Jhunjhunu Shekhawati Fresco Haveli Rajasthan

Jhunjhunu district in the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan contains the world densest concentration of painted merchant havelis, earning it the title of open-air art gallery of India. Marwari merchant families commissioned local chitera painters to cover haveli facades and interiors with vibrant frescoes depicting mythology, hunting scenes, trains, telegraphs, and later automobiles in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Lime plaster was applied fresh and pigments made from lapis lazuli, vermilion, and vegetable extracts were applied while plaster was wet for durable buon fresco. Cooperative heritage artisan groups now train young chitera painters in restoration and new commissions for boutique hotels and private clients. Mandawa, Nawalgarh, and Ramgarh towns in Jhunjhunu are key heritage tourism destinations.