Hawa Mahal (Wind Palace) of Jaipur

The Hawa Mahal is counted amongst the most gorgeous and captivating piece of work by the Rajput rulers. The Rajputs were strictly traditional and did not wish their women folk to be seen in public. The Rajputs women were themselves immensely particular about their dignity and self respect hence, they did not prefer to come out in open with the common public and strangers.

However, this did not deter them from taking interest in the proceedings of the court and other happenings of the world. Infact, the court rooms had special chambers for the women from where they could watch the day to day proceedings. And when they desired to have a look at the happenings of the outer world, a structure like Hawa Mahal had to be built. So, Hawa Mahal was a window to the outer world for the royal ladies and the Rajput ruler who ordered its construction in the year 1799 was Sawai Raja Pratap Singh.

The Hawa Mahal is an elemental part of the City Palace complex of Jaipur, yet it stands away from it and commands its own identity from the passerby. Standing on one of the main streets of Jaipur, the Hawa Mahal still quietly monitors the affairs of the city dwellers and welcomes anyone who comes to inspect it.

Architecture of Hawa Mahal:-

This five storeyed pyramid structure was designed by Lal Chand Ustad who dedicated his work to Lord Krishna and Radha. The pyramid shape of the Mahal gives it an appearance of the crown that adorned the head of Lord Krishna. The Mahal stands on a podium and is fifty feet high. The thickness, however, is less than even a foot. The entrance is through the City Palace from where doors open into a commodious courtyard with double storeyed buildings covering three sides. The building today houses an Archaeological Museum. The upper two storeys have just a single room. There are no stairs to reach the upper floors. Rather, there are ramps meant for carrying the palanquin of the royal ladies.

The entire structure is made up of 953 small casements each with small lattice worked pink window, small balconies and arched roofs with hanging cornices. Cool breezes enter through the window and keep the inner atmosphere extremely pleasant and airy.

Visitors will be surprised to notice that in sharp contrast to its rich exteriors, the interiors of the Hawa Mahal is strikingly simple. However, it is from here that visitors can have some of the finest views of the modern city of Jaipur.

In the earlier era, when means of entertainment were limited to few options, members of royal family had to choose from the ones that suited their status and regal taste. The Rajput Maharajas associated themselves with courage and as such loved sporting entertainment like hunting. The hunting lodges were specially constructed by them in the forest regions so as to provide comfortable stay while their wild expedition. These hunting lodges even played host to other royal guests as well as foreign dignitaries.

Palaces of Rajasthan

Rajasthan In Details