The Shekhawati Project in the Newspapers

An article came out on The Shekhawati Project in the Rajasthan Patrika on March 31th.

Entitled: "Foreign Restorers Preserving our Heritage under a Strong Sun", the article praises the initiative of the team.

We can thank the author Niranjan Pareek for this appearance in the newspapers which motivates us to continue and which proves that local people care and are able to become more aware of the situation.

Translation of the article

Foreign Restorers Preserving our Heritage under a Strong Sun*

*from Rajasthan Patrika. Sikar. Friday. 31.03.2017. Pag n. 11. (rajasthanpatrika.com). Journalist: Niranjan Pareek.

Ladies from Switzerland, Italy and France are working on wall paintings in Fatehpur. The future of havelis might be changing.

Fatehpur (Sikar). The goal of these foreign ladies is to study and preserve the Indian cultural heritage that we, Indians, are forgetting.

A workshop is ongoing at Nadine Le Prince Haveli, directed by Cécile, a French restorer. Her team is composed of Paola and Harpreet, coming from Italy, Léa from France, Meret from Switzerland, Anees from Patna and Anshika from Delhi. Currently, they are all studying the paintings in different havelis, even if the weather is harsh.

According to Cécile, our heritage needs to be highlighted so that we pay more attention to it, in order to preserve it in a proper way. The city has the potentiality to become an “Art City” thanks to all of those paintings. Cécile declared that in Fatehpur there are a lot of beautiful havelis locked from the outside, but if you can get inside it is a hidden treasure that strongly represents Indian art and culture. If the local people were paying more attention, it would be possible to save all those traditions.

Meret, studying in Switzerland, is glad to be here and to have the opportunity to learn about our traditions. She is an art student who is now studying the wall paintings. The students from Italy like Giovanna, Paola and Harpreet are also studying Indian art and culture. They asserted that the paintings at Le Prince Haveli are astonishing. Even the two Indian students, Anshika from Delhi and Anees from Patna, come to Le Prince Haveli every Sunday to study the wall paintings. According to Anees, these only exist in Shekhawati. The same goes for this sort of craftsmanship, according to Anshika. It is almost impossible to find similar painted havelis in other Indian regions.

Thanks to the project, declared Nadine’s son, Joël Cadiou, foreign students have the opportunity to learn about the local culture and values.

Caption under the 1st and 2nd pictures: Fatehpur. At Le Prince Haveli, the foreign ladies are taking care of the paintings under a strong sun. (Photo: Sandeep Hudda)

Caption under the 3rd and 4th pictures: Fatehpur. Foreign ladies are cleaning the wall paintings at Le Prince Haveli.

Translated by Harpreet Tanday with the collaboration of Julia Moustacchi and Jean & Patsy Pouvelle