Location
Hawa Mahal was founded in Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan, 262 km
from Delhi, the capital of India.
The Wind Palace
Built by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh (grand son of Sawai Jai Singh and son
of Sawai Madhoo Singh) in 1799 A.D, the Hawa Mahal, or the "Palace of
Wind" is characterised by elaborate and fanciful architecture.
Overlooks one of the main streets and also provides some excellent views of
the city, Hawa Mahal is a remarkable structure in Rajput & Mughal style
of Architecture.
One of the familiar landmarks of the pink city, the Hawa Mahal is an
interplay of red and pink sand stone, carefully and painstakingly outlined
with white borders and motifs. Falling under the Golden Triangle, and being
visited by millions of domestic and foreign tourists, the city of Jaipur is
a place of high tourist interest.
The Architecture
Hawa Mahal was designed by architect, Mr. Lal Chand Usta. The city of
Jaipur reflects a clever amalgamation of the Rajput and Mughal styles.
This five-story, pyramid-shaped structure is made up of small casements,
each with tiny windows and arched roofs with hanging cornices, exquisitely
modeled and carved. Its façade makes Hawa Mahal look more like a
screen than a palace. Its top three stories are just a single room thick but
at the base are two courtyards. It is a fifty-foot high thin shield, less
than a foot in thickness, but has over 900 niches and a mass of
semi-octagonal bays, carved sandstone grills, finials and domes, which give
this palace its unique façade.
The exact purpose of this structure is not yet clear, only conjecture are
made. The structure reveals very clearly that it was not meant for
residential purposes. It is widely believed that, it was built at a time
when royal ladies observed very strict purdah. This interesting palace, with
its screened balconies, provided the ladies of the royal household an
opportunity to watch processions and other activities on the streets below
without being observed themselves. Today, Hawa Mahal provides the visitor
with some excellent views of the city and a bird's eye view of the Jantar
Mantar, a medieval observatory and an important tourist place in Jaipur. The
time of sunrise is best time to view Hawa Mahal, when it catches the early
morning sun and is bathed in its golden light making it glow like a jewel.
Reaching Hawa Mahal
By Air: Jaipur is connected to Delhi (300Km), Mumbai, Udaipur,
Jodhpur, Aurangabad, Calcutta and Varanasi by domestic flights.
By Rail: The train service to Jaipur is available from all the major
parts of the country.
By Road:Jaipur can be accessed from all the major places in
Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi and Mumbai by bus.
