The Hawa Mahal, or the Palace of Winds, is arguably Jaipur’s best-known monument. For one, it is unlike any other Rajput monument – fort, palace or temple. Secondly, it’s a bit too whimsical and delicate, almost like a magical structure from the Arabian Nights. Despite its towering height and length, the Hawa Mahal looks like a light, airy structure which might blow away with the slightest wind.

Placed right in the middle of the bustling Johari Bazaar, near the Badi Chaupad (the big square), this reddish-pink building made of red sandstone is a constant reminder of Jaipur’s colourful history which refuses to just curl up and die.

Construction of The Palace

Adjacent to the City Palace (where the family of the last Maharaja of Jaipur still lives) is the Hawa Mahal Jaipur, built by Sawai Pratap Singh and designed by Lalchand Usta in 1799. If you view it from a distance, it looks like a palace with the promise of big, spacious rooms inside. But once you cross the road for a closer inspection, you realise that it is little more than a finely chiselled facade. Out of its five floors, the top three are just a room deep while the lower floors are connected to rooms and courtyards. Hawa Mahal, Jaipur, is an enormous tapering structure with numerous arches, spires and a mind-boggling 953 latticed casements and small windows. If you observe it closely, you’ll realise that it is actually a portion of the zenana palace (women’s quarters) and what you can view from the road is merely the back of the building.

Constructed For The Royal Ladies of The Court

The building is a bit of an enigma as nobody knows precisely why it was built. A couplet ascribed to Sawai Pratap Singh, a poet and a devotee of the Hindu deities Radha and Krishna, suggests that the monument was dedicated to them. However, the most widely accepted conjecture is that it was a viewing gallery for the ladies of the royal household. Sitting in the cool, airy interior of the Hawa Mahal, they could watch the goings-on below while remaining hidden themselves. The carved screen balconies meant that the windows caught even the slightest whiff of breeze, making the ladies comfortable as they watched the royal parades and processions.

Visiting hours: 1000-1630 Hrs. Free on Monday and closed on Friday, Still & Vedio Camera charges are also there.

Location and Transport

Falling under the Golden Triangle of India and being visited by millions of domestic and foreign tourists, the city of Jaipur of Rajasthan is a place of high tourist interest. The Pink City of Rajasthan, as commonly known, has all sorts of amenities for domestic and foreign tourists. The city of Rajasthan is linked by Rail, Road, and Air and attracts high traffic in winters.

Air
Jaipur Airport of Rajasthan is located near Sanganer at a distance of 13 kms from the city of Jaipur in Rajasthan. Many domestic airlines connect the city of Rajasthan to all the major cities of India including Udaipur of Rajasthan and Jodhpur of Rajasthan as well. Flights for Delhi and Mumbai run on a regular basis. The airport has been granted the status of an international airport and connects to the foreign cities like Sharjaha and Muscat too.

Rail
Jaipur Railway Station of Rajasthan is a central main station of the state of Rajasthan. The vast rail track of Indian Railways connects Jaipur station of Rajasthan with all other cities of India. There are numerous trains which run on a regular basis to and from Jaipur of Rajasthan. Shatabdi and Intercity connects Jaipur of Rajasthan to Delhi. Shatabdi is fully air conditioned train starts from Delhi (5.55 AM) to Jaipur (10.35 AM) of Rajasthan, you can also try Intercity Exp starts from Delhi at (4.55 PM) reaches Jaipur (10.35 PM) of Rajasthan. There are other trains also to Jaipur of Rajasthan from other metro cities.

Road
Jaipur of Rajasthan is well connected by road to major cities in India. Excellent road network serves people to enjoy a comfortable journey to and from Jaipur of Rajasthan. This mode of traveling is quite easy and comparatively cheap. Regular bus services from nearby cities connect Jaipur to the other cities. Deluxe Buses, AC coaches and Government buses are available for the convenience of the passengers.