A short distance to the south of Satyanarayan Temple is the stunning restored 1875–85 haveli belonging to the powerful Goenka family. As with all restored havelis, the bright colours are something of a shock after the discrete tones of murals faded with age. The interior offers a good illustration of the merchants’ lives, beginning with their reception room, cooled by huge punkas (cloth fans swung by pulling a cord) and all about there are scatterings of everyday life from another era.
Look for reminders of the cotton merchant’s samples from Calcutta.
