Hawa Mahal (Eng: Palace of Winds), built by Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799, is an iconic monument in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. The purpose of this palace was to allow the ladies of the royal family to take a look at the happenings in the bazaars of the Pink City. This five stories high building made of red sandstone has a honeycombed front façade made to resemble the peacock feather crown of Lord Krishna, with around 1000 crafted jharokhas (windows) which make the place very airy and giving it the name.
History
Hawa Mahal was built in 1799 by Sawai Pratap Singh, the Maharaja of Jaipur as an extension of the Jaipur City Palace. Since the Maharaja was a devotee of Lord Krishna, the architect Lal Chand Ustad designed the front façade of the palace like the crown of Krishna made of peacock feathers. The exterior was also similar to a honeycomb and had 953 windows laced with intricate latticework.
Overview
Hawa Mahal’s cultural and architectural heritage is a fusion of the Rajput and Mughal architectures; the Rajput style is seen in the form of domed canopies, fluted pillars, lotus and floral patterns, and the Islamic style as evident in its stone work and arches.
The entrance of the Hawa Mahal is from the back, one has to walk a short distance on the road, turn around the corner at the main intersection and then turn right into the first alleyway. The ticket counter is also situated here and needs to be bought separately from the Fort package.
One inside the Hawa Mahal, the visitors can go up till the top most level to get a panoramic view of Old Jaipur. While the Red city is visible at the front, the Jantar Mantar can be seen at the back.
There are shops and restaurants in front of the Hawa Mahal, from the terrace of which the tourists can take photographs of the front façade of the monument.