ARCHITECTURE
The Tomar Haveli
AND YOUR GUIDE TO COLLECTING
PHOTOGRAPHED BY HARI NAIR
A modern Haveli in Delhi’s Mehrauli village reflects a passion for collecting rare art and antiquities. By Mayank Mansingh Kaul
NOV — DEC 2012
he Tomar haveli in Delhi’s Mehrauli area is a rare sight in the city’s bourgeoning landscape of minimal interiors and haphazard concrete facades: a new construction made almost entirely of older architectural elements. Located amidst an urban village, with cowsheds and dharamsalas for neighbours, the haveli is a celebration of diverse inspirations and cultural influences. Home to Nalin Tomar, and designed by his business partner Mahijit Singh, it is an exceptional repository to a unique collection which befits the duo’s status as two of India’s leading dealers in antique textiles, paintings, objets d’art and jewellery. Its walls echo with stories of adventurous trips to the remotest corners of the world, persistent chases of reclusive sources, and an unrelenting search for the unusual. “The choice to live here seemed odd at the beginning, ” reminisces Nalin. “We had bought this piece of land to build a warehouse for our growing collection, but once work started we found it was possible to build a very spacious home here – a lesser luxury in other parts of the city…” Architecturally, ways were found to shut out external noises which now imbue the house with a sense of isolation. The three-floor structure is built in a style borrowed from old town houses – with a courtyard in the centre and the external walls facing the gullis (narrow lanes). Here, it is possible to perch – along with the odd visiting peacock – on any of the numerous balconies for an unfettered view of the going-ons in the streets below, or relax in
one of the many bedroom suites oblivious to the chaotic world outside.
The house comes alive dramatically in the living and common areas: in the dining room, wooden concert chairs from Fort Cochin are paired with vintage crockery from Bordeaux, embellished by the portrait of a dandy zamindar from Bengal (by an anonymous artist)! Cut velvet upholstery with tiger motifs adorns artdeco sofas in the formal drawing room, while vintage books and cane crafts cosy up together in the study. Pichwais from Rajasthan tower over art-noveau railings in the stairways, while there are erotic photographs from Sri Lanka and hand-embroidered towels in the washrooms. Throughout the home, there is an abundant inclusion of window panes – often stained glass – and Burma teak wall panelling, re-appropriated from old mansions being broken down across the country.
Kaka – as Mahijit is known to his friends – reflects on how his interest in collecting lends itself to his knack for interiors design: “When doing up a space in the Sultanate style, for instance, there is a thrill in being able to find all the relevant ingredients from that period to recreate that ambience. My attempt is to always create a holistic experience rather than a mere mélange of various products.” Red sandstone pillars bought at an auction in Chandni Chowk, (and belonging to the Mughal period), frame the main rooms where Nalin entertains his guests. A lot of thinking went into the lighting of the room – in the day, cut-glass windows create a play of shadows inside. In the evenings, floor fanus with numerous candles impart a subdued effect, evocative of a clandestine musical mehfil in a velveteen Mughal tent, in a desert in the middle of nowhere…
Nalin and Kaka’s partnership has spanned three decades and several projects, including two other properties of Nalin’s – a four-storey home in Hauz Khas Village facing Khilji period monuments, and an apartment in Mehrauli (the interiors of which are designed in the
art-deco style). It is here that their remarkable partnership comes forth: while Nalin travels around the world, seeking out new destinations to create thematic collections, it is Kaka who sniffs out valuable sources in unlikely local situations. If Nalin facilitates their knowledge of artefacts through constant research and learning, Kaka instinctively makes connections between styles and chronologies.
Their quest for novelty naturally attracts an eclectic circle that includes visiting international artists, historians, curators, authors and designers. And quite like the haveli, as equally inconspicuous from the outside, is their store in Hauz Khas Village – Krishna at Chaupal. On any given day, the store sees anyone from a former Begum seeking help in evaluating heirlooms and, well-known interior designers picking up rare Zardozi coverlets to embellish plush homes, to young couples favouring a 19th century rug. From Jamevar shawls, Jamdani saris and company paintings, to vintage photographs in never-before-seen albums, terracotta from South India, wooden statues from Burma, Deccani glassware, ceramic tiles from the Middle East, Persian carpets from Iran – the list is endless.
Nalin’s current obsession is batik textiles from Jambi in Indonesia. These textiles were inspired by Indian Kalamkaris and Ikats being imported from India in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A desire to know more about this unusual Asian encounter has taken Nalin on countless trips to the country. Similarly, Nalin recalls, taking many trips to lesser-known places on a whim or speculative information in years gone by. “Until the 1980s, to give an example, small towns like Kohlapur in Maharashtra had museums that showcased collections of local land-owners and royalty, which were impeccably maintained. One could see how historical patronage for art and craft had led to a vibrant scene linked to art colleges in the state. We happened to get to know of, and acquired the works of some of the earliest post-