Hawa Mahal Travel

Introduction

Hawa Mahal is also known as Palace of Winds. It is one of the major attractions in the city. Situated in center of the city, it is a five-storied architecture. Designed by Lal Chand Ustad, the palace is a must visit attraction during Jaipur visit. The base design was to give it a look of crown of God Krishna. The main reason behind construction of a palace with so many windows is to facilitate the royal women with a view of everyday life through the window as for them being in public was restricted for the security reasons.

History

This amazing attraction is a contribution of Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh who hired a well-reputed architecture of that era, Lal Chand Ustad. Built in 1799 in the form of the crown of one of the Hindu God Krishna, the Palace of winds is an evidence that the king was a great devotee of lord Krishna. The old tradition of not allowing woman for public appearance but keeping them aware of the lifestyle outside the palace was the basic idea behind architecture.

Architectures and developments

Built with red and pink sandstone, the palace looks amazingly beautiful. The palace is considered as a fine sample of Rajputana architecture. Designed with 953 windows or 'Jharokhas', the palace is famous for its pyramid shape. Decorated with intricate designs, the palace was serving as a window for royal women to peep in to the life of a common man as according to Rajputana culture, women were not allowed to make public apearences.

Sites and structures

The palace is a five storied building that rises around 15 m from the base. First and second floor has patios in front of them whereas rest of the three floors has a dimension of one room. Built on the main road, the palace looks like a huge honeycomb. There are several portholes in the front view of the palace that are carved with stone grill. These portholes were used to look outside the palace.

How to reach

Hawa Mahal is located on the busy road of the town. So, the palace is easily approachable by road which connects it with rest of the city.