Travel Vacations in Ramgarh Rajasthan
Distance : 16km south of
Churu
20km north of Fatehpur
¤ The Trade Town
The story of Ramgarh's origin is rather interesting. It so happened
that in Churu, which was a part of the Bikaner state, a particular
Poddar clan rose to great prominence as the main merchant family
trading in woollen products. Nothing was wrong with that; trade was
the main occupation of the marwaris of Shekhawati. But things became
really bad when the state funds dried up and the thakur (chieftain) of
Churu imposed a new levy on the wool trade. This obviously angered the
Poddars. They thought this was unfair and opposed the hike. But the
thakur was adamant too. So the Poddars lifted their bag and baggage
and off they went to settle themselves in a new place (see Churu for
more). and with the help of the Raja of Sikar, the Poddars founded
Ramgarh in 1791. The displaced Poddars then vowed to make Ramgarh so
beautiful so as to outdo Churu.
¤ The Breathtaking Beauty of The Town
An English traveller of the 1830s has beautifully written that
Ramgarh "…is singularly striking and seems to give reality
to a vision drawn from eastern romance. The buildings are all
constructed from kunkur [gravel] grey hardpan, …numerous handsome
houses of the seths [businessmen] some of which are on a magnificent
scale, ornamented and painted in various devices outwardly; the neat
high wall and gateways and the cupolard chhutrees [cenotaphs] in the
suburb in contrast with the desert around, altogether exhibit a scene
deserving to be allied with enchantment." But that was more than
a century and a half back. Now the town clearly shows signs of aging.
However, that doesn’t make Ramgarh less interesting; old is
beautiful. and in any case, Ramgarh boasts of more paintings than any
other town in Shekhawati.
Ramgarh is one of the best places in Shekhawati to buy antiques and
replicas, especially ornate Rajasthani woodwork, although the prices
aren’t too cheap.
¤ Places of Interest
Chhatris
The most beautiful structure in Ramgarh is perhaps the opulent Ram
Gopal Poddar Chhatri. As its name suggests, it was built by the
Poddars. It came up in 1872 and has some great murals, especially in
the dome. The scenes fall into three broad groups – the Ramayana,
the life of Krishna and ragamala paintings (illustrating the musical
notes). Chhatris, usually consisting of a cluster of pavilions, are a
common sight in princely Rajasthan where they were built to
commemorate a dead hero. But the Poddar chhatri is so elaborate that
it could very well pass for a palace! and would you believe it, there
are a whopping 500 murals all over it! The Ramayana Chhatri is more
modest, but richer in paintings. It has a beautiful collection of
murals in maroon and blue showing scenes from the epic Ramayana.
Exquisite Havelis (mansions)
Thanks to the wealthy Poddars and their inflated ego, Ramgarh is also
blessed with over a dozen beautiful havelis (mansions). The
Bashashwarlal Poddar Haveli is one of them, and a fine double one at
that. It was probably built in the glorious 1830s, with good ochre
paintings of floral designs. Across the road are the ruins of the
first haveli built in the region. Near this is the haveli of the
particularly prosperous family of Tarachand Ghanshyamdas Poddar, which
has a beautifully painted room. But the building is generally kept
locked. The Anant Ram Poddar Double Haveli and the Jagannath Poddar
Double Haveli are some of the others in the region. The two Ruia
Havelis are also worth seeing. The Ruias, who were also a merchant
family, managed to grow very important in this Poddar dominated town
as the century progressed. Their havelis were built around 1890 and
were painted with murals of red and blue of Indians and the British.
¤ Temple Attractions
Ramgarh has some nice temples too. The Ganga Temple is the finest one
here, built by a Poddar. and in 1845, it cost as much as 32,000
rupees! But that's not surprising, as the Poddars' main purpose was to
make Ramgarh flashier than Churu. But sadly, antique dealers have
ruined the place; they've mercilessly torn beautiful pieces off the
walls in many places. The Ganga Temple has suffered too; the adjoining
dharamshala (rest house) has all its woodwork torn off. Anyway, there
are some good murals on the outer walls of the temple. The complex is
interesting, with lots of arches that you could weave your way
through. The little Shani Temple, devoted to the Saturn god, was built
by a Khemka family in 1840. The outside wears a somewhat weathered
look, but the inside is a glorious concord of murals and mirror work.
The murals, rich in ultramarine, are of varied subjects, though the
colour has worn off in some places. The Hanuman Temple was built by
the Ruias in about 1885. It is an interesting building with a passage
running under it. Locals might call the temple a different name, the
Lal Kuan Mandir (the Red Well Temple), probably because of a well
somewhere in the premises which was painted red. The vaulted ceiling
in front of the shrine had some fine murals, but they have been
destroyed badly due to moisture. The Natwar Niketan, Ram-Lakshman
Temple and the Surekha Dharamshala are some of the other monuments
that you could see in Ramgarh. |
