In early 2016, a rare cultural event offered a fleeting, unfiltered look inside one of Jaipur’s most mysterious historic buildings. Long closed to the general public, the Maharaja School of Arts and Crafts temporarily opened its doors to host Travel Photo Jaipur, an open-air three day photography festival in Jaipur. At the time, the historic building was unkempt, showing years of neglect and urban decay. Shortly after, this historic haveli, many called Jaipur school of arts underwent massive restoration to become the Museum of Legacies. This is a visual journey back to that brief moment in 2016-a look at history displayed within history, just before it changed forever.

Travel Photo Jaipur is an open-air exhibition that is planned to take place every year in Jan-Feb over a period of two weeks. It features pictures in large frames at various historical monuments in Jaipur. To read more about it head to Travel Photo Jaipur/ Photography Festival Part I.  A display of old travel postcards in large poster sizes was organized at Maharaja School of Arts and crafts, Kishanpole bazaar, Jaipur on 5th-6th Feb 2016. It was curated by Akshay Mahajan, an artist from Mumbai. The building was later converted into the Museum Of Legacies. You read my in-depth post on the same here- Museum Of Legacies | Adaptive use of Havelis

To read part 1 of Travel Photo Jaipur click here

The History of Madarsa-e-Hunar & Pandit Shivdeen Ki Haveli

Before it became a school for local craftsmen, this stunning 150-year-old Haveli structure located in Kishanpole Bazaar was known as Pandit Shivdeen Ki Haveli, the private residence of an influential and wealthy minister in the Jaipur royal court. Recognizing the need to preserve and promote local Rajasthani craftsmanship, Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II converted it into the Madarsa-e-Hunar – School of Arts. Over years, it nurtured the city’s artisans, specializing in traditional arts and craft, before ultimately falling into disuse and locking its gates to the world

History Within History – The Vintage Postcard Exhibition at Travel Photo Jaipur

The 2016 exhibition was curated by Mumbai-based artist Akshay Mahajan, who chose the building’s central, open-air courtyard specifically for its raw, atmospheric character. Akshay Mahajan has been collecting old travel postcards, many of them dating back to the pre-independence era.He was quite fixed on this venue from the day, the idea of this festival was proposed to him. Maharajah school of arts & craft Haveli, the venue for this exhibition has been closed to the public for the last few years.

The Postcards at Maharaja School of Arts & Craft

Akshay Mahajan’s exhibition featured vastly enlarged prints of rare, pre-independence travel postcards. Prominently on display was a fascinating French series of Indian travel postcards dating back to the early 1900s.

The contrast was striking: century-old images of colonial-era travel hung against the peeling plaster, weathered arches, and quiet dust of an unrestored 19th-century haveli. Visitors were even invited to flip through Mahajan’s personal, rare collection of original postcards, and purchase stamped-out replicas as unique keepsakes.

Maharaja School of Art & Craft also known now as the Museum Of Legacies was unkempt as it has been closed for a long time. It was opened up to host Akshay’s exhibition. Years of negligence & lack of maintenance were evident.

Akshay Mahajan was sporting a loose Kurta & Pajama paired with a woolen sleeveless Nehru jacket. It’s a dress synonymous with Indian artists and journalists.

Akshay was kind enough to offer visitors his original & rare collection of travel postcards.

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Akshay Mahajan, posing with few local boys. Travel Photo Jaipur festival 2016

Travel Photo Jaipur is a new contemporary festival that Rajasthan Government wants to promote, in line with their new tourism campaign kick-started recently. It is interesting to meet & interact with people like Akshay Mahajan and gain a new perspective. At the time, this was the first time I was able to venture inside the historic building of the Rajasthan School of Arts & Crafts. It was previously called Madarsa E Hunar or Pandit Shivdeen Ki Haveli.

Then and Now: The Transition to the Museum of Legacies

Walking through the corridors in 2016, the years of negligence and lack of maintenance were glaringly evident. Yet, there was an undeniable magic to the unvarnished, peeling walls of the old school. Today, the building has been completely revitalized. The dust has been swept away, the walls stabilized, and the property reborn as the Museum of Legacies, dedicated to showcasing the rich material culture, textiles, and traditional arts of Rajasthan. While the pristine modern museum is an asset to Jaipur’s heritage tourism, looking back at these images reminds us of the haunting beauty that lived in its quiet, unrestored spaces.