quality construction was done with lakhori bricks and lime mortar. The original motifs, murals and frescoes were preserved, the damaged doors, windows and walls were repaired. And only the parts that were beyond repair were replaced.

Architecture of Bagore ki Haveli

Boasting of a wondrous and skilled architecture, Bagore ki haveli is home to around 138 rooms which are all done up and decorated with glass and mirror work. The building has several archways, spacious corridors, jharokas i.e. balconies, cupolas, water fountains and terraces etc. A stroll down the inner segments of the haveli can also give you a glance into the more private quarters of the queens and the royal ladies with their elaborate bathrooms, recreation rooms, makeup rooms, bed rooms, worship rooms and the like.

The very famous ‘Chamber of the Royal Ladies’ still boasts of some of the original fine frescoes and paintings from the bygone era. Other than the two glass crafted vibrant and enchanting peacocks which are a true testimony of the skilled craftsmanship, the interior windows have glass stained windows and mural in a classic Mewari style. Some of the more popular items on display at the haveli include jewellery boxes, dice-games, hukkas, nut crackers, pan boxes, hand fans, rose water sprinklers and copper vessels etc. which are synonymous to the identity of the Rajput clan.

A Tour in the Interiors of Bagore ki Haveli

The haveli welcomes its visitors with a marvellous spacious courtyard which houses a beautiful two storeyed lotus with a water fountain in between. The entire space is divided up into three chowks- Kuan Chowk, Neem Chowk and Tulsi Chowk. Kuan Chowk that translates to Well Chowk (‘kuan’ meaning ‘well’) is situated on the ground floor itself, which use to house the stables for the horses and had house stores that catered to the everyday activities and requirements of the housekeeping staff. Neem Chowk is situated on the first floor was a higher status chowk with brass doors and costly decor. This one was used to host dance performances for the visiting guests. Even today, this section is used to display dance and art forms.

Tulsi Chowk, on the other hand, was especially designed and created for the princesses and the royal ladies. This section houses the zenana and the inner chamber where ‘ghoomar’ dance performances were held and other recreational activities were carried out. Today, this chowk is a gallery which is reminiscent of the ancient days with a display of turbans and traditional women dresses worn by the queens and the princesses in their hay day.

In addition to the three chowks, the haveli also houses the Kaanch Mahal i.e. the passage done up entirely with mirrors and the Durrie Khana. These were the sections exclusive only to the men of the house. The largest chamber in the entire haveli was Diwan- i -Khas which is currently the office of the Director of the West Zone Cultural Centre.  Besides, it has a Shringar Kaksh which was used by women for their make up and as the dressing room. Sangeet Kaksh was used by the royal ladies to learn music, dance and musical instruments like santoor, sarangi etc. And Manoranjan Kaksh was used by men to play indoor games like chess, chaupad, ganjifa etc.

The Museum within Bagore ki Haveli

The Museum with the Bagore is Haveli is divided into four sections, all of which are open to public visit
  1. Puppet Museum

    One entire section in Bagore ki Haveli has been dedicated to the display of puppets which are synonymous to the culture and tradition of Rajasthan. The entrance showcases several miniature puppets and other hand made and handcrafted decorative items. Inside the room has an elaborate display of a courtroom replete with king dolls and queen dolls and ministers dolls even horses’ dolls depicting a scene of an ongoing courtroom. The visitors can also buy puppets from here at nominal prices.
  2. Haveli Museum

    The Haveli Museum is basically a tour of the entire haveli that is shown around to the visitors. The tour includes the private chambers of the ladies, the guests rooms, bed rooms, recreation rooms, lobbies and the terrace. The terrace, quite a few in number offer an overview of the surrounding city with its plethora of lakes and the gorgeous views. The rooms are done up just like in ancient times with olden day beds and royal looking curtains. The walls carry the ancient paintings and murals and depictions of scenes from the royal era. All the products, owned, worn or used by the kings and the queen are also present in the haveli that include armours, arms, jewellery boxes, hookahs etc.

    The collection also boasts of an Elephant Chariot or a Vimaan that was possessed by the Kings of Jhalawar. And a new addition to this, includes a miniature thermocol model of the Bagore ki Haveli. This model also has an Eiffel Tower, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Taj Mahal etc.
  3. Turban Section

    The Turban Section of the museum puts on display an elaborate collection of several turbans that have been brought in from the states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat. It is an insight on the different cultures and how different people wear their turbans like in Rajasthan, people wear colourful turbans made with bandhani or tie dye fabrics. While in Punjab, the turbans are mostly done in plain colours. Whereas Gujarati turbans are somewhat similar to the Rajsthani ones.
  4. Weapon Section

    Weapons Section in Bagore ki Haveli is the smallest section of the lot. Like the name suggests, this segment has on display the arms, weapons and armoury used by the kings and their armies during wars and battles.
  5. Wedding Section

    The Wedding Section is also almost as small as the Weapon Section. It displays the stages of an Indian wedding through puppets and dolls. Right from the stage of Muhuratam to the Pheras and Vidaai, it depicts all the stages of a traditional Indian Hindu wedding.

Dharohar Dance Show at Bagore ki Haveli

Dharohar Dance Show is the main highlight of Bagore ki Haveli which is a colourful dance performance by the traditional folk artists and dancers, conducted around 7:00 PM every day in the evenings. The show is held and hosted at the Neem Chowk on the first floor of the Haveli with a brightly lit decor and a fairy light setting. A centre stage is made along one side of the wall with mattresses and a low rise panel. Several other mattresses are spread on the remaining three sides to create a seating space. The well versed and choreographed dancers are supported by an efficient musical crew that helps the grooving dancers with their musical beats on tabla, harmonium and other musical instruments. Both the women and the crew is clad in colourful traditional Rajasthani attires adorned with mirror work and embroidery. A rough itinerary of the Dharohar Dance Show is listed below:
  1. The show commences with a brief introduction given by a native woman clad in traditional costume. This introduction is followed by beating of a drum, blowing of a conch shell and a religious song. This programme presides the dance performances.
  2. The first item is the Chari Dance where the performers are required to balance pots on their bare heads while dancing to the live tunes of the musicians.
  3. The next performance called the Terha Taal Dance requires utmost concentration and coordination on the part of the dancers as they are expected to play the 13 majiras (bells) tied to their hands, legs, and waist as per the rhythm of the music and beat. One step requires the to hold a sharp knife in their mouth and balance the brass pots on their heads while still matching the sound of the manjiras to the tunes of the music.
  4. Gorbandh Dance is the next piece which is a reminder of the carefree childhood days. The women dance, twirl and twerk to the music in complete abandon after wearing heavy ornaments and jewellery, which is used to adorn the camels.
  5. The next item is a break from the dances and is a Rajasthani Puppet Show to provide a respite and a different kind of entertainment. This show especially appeals to the young kids as it is full of humour, wit and entertainment.
  6. The following performance is the most awaited and the most demanded one. It is a classic Ghoomar Dance Performance by skilled dancers. The dance form is performed by women dancing in circles with each other. It is considered to be one of the most graceful shows of the night and witnessing one performance is a delight to the eyes.
  7. The last show is the Bhavani Dance while is the most thrilling piece to watch and the most difficult piece to perform. Here, the dancers perform on broken glass pieces with bare foot. They also need to balance earthen pots on their heads whose number may vary from 3 to 13.

Dharohar Dance Show
(Source)

Timings and Tickets at Bagore ki Haveli

The entry to the museum is open on all days from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM. However, Dharohar Dance Show Timings are from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM and the show tickets are available from 6:15 PM.

Tickets for the common entry are:

Domestic Adult - INR 60,
Domestic Children (Age between 5 to 12) - INR 30,
Foreign Adult - INR 100,
Foreign Children (Age between 5 to 12) - INR 50,
Camera/ Video - INR 50.

While for the Dharohar Dance Show, the entry fee is:

Domestic Adult - INR 90,
Domestic Children (Age between 5 to 12) - INR 45,
Foreign Adult - INR 150,
Foreign Children (Age between 5 to 12) - INR 75,
Camera/ Video - INR 150

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Bagore ki Haveli is between the months of September and March when the maximum temperature reaches 28 degree celsius. Udaipur being a desert city, the summer months can get extremely hot and any kind of sightseeing or movement is extremely uncomfortable.

How to Reach

The city is well connected through local buses, autos and rickshaws. Bagore ki Haveli is located within a 1.5 km radius of the centre of the city and can easily be reached through public transport. Alternatively, you can also book a private cab or reach here in a taxi.

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