Hawa Mahal, in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India was constructed by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799. Hawa Mahal or the ‘Palace Of The Winds’ is located in the heart of the stunning Pink City.
Hawa Mahal , built in 1799 is a beautiful structure with high screen wall made of pink and red sandstone from where the queens and princesses saw the processions and events through the many windows of the Hawa Mahal. This Rajput era structure is a five-storey building shaped like the crown of Lord Krishna with 953 jharokhas or windows and is like a honeycomb of a beehive.
The main reason of constructing Hawa Mahal was so that the royal Rajput women, who had to follow the Purdah system could get a glimpse of the daily events and festivals taking place on the streets. Hawa Mahal was used by them to give them a sense of freedom while maintaining their customs.
An imperial door leads to the entrance of Hawa Mahal from the back of the complex. The corridors are narrow and are cramped. The design of Hawa Mahal just excellent. The design, style and construction of this masterpiece will leave you with awe. Three two-storied buildings enclose a large courtyard on three sides and Hawa Mahal located on its eastern side.
The interior of the mahal has chambers , passages and pillars leading to the top storey. The first two stores have courtyards. There are no stairs in the building and top storey’s can be reached only by ramps.
Hawa Mahal houses an archeological museum that remains open on Saturday to Thursday. The museum is a depot of miniature paintings, rich relics like traditional armour used by the royals etc.
Hawa Mahal design is influenced by Rajput along with Islamic Mughal architecture. The potholes of the structure bearing small lattice windows, chiseled sandstone grill and decorated domes gives it a look of a mass of semi-octagonal bays. The jharokhas of the mahal were build to circulate natural air circulates through them creating Venturi effect (doctor breeze). And so in that age air conditioning effect was available in the entire mahal during the summers.
The jharokhas consisted of small chamber where the royal ladies sit and viewed the street. Each chamber has a fountains at the middle and along with the light and wind provided a cooling effect to the chambers.
Any time of the year is suitable to visit Hawa Mahal. You will definitely appreciate the architecture as you feel the drought of wind.
How to Reach:
Jaipur is well-connected with all over India by air, rail and road and also with some international cities by air. Jaipur International Airport at Sanganer, is 13 kilometres from Jaipur.
Hawa Mahal is a prominent landmark of Jaipur and is rich in cultural and architectural history. Trains are the best option to reach Jaipur either you can choose the Palace on Wheels train which is the best option for luxury train travel in India.
Timing:
Hawa Mahal remain open daily from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm and visit duration is 1 hour.
Entrance Fee: INR 200 for Foreign Tourists and INR 50 for Indians
So, pack your bags and check the schedule of the Palace on Wheels train for the season 2018 – 2019.
