Description of the attraction
One of the finest creations of Indian masters - Hawa Mahal, "Palace of the Winds", is located on one of the streets of the wonderful city of Jaipur. The main "designer" was the architect Lal Chand Ustad, whose idea was to build a palace in the shape of the crown of the Hindu God Krishna. Its five-storey frontal part resembles the honeycomb of a bee hive - it has 953 small windows, called Jarokhas, decorated with delicate finely crafted lattices. These grilles were intended so that the noble ladies of the ruler's harem could freely observe daily street life without fear of being seen by outsiders. This was due to the fact that they had to observe "purdah" - a strict rule according to which a woman was supposed to hide her face.
The Palace of the Winds is part of the City Palace Complex and is located in the heart of Jaipur, one of the busiest business districts in the city. Hawa Mahal is adjacent to Zenana, the female part of the complex, in which the harem was located. The palace was designed at the request of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh of the Kachwaha clan, the ruler of Rajasthan. But its construction was completed only during the reign of Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799. In the summer, the palace became a favorite resting place for the large rajah's family, due to the fact that it was always cool in it.
Hawa Mahal is built of red and pink sandstone, which gives it an amazing look when exposed to the sun's rays. This five-story pyramid-like building rises above an area of 15 meters. It has countless rooms, each of which is "equipped" with its own small balcony, decorated with a small dome.
