📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Digrajsingh
Travel
14 Shekhawati Havelis Added to UNESCO Tentative List, Boosting World Heritage Prospects
✍️ Amar Ujala · Rajasthan
🗓 05 Sep 2026, 11:35 PM
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Fourteen historic havelis across the Shekhawati region, including Alsi Sar, Mandawa, Navalgadh and Jhunjhunu, have been placed on UNESCO’s tentative list, opening a pathway to full World Heritage status.
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre has officially added fourteen historic havelis from Rajasthan’s Shekhawati belt to its tentative list, a prerequisite step before a site can be considered for full inscription. The selection, announced by the state’s Department of Archaeology, covers properties in Alsi Sar, Mandawa, Navalgadh, Jhunjhunu and ten other locations, reflecting the region’s rich merchant‑patronage architecture.
Shekhawati, often called the “open art gallery of Rajasthan,” is renowned for its richly painted facades, intricate frescoes and elaborate courtyards that blend Rajput and Mughal influences. The havelis, built between the late 18th and early 20th centuries, served as residences and business hubs for prosperous Marwari traders, and today they attract scholars and tourists alike.
Inclusion on the tentative list raises the likelihood that the havelis could achieve full World Heritage status in the coming years. Such recognition would bring international attention, technical assistance for conservation, and a boost to cultural tourism, helping to safeguard the fragile murals and structural heritage.
State officials have indicated that a detailed nomination dossier will be prepared, incorporating conservation plans and community involvement, to be submitted to UNESCO during the next review cycle.
Shekhawati, often called the “open art gallery of Rajasthan,” is renowned for its richly painted facades, intricate frescoes and elaborate courtyards that blend Rajput and Mughal influences. The havelis, built between the late 18th and early 20th centuries, served as residences and business hubs for prosperous Marwari traders, and today they attract scholars and tourists alike.
Inclusion on the tentative list raises the likelihood that the havelis could achieve full World Heritage status in the coming years. Such recognition would bring international attention, technical assistance for conservation, and a boost to cultural tourism, helping to safeguard the fragile murals and structural heritage.
State officials have indicated that a detailed nomination dossier will be prepared, incorporating conservation plans and community involvement, to be submitted to UNESCO during the next review cycle.