Riches and Rubble

the Palkiya Haveli was restored and turned into a hotel

India's region of Shekhawati gets its name from Maharao Shekha (1433-1488), who succeeded his father as chieftain at the age of 12 and led his first military attack when he was 16. With his five queens, he had 12 sons and three daughters. But, fascinating as that may be, it's not what this story is about. It's about the area itself, because during the 19th century, it became home to merchants who grew very wealthy by trading opium, cotton, and spices. Their homes became larger and more ostentatious, filled with carved decor and intricate frescoes on every wall. Eventually business moved elsewhere, and with it, the business people, and the havelis (mansions) were abandoned and left to crumble in oblivion. Fortunately, some of them are being restored and reborn as hotels, cultural centers, and museums (story, video, lots of photos): http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20160311-a-crumbling-birthplace-of-billionaires