Beyond the forts and palaces, innumerable havelis weave theurban fabric of the medieval towns in Rajasthan. These havelis ofthe nobles and courtiers are unparalleled in architectural beautyand provide an interesting insight into the domestic architectureof Rajasthan.The book is the first comprehensive, regional work on thesemansions of the courtiers spread in the historic towns ofRajasthan. It traces the evolution and transformation of thehavelis in the alternating context of unified Rajasthan and itssub regional diversities. The documentation of several havelisin different regions of Rajasthan is further supported by anexamination of the various determinants of the haveli form toshow how the regional variations arise from social, political andgeographical factors such as occupation, caste, topography, andavailable material.The book draws on information collected from regional texts,fictions and folklore depicting social life, extensive fieldworkincluding of a survey of more than 150 havelis in differenttowns of Rajasthan and interviews with several haveli residents.It covers major cities of Rajasthan such as Jaipur, Jodhpur,Jaisalmer and Udaipur as well as a number of smaller towns andthikanas of earlier times.This book presents a firsthand, detailed and documented versionof the traditional Haveli form of Rajasthan for the exploringtourist who wants to look beyond the obvious destinations andfor the architects, art historians and conservationists looking atvernacular architecture in search for regional roots.