Conservation of the mural painting
Elephants Dimensions: circa 6m x 3 m
Gulab Rai Ladia Haveli Street Façade
Mandawa, Rajasthan (India)

 

 

We are pleased to announce that our team, after the long pandemic pause, is starting a new workshop during the next Shekhawati festival (10-11 February 2023) to ensure maximum exposure and interaction with the public. We are conserving an exquisite 19th century scene depicting ‘Elephants carrying 2 princes and a mahout’, painted on the wall of the West façade of the Gulab Rai Ladia Haveli located in Mandawa. This particular scene is well known, as it was chosen for the cover of the 2017 re-edition of the reference book on the Region, The painted towns of Shekhawati, by Ilay Cooper (Prakash books India, New Delhi, 2009). The elephant was a symbol of wisdom and power (the very important people travelled on elephants), and as such it has pride of place on many façades in Shekhawati. The train represented under the elephant makes this painting very special; it is a great example of the theme of ‘foreigners and their contraptions’ found on many Havelis facades in Shekhawati (Cooper 2009). Once completed, the Elephants project will be used as a flagship façade for conservation fundraising efforts.

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To successfully complete the workshop we are seeking $25000 in donations. Please check-up our website here for more information about the TSP association and help us sustain our mission in local training and the conservation of these beautiful painted jewels.