Patwon Ki Haveli is actually five interconnected havelis squeezed along a narrow lane in the old town, their golden façades covered in unbelievably fine stone carving. Every inch of the exterior – jharokha balconies, arches, brackets – is decorated with lace-like patterns, giving the sandstone the delicacy of wood or fabric. Inside, some sections have been turned into museums showing old rooms, painted ceilings and artefacts from a wealthy merchant family’s life, while other parts host shops and homes. The complex feels like a mini-palace district, showing how rich traders built residences that could rival royal buildings in detail and luxury
About this place
History & highlights
Construction of Patwon Ki Haveli began around 1805 CE, when Guman Chand Patwa, a very wealthy Jain trader dealing in gold, silver, brocades and precious stones, decided to create a statement residence. He built five separate mansions side by side for his five sons, together forming the “Mansion of the Brocade Merchants.” The Patwas later moved much of their business elsewhere, but the havelis remained as proof of Jaisalmer’s mercantile prosperity in the 19th century. In the late 20th century parts of the complex came under government/ASI and private care, were repaired and opened as museums, and today Patwon Ki Haveli is one of the most visited non-fort attractions in the city, often described as an open textbook of Jaisalmer’s haveli architecture.
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