Hawa Mahal - the Palace of the Wind
The Hawa Mahal or the 'Palace of the Wind' was erected by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799. The picturesque palace eventually became one of the major landmarks of the Jaipur city. Actually, Hawa Mahal is an extension of the Zenana (women's chambers) of the City Palace and standing away from the main complex. Hawa Mahal is a five storeyed building looks like a honeycomb. A fantastic example of Rajput artistry, the architectural marvel was designed by Lal Chanda Usta in red and pink sandstone. This pyramid shaped structure is beautifully outlined with white borders and motifs painted with quick lime.

Hawa Mahal consists of 953 small casements, each has tiny lattice worked pink windows alongwith arched roofs and balconies, nicely modelled and carved. Its sandstone windows are semi-octagonal in shape and are delicately honeycombed.


These small windows act as a natural air-conditioning system and circulating cool air in the palace without the aid of modern machines. On the inner face of this monument there is a complete lack of ornamentation, the chambers are plain and mass of pillars and passages leading to the top floor. The monument overlooking the main street of the old city provides excellent views of the road avenues, intersections and colourful market. Hawa Mahal was originally built with the aim of enabling the royal women to watch the activities taking place in the bazaar and the surrounding streets, without being seen by outsiders.

Entry to Hawa Mahal
The entrance to the Hawa Mahal is through the rear side of the main building. One can enter the building from the City Palace side, through a pompous door. The door opens into a spacious courtyard encircled by a double storeyed building on three sides. A small archaeological museum also stands here. The eastern wing of Hawa Mahal has five storeyes, which are just a single room thick. The building standing on a elevated platform is actually a 50 ft high thin shield, less than a foot thick with small chambers, which provide a unique facade to this palace. Hawa Mahal has no regular stairs to reach the upper floors, but only the ramps.