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Hawa Mahal
The Hawa Mahal (known as the Palace of Winds) is a Jaipur Palace (India) so called because essentially a high wall built so that royal family women could observe street festivals without being seen from the outside. Made of red and pink sandstone, the palace is on the edge of the City Palace and extends to the real zenana housing. The structure was built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh. He was so intimidated and inspired by the unique structure of the Khetri Mahal that built the great and historic Hawa Mahal, designed by Lal Chand Ustad in the form of the crown of Krishna, the Hindu god. The five-story facade is similar to a honeycomb with its 953 small windows called Jharokha and decorated with intricate trellises. The original intention of the lattice was to allow the real ladies to observe daily life in the street below without being seen, since they had to obey the strict purdah. The lattice also allowed the circulation of a fresh air flow, created by the intricate design of the façade, an air conditioning ante litteram throughout the area, to mitigate the high summer temperatures. The business sector has helped save the historic monuments of Jaipur and the Unit Trust of India has adopted the Hawa Mahal for its renovation. The palace is an extended part of a huge complex. The carved stone facade, small windows and arch roofs are some of the features of this building. The monument consists of a large series of small frames that emphasize its 953 windows. The palace has five-storey pyramid shape and is 15 meters high. The first three floors of the structure have the size of a large room while the first and second floor have patio in front of their entrance. The frontal facade, as seen from the street, is shaped like a honeycomb, consisting of small portholes. Each porthole has miniature windows and sculptured sandstone grilles, pinnacles and domes that give the effect of a mass of semi-octagonal bays, giving the monument a unique shape. The internal façade on the back of the building consists of rooms built on pillars and corridors with minimal ornaments. The interior of the Mahal has been described as, rooms made with colored marble, decorated with inlaid or golden panels, and fountains in the center of the courtyard. Lal Chand Ustad was the designer of this unique structure. Built with red and pink sandstone, in line with the decor of the other monuments of the city, its color is a testimony to the pink city epitome given in Jaipur. Its facade consists of 953 niches with finely carved jharokha, is in sharp contrast to the simplicity of the rear facade of the structure. Its cultural and architectural heritage is a true reflection of a fusion of Hindu Rajput and Islamic moghul architecture; Rajput style is found in dome shelves, grooved columns, lotto and floral motifs, while the Islamic one is highlighted in filigree stone work, in the work of the arches. The entrance to Hawa Mahal from the Royal Palace takes place from an imperial gate. It opens into a large courtyard, which has two-story buildings on three sides, with the Hawa Mahal on the east side. In the courtyard there is an archaeological museum. The Hawa Mahal is considered Maharaja Jai Singh's masterpiece as it was his favorite residence for elegance and decorations within the Mahal. The cooling effect in the rooms, provided by the breeze crossing the facade windows, was enhanced by fountains placed in the center of each of the rooms. The two upper floors of the Hawai Mahal were accessible only by means of ramps. The palace is run by the Rajasthan Government's archeology department.
Attractions in Jaipur
