New Delhi: The Union Minister for Culture and Tourism, Gajendra Shekhawat, said that when people migrated from Rajasthan’s Shekhawati region generations ago for trade and business, they left behind a rich heritage.
“At some point, people were disconnected from their roots. But if the next generation gets disconnected, then our heritage and identity will end. It needs to be conserved and promoted,” said Shekhawat, addressing the first Shekhawati Pravasi Roundtable Conference at Delhi’s Bikaner House on 26 August.
Businessmen and prominent individuals from the Shekhawati region were invited to the conference. Culture ministry secretary Vivek Aggarwal, Union tourism ministry additional secretary and director general DG Suman Billa, principal secretary of Rajasthan tourism department Rajesh Yadav, and Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage’s (INTACH) Shekhawati region convenor Shruti Poddar were among the speakers at the event.
The event is the brainchild of Poddar, who has been working for the revival of the Shekhawati havelis for decades. “In the history of independent India, for the first time, the meeting of non-Resident Rajasthanis has been held,” she said.
The Shekhawati region, spanning Jhunjhunu, Sikar and Churu, is home to hundreds of old havelis.
Gajendra Shekhawat said that with time, people started moving away from their roots. “It’s now time to reconnect, and this is the thought that has brought all of you together.”
“The heritage created by our ancestors, which we are proud of, is now the identity of Rajasthan. It (havelis) may be someone’s personal property, but it is now the heritage of Rajasthan. And this heritage can promote the heritage tourism and economy of Rajasthan,” said Shekhawat.
Status of Shekhawati havelis
At the conference, Rajasthan Tourism officials presented the tentative draft of the Rajasthan Heritage Conservation Bill, 2025.
Under the draft law, the state government can protect any heritage site and regulate its surroundings. “If the owner of the property is unable to maintain it, the state government can take over, just to maintain it. So that it should not be demolished, built or utilised by anyone,” said Rajesh Yadav, principal secretary of the Rajasthan tourism department, while presenting the state government’s vision for the Shekhawati region.
In the presentation, Rajasthan’s tourism commissioner Rukmani Riar briefed about the physical condition of havelis in Churu, Jhunjhunu, and Sikar.
Out of the 112 havelis in the Churu district, 51 are in good condition, 55 are in average and six are in dilapidated condition. While in Jhunjhunu, out of 278 havelis, 109 are in good condition, 102 are in average condition, 13 are in dilapidated condition, and 54 are disputed.
In Sikar, there are 272 havelis, and 201 are in good condition. 15 are in average condition, 46 are in dilapidated condition, and 10 are disputed.
Riar also provided the ownership profile of the havelis in these three districts of Rajasthan.
According to the data presented, in Sikar, there are 143 havelis owned by non-resident Rajasthanis, followed by 50 in Jhunjhunu and 35 in Churu. The rest are owned by local people who still live there.
“The private ownership issue needs to be resolved. If not resolved, then probably the government needs to take up the ownership and save those empty properties,” said Riar.
Also read: Gurugram’s rich have a new frontier — Antarctica
Heritage as economy
The Modi government and the Rajasthan government are working together to revive the rich heritage of the Shekhawati region and generate revenue from it.
Suman Billa also presented the Modi government’s plan for boosting Rajasthan tourism. He said the ministry has sanctioned Rs 642.85 crore for the state under its various schemes.
“In the Shekhawati region, the ministry has undertaken projects worth Rs 124.13 crore,” said Billa.
Vivek Aggarwal highlighted that there are many cities and towns in the country that have been connected with ancient heritage. “People are demolishing them or converting them into modern buildings. So, there is a need to create awareness about such buildings,” he said.
Aggarwal also pointed out that the architecture across the country nowadays is becoming similar from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. “The architecture now uses the same kind of building materials and windows found across the country. What’s being lost is the use of local materials, local craftsmen, and the heritage that once defined those towns,” he said.
He said Shekhawati is a very rich area in heritage properties.
“The preservation of heritage is a must, and we can also make heritage part of the creative economy,” said Aggarwal.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)