Brimming with royal palaces, old forts and their rich historic cultures, Rajasthan boasts an interesting one amongst them all; the Hawa Mahal.
Hawa Mahal, translated to the “Palace of Winds” is located in the Pink city, Jaipur.
It was designed by Lal Chand Ustad, also the renowned architect of the city of Jaipur and built by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh in the year 1799. Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, an admirer and follower of Lord Krishna, built this palace in the shape of the crown of Lord Krishna as a dedication to his deity.
Another known purpose for this structure is that it was for the royal ladies to watch and be entertained by the daily activities that took place in the streets below and peek into a common man’s daily life while being invisible to them from outside.
When observing the design closely, the intricate ‘jaali-work’ looks like a honeycomb, with 953 small ‘jharokas’ or windows. An interesting feature is that this ornamental design only exists in the front side of the structure. Whereas, the inner part of the palace lacks any fancy work and is painted solid with plain colors.
Unlike most other structures, the Hawa Mahal welcomes you from its rear entrance and has no front entrance. To reach the top, there are ramps awaiting you. The best time to visit the Hawa Mahal, which is also rumored to be the ‘tallest building in the World without a foundation’ is on weekday mornings.
Confused as to how to reach Hawa Mahal ?
Fly into Jaipur and rent a taxi (I prefer GozoCabs) for your day-tour around this marvelous city in a cost-effective, safe and pleasant ride.
Many also fly into Delhi and then get a ride to Jaipur for their sightseeing