Hawa Mahal Jaipur

Hawa Mahal or the 'Palace Of The Winds' located in the heart of the beautiful Pink City of Jaipur in Rajasthan, India, is one of the most famous tourist attractions and a prominent landmark of the city that is renowned for its rich cultural and architectural history. Built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh of the Kachhwaha Rajput dynasty, this beautiful structure is predominantly a high screen wall made of pink and red sandstone that facilitated royal women to get an eyeful of the street festivals and busy city life while remaining out of the view of public. This five-storey building in the shape of a crown of Lord Krishna with 953 jharokhas or windows and a beautifully decorated façade resembling a honeycomb of a beehive that gives one a feel of the rich heritage of the Rajputs.

History of Hawa Mahal
Hawa Mahal was built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh as a continuation of the royal City Palace and was designed by Lal Chand Ustad in the form of Krishna's crown. In those days, the Rajputs used to follow the Purdah system and the royal women did not appear in front of the public. As they wished to follow the day to day events, the Hawa Mahal was built with extremely small windows and screened balconies to provide a sense of freedom among the women.

Architecture of Hawa Mahal
The reason behind the naming of Hawa Mahal is the structure of the building. It is a unique five storey Palace which looks similar to a honeycomb because of the 953 small windows called jharokhas, and these windows allow the breeze to flow in and helps in keeping the palace cool. The Hawa Mahal is the tallest building in the world without foundation and because of the lack of one, the palace is tilted at an angle of 87 degrees. Hawa Mahal stands at an elevation of 50 feet above the ground and has small portholes which consist of miniature windows and sandstone grills. The building has no stairs inside and one needs to climb up the ramps to reach the top.

In order to enter the Palace, you need to get through an Imperial door which is situated towards the left of the building. It gives way to a large courtyard which has three double storeyed buildings towards the left, right and centre. The top three floors of the Hawa Mahal are only the width of one room, while the first and second floors have courtyards in front of them. The rooms themselves are decorated with colourful mosaics of glasses, ornamental stonework and 'chhatris' which are a part of the traditional Rajasthani architecture.

Best time to visit
September to February are considered the best months to head to Hawa Mahal – the weather is good, so you can walk outdoors easily. Sunrise and sunset are undoubtedly the best time of the day for visitors to catch stunning views of this attraction. The light at these hours is perfect for photographers angling to get good shots. However, do keep in mind Hawa Mahal’s opening hours if you want to tour inside.