Hawa Mahal is the crown of the city of
Jaipur and a living testimonial to Rajput glory and architecture. This honeycombed building was the palace of
Maharaja Sawai Pratap built in 1799, to help the women of the royal household to watch the everyday life and processions of the city without being seen by others.
Nestled along the main street of the old city, Hawa Mahal is a pink beauty with its semi-octagonal sandstone windows with perforated screens. These windows circulate cool breeze even in hot months and the palace came to be called ‘hawa mahal’. Built in red and pink sandstone and beautifully outlined with white borders and motifs painted with quick lime, Hawa Mahal is an incomparable beauty of Rajput artistry. Lal Chand Usta designed this five-storied building in an unusual architectural design with small casements, each with tiny lattice worked pink windows, small balconies and arched roofs with hanging cornices. It allows a spectacular view of Jaipur city with its road avenues, intersections, and colorful crowds in the market. Currently Hawa Mahal is under the supervision of the state archeological department.
