Jodhpur’s Stepwells Get a Second Life — With Cafés, Wi-Fi & Art Installations

Take Toorji ka Jhalra, built in the 1740s by a queen. For years, it sat neglected. Today, it’s the cultural heart of Stepwell Square, where boutique cafes and heritage hotels thrive.

This revival is part of the JDH Urban Regeneration Project, led by brothers Dhananjaya and Nikhilendra Singh. Their mission? Bring back the city’s soul through design, art, and community spaces.

The historic site recently hosted ‘Surface’ - an exhibition where textile installations draped across centuries-old havelis, courtyards, and arches, blending fabric with stone.

At Achal Niwas, designer Chinar Farooqui reimagined the mehrab, a signature Rajasthani arch, into bold, embroidered panels placed in deep-set windows and niches.

Anoop Singh ki Haveli, still home to the original family, featured quilts from Bihar, Lambani embroidery from Karnataka, and pieces created by Australian Aboriginal artists in collaboration with Bengaluru embroiderers.

And then there’s Mayla Bagh ka Jhalra, a 150-ft-deep stepwell brought back to life by architect Anu Mridul and the Scwedia Foundation. It now has Wi-Fi, ambient lighting, and soon, a transparent stage floating above the water.

“Stepwells weren’t just water sources,” says Mridul. “They were places where merchants rested, communities gathered — they were the heart of a public life.”

In Jodhpur, history is being lived again. Through textiles, architecture, and storytelling, these ancient stepwells are once again where the city comes together.

Jodhpur’s Stepwells Get a Second Life — With Cafés, Wi-Fi & Art Installations

17 May 2025

Take Toorji ka Jhalra, built in the 1740s by a queen. For years, it sat neglected. Today, it’s the cultural heart of Stepwell Square, where boutique cafes and heritage hotels thrive.

This revival is part of the JDH Urban Regeneration Project, led by brothers Dhananjaya and Nikhilendra Singh. Their mission? Bring back the city’s soul through design, art, and community spaces.

The historic site recently hosted ‘Surface’ - an exhibition where textile installations draped across centuries-old havelis, courtyards, and arches, blending fabric with stone.

At Achal Niwas, designer Chinar Farooqui reimagined the mehrab, a signature Rajasthani arch, into bold, embroidered panels placed in deep-set windows and niches.

“Stepwells weren’t just water sources,” says Mridul. “They were places where merchants rested, communities gathered — they were the heart of a public life.”

In Jodhpur, history is being lived again. Through textiles, architecture, and storytelling, these ancient stepwells are once again where the city comes together.