haveli

old houses are romantic and may would share a lot of history

Oldest House in Keene New Hampshire

Old abandoned buildings, cool or creepy?

I would say romantic.

When we explored one it had a main gate where the doorman lived with his family. They had lived there for generations. The old house almost falling down had improvised families living in them to think once this haweli housed the Divan of the area. The house was known for feeding anyone who arrived at its door.

One of the last survivors of the family came with a necklace made of lac which was coated with gold. There were seven strings in different layer. They had to dispose it, and this was the story they had to say about it.

The old house had, noble lord. He married an improvised landlord’s only daughter, because she was pretty. His father agreed to the match as the girl had no family, so she would not throw tantrums but would handle the household responsibilities. It turned out the girl was a good cook but a bad housekeeper.

Let us name this lady as chelvamma; she had two daughters, older sundari because of her immense beauty and younger Durga because she was foretold to rule the domain. Sundari being more docile and pretty was the mother’s pet. It was the younger Durga who stood by her father and his clerk Govinda to manage the estate.

Sundari was to marry captain Ramakrishna who was in the British army, the day of the wedding of was fixed, and things in the house became hectic. While the younger Durga was to marry an upcoming lawyer in town. That was when Ramakrishna got called to his regiment, when he left he gave the necklace to Sundari.

Sundari loved swimming in the madhwasarovara (ponds attached to old houses) and was a very good swimmer, this one day, after her swim she rose to dress, when a water snake bit her. Death of an unmarried girl child was considered calamity, just as the family was grieving over this news arrived that Ramakrishna was killed in action.

The younger daughter was married off in a hurry, and the family moved to their town house, never to return.

Amidst all this Sundari’s necklace was left behind with her maid,lacchi, she has been safe guarding this abandoned debilitated house, and the necklace hoping someday Durga’s children will come to claim it.