Hawa Mahal Jaipur - हवा महल
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The 'Hawa Mahal' or the Palace of Wind is one of the main landmarks of Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. The Hawa Mahal is a five storey building of remarkable architecture and a spectacular example of the Rajput style of architecture made of red and pink sand stone, beautifully outlined with white borders and motif's done (painted) with quick lime. You can get a spectacular view of the Jaipur city from the Hawa Mahal. It is believed that the Hawa Mahal was originally conceived with the aim of enabling ladies of the royal household to watch the everyday life and royal processions in the city without being seen.
While looking at the Hawa Mahal from the road below, the structure looks more like a delicate screen than a palace. This amazing five-story, pyramidal structure has 953 small casements. Each one of them has tiny lattice worked (Jali) windows (pink in color), small balconies and arched roofs with hanging cornices, elegantly modeled, engraved and carved. These small windows were meant for air circulation during the summers, so that the palace remained cool. It is interesting to note that the pyramidal outline is even throughout and repetition of motifs has been done to enhance its beauty.
The main entrance to the Hawa Mahal is from the City Palace side, through a door that opens into a spacious courtyard. This courtyard has a double storeyed building on three sides. A small archeological museum is housed here. There are only the ramps to reach the upper floors of the Hawa Mahal, and not the usual stairs. The best time to explore the beauty of the Hawa Mahal is sunrise when sunlight pierces the latticed windows giving it a wonderful glow.
Jaipur's signature building, the Hawa Mahal, a multi layered palace, was built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II. Famous for it's beehive like structure, the Mahal is an interplay of red and pink sand stone, carefully and painstakingly outlined with white borders and motifs. The palaces and forts of yesteryears, which were witness to the royal processions and splendours are now living monuments, accepted quite naturally into the lifestyle of the people of the "Pink City".
Falling under the Golden Triangle, and being visited by millions of domestic and foreign tourists, the city of Jaipur is a place of high tourist interest. The Pink City, as commonly known, has all sorts of amenities for domestic and foreign tourists. Hotels ranging from 5 star to low budgets are available. The city is linked by Rail, Road, and Air and attracts high traffic in winters.
The Hawa Mahal (literal meaning, palace of the winds) is an important landmark of the city of Jaipur, the pink city of India. It is an interesting building, although it is actually little more than a façade. This honeycombed building was originally built to facilitate the women of the royal household to watch the everyday life and processions of the city.
A study of Rajput monuments shows that it was strongly influenced by Mughal architecture. However, the Rajputs adapted and used Mughals styles so tastefully in their buildings that it led to the development of a distinct architectural style of great sophistication and imaginative invention. The Rajput style, on one hand, has traditional Hindu elements like the chhatris (small domed canopies, supported by pillars), fluted pillars, lotus and floral patterns, etc., and, on the other hand, it has elements like stone inlay work and arches, which are reflective of the Islamic style of architecture.
Jaipur was founded in 1727 by one of the greatest rulers of the Kachhawaha clan, the astronomer-king Sawai Jai Singh II (1699-1743), and designed by the brilliant architect Vidhyadhar Bhattacharya. Later rulers made their own contributions to the city by building more palaces and temples during their reign.Designed in accordance with ancient Hindu treatise on architecture, the Shilpa Shastra, Jaipur follows a grid system and is encircled by a fortified wall.
The main palace lies in the heart of the city and occupies the space of the central grid. The rest of the grids were cut across neatly by wide lanes, which divided the area into tidy, well-laid rectangles of commercial and residential use.
Most places of interest are located mainly in the walled city. The City Palace complex is the most important landmark of Jaipur and has a number of interesting buildings within its precincts. If one were to select the most outstanding of all buildings in the walled city, or the most unusual, then the Hawa Mahal would easily stand out. Built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, this remarkable structure adjoins the outside of the City Palace wall. Sawai Pratap Singh was a great devotee of Lord Krishna and he dedicated this mahal to the Lord, its intricate exterior wall looks like a mukut (crown), which adorns Lord Krishna's head. It overlooks one of the main street and lies sandwiched between more prosaic buildings.
This five-story, pyramid-shaped structure is made up of small casements, each with tiny windows and arched roofs with hanging cornices, exquisitely modeled and carved. Its façade makes Hawa Mahal look more like a screen than a palace. Its top three stories are just a single room thick but at the base are two courtyards. It is a fifty-foot high thin shield, less than a foot in thickness, but has over 900 niches and a mass of semi-octagonal bays, carved sandstone grills, finials and domes, which give this palace its unique façade.
There is no definite record as to why Hawa Mahal was built, only conjecture. It certainly was not meant for residential purposes. That becomes clear if one were to view this unusual structure from the rear side. There is a total lack of ornamentation on the inner face of the building. The chambers are plain and more mass of pillars and passages leading to the top story. It does not seem to be part of the same building.
Built at a time when royal ladies observed very strict purdah (covering the faces), it is widely believed that this interesting palace, with its screened balconies, provided the ladies of the zenana (royal household) an opportunity to watch processions and other activities on the streets below without being observed themselves. The openings here are almost like peepholes, partially block by fine latticework in lime plaster, and some with plain wooden windows.
The Hawa Mahal lives up to its name as one climbs up to the balconies and is almost swept away by the cool breeze. The royal ladies not only enjoyed the view but also did so in great comfort and style. Today, Hawa Mahal provides the visitor with some excellent views of the city and a bird's eye view of the Jantar Mantar (a medieval observatory and an important tourist place in Jaipur). The best time to view Hawa Mahal is sunrise when it catches the early morning sun and is bathed in its golden light making it glow like a gem. The entrance to this strange building is on the rear side.
Built in 1799, by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh the 'Hawa Mahal', Palace of the Wind, is one of the major landmarks of Jaipur. It is an integral part of the City Palace, an extension of the Zenana (women's chambers) standing away from the main complex. This five storey building of unusual architecture designed by Lal Chand Usta, is a stunning example of Rajput artistry made of red and pink sand stone, beautifully outlined with white borders and motif's painted with quick lime. The monument with a spectacular view of Jaipur city with road avenues, intersections and colourful crowds in the market, was originally conceived with the aim of enabling ladies of the royal household to watch the everyday life and royal processions in the city without being seen by others.
Hawa Mahal from the road side Its facade from the road side makes Hawa Mahal look more like a delicate screen than a palace. This five-story, pyramid-shaped structure has tier after tier of 953 small casements, each with tiny lattice worked (Jali) pink windows, small balconies and arched roofs with hanging cornices, exquisitely modeled and carved. These small windows circulate cool air (Hawa) even in hot months. The pyramidal outline is even throughout by cramming and multiplying casements; and uses repetition of motifs to enhance its beauty.
The entrance to Hawa Mahal is from the City Palace side, through a stately door which opens into a spacious courtyard. The courtyard has a double storeyed building on three sides. There is a small archeological museum here. Only the eastern wing has three more storeys above, which are just a single room thick. The building, standing on a high podium, is a fifty-foot high thin shield, less than a foot in thickness, with small intimate chambers , which give this palace its unique facade. There are no regular stairs to reach the upper floors, but only ramps.
Hawa Mahal which is currently under the supervision of the State archeological department provides the visitor with excellent views of the city. The best time to view Hawa Mahal is sunrise when sunlight through the latticed windows gives it a wonderful glow.
How to Get There Air: Jaipur is connected to Delhi (300Km), Mumbai, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Aurangabad, Calcutta and Varanasi by domestic flights. Rail: The train service to Jaipur is available from all the major parts of the country. Road: Jaipur can be accessed from all the major places in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi and Mumbai by bus.
The Hawa Mahal provides a striking view of the city of Jaipur. The building was certainly was not meant for residential purposes. It lacks in ornamentation on the inner side of the building. The chambers are plain and more mass of pillars and passages leading to the top story. It does not seem to be part of the same building. It was probably conceived with the aim of enabling ladies of the royal household to watch the everyday life and royal processions in the city without being seen by others. It was built at a time when royal ladies observed very strict purdah system. The palace, with its screened balconies, provided the ladies of the zenana (royal household) an opportunity to watch processions and other activities on the streets below without being observed themselves. The openings here are almost like peepholes, partially block by fine latticework in lime plaster, and some with plain wooden windows. The royal ladies not only enjoyed the view but also did so in great comfort and style The facade of the Hawa Mahal looks more like a delicate screen than a palace from the roadside. It is a five-storeyed, pyramid-shaped structure. It is made up of tiers one over another with 953 small casements. Each casement had a tiny lattice worked (Jali) pink windows, small balconies and curved roofs with hanging cornices. They were delicately sculptured and carved.Tour to Hawa Mahal Jaipur These small windows circulate cool air even during hot months. The pyramidal outline is even throughout by cramming and multiplying casements and the use of repetition of motifs is done to enhance its beauty. The building is 50 ft high and a foot in thickness. There are over 900 niches in the structure with semi-octagonal alcoves, carved sandstone grills, finials and domes.
The entrance to Hawa Mahal is from the City Palace. An imposing door opens into a spacious courtyard, which has a double storeyed building on three sides. The eastern wing has three more storeys above, which has thickness of just a single room. The building stands over a high podium. There is a lack of regular stairs to reach the upper floors, but have only ramps in order to facilitate the servants to carry the palanquins. The Hawa Mahal stands true to its name. As one climbs up to the balconies, he is almost swept away by the cool breeze. There is a small archeological museum here to provide a glimpse of art and craft of Rajasthan. Hawa Mahal, which is currently under the supervision of the State Archeological Department, provides the visitor with excellent views of the city. The best time to view Hawa Mahal is sunrise when sunlight through the latticed windows gives it a wonderful glow.
Hawa Mahal is also called the Palace of winds and is situated in the heart of the city. It is a five storey structure and was built Poet-King Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799. It was built to enable the ladies of the royal household to watch the everyday life and processions of the city.
Hawa Mahal is the most strikingly designed monument in Jaipur.Hawa Mahal is the part of the east wall of the City Palace complex. Most well known of Jaipur's buildings,you can have the best views of this great building from the street outside.
While looking at the Hawa Mahal from the road below, the structure looks more like a delicate screen than a palace. This amazing five-story, pyramidal structure has 953 small casements. Each one of them has tiny lattice worked (Jali) windows (pink in color), small balconies and arched roofs with hanging cornices, elegantly modeled, engraved and carved. These small windows were meant for air circulation during the summers, so that the palace remained cool. It is interesting to note that the pyramidal outline is even throughout and repetition of motifs has been done to enhance its beauty.
The main entrance to the Hawa Mahal is from the City Palace side, through a door that opens into a spacious courtyard. This courtyard has a double storeyed building on three sides. A small archeological museum is housed here. There are only the ramps to reach the upper floors of the Hawa Mahal, and not the usual stairs. The best time to explore the beauty of the Hawa Mahal is sunrise when sunlight pierces the latticed windows giving it a wonderful glow.
Jaipur's signature building, the Hawa Mahal, a multi layered palace, was built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II. Famous for it's beehive like structure, the Mahal is an interplay of red and pink sand stone, carefully and painstakingly outlined with white borders and motifs. The palaces and forts of yesteryears, which were witness to the royal processions and splendours are now living monuments, accepted quite naturally into the lifestyle of the people of the "Pink City".
Falling under the Golden Triangle, and being visited by millions of domestic and foreign tourists, the city of Jaipur is a place of high tourist interest. The Pink City, as commonly known, has all sorts of amenities for domestic and foreign tourists. Hotels ranging from 5 star to low budgets are available. The city is linked by Rail, Road, and Air and attracts high traffic in winters.
The Hawa Mahal (literal meaning, palace of the winds) is an important landmark of the city of Jaipur, the pink city of India. It is an interesting building, although it is actually little more than a façade. This honeycombed building was originally built to facilitate the women of the royal household to watch the everyday life and processions of the city.
Rajput Style Of Architecture
Among all the states of erstwhile princely India, Rajputana (now Rajasthan) is undoubtedly one of the most colorful. Despite their time-consuming preoccupation with war, the Rajputs, at all periods of their history, have been patrons of art and architecture. They were great builders, and their forts and palaces, built for reasons of security, residence and leisure of the Maharajas and their women, are not only impressive but a very important part of Rajasthan's cultural and architectural heritage.A study of Rajput monuments shows that it was strongly influenced by Mughal architecture. However, the Rajputs adapted and used Mughals styles so tastefully in their buildings that it led to the development of a distinct architectural style of great sophistication and imaginative invention. The Rajput style, on one hand, has traditional Hindu elements like the chhatris (small domed canopies, supported by pillars), fluted pillars, lotus and floral patterns, etc., and, on the other hand, it has elements like stone inlay work and arches, which are reflective of the Islamic style of architecture.
Hawa Mahal
The city of Jaipur reflects a clever amalgamation of the Rajput and Mughal styles, which has given this city a unique character. Being close to Delhi and Agra, and the fact that its rulers were powerful members of the Mughal durbar (court), ensured that its rulers kept the special Mughal touches of filigreeing marble and sandstone alive. Fresco painting and inlaid mirror work has also been used extensively to create a fantasy world of color and richness in the midst of bleak surroundings. This love for decoration was not confined to the royal houses but filtered down to the common man as well. This is apparent when one takes a walk down the broad streets of this delightful city.Jaipur was founded in 1727 by one of the greatest rulers of the Kachhawaha clan, the astronomer-king Sawai Jai Singh II (1699-1743), and designed by the brilliant architect Vidhyadhar Bhattacharya. Later rulers made their own contributions to the city by building more palaces and temples during their reign.Designed in accordance with ancient Hindu treatise on architecture, the Shilpa Shastra, Jaipur follows a grid system and is encircled by a fortified wall.
The main palace lies in the heart of the city and occupies the space of the central grid. The rest of the grids were cut across neatly by wide lanes, which divided the area into tidy, well-laid rectangles of commercial and residential use.
Most places of interest are located mainly in the walled city. The City Palace complex is the most important landmark of Jaipur and has a number of interesting buildings within its precincts. If one were to select the most outstanding of all buildings in the walled city, or the most unusual, then the Hawa Mahal would easily stand out. Built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, this remarkable structure adjoins the outside of the City Palace wall. Sawai Pratap Singh was a great devotee of Lord Krishna and he dedicated this mahal to the Lord, its intricate exterior wall looks like a mukut (crown), which adorns Lord Krishna's head. It overlooks one of the main street and lies sandwiched between more prosaic buildings.
This five-story, pyramid-shaped structure is made up of small casements, each with tiny windows and arched roofs with hanging cornices, exquisitely modeled and carved. Its façade makes Hawa Mahal look more like a screen than a palace. Its top three stories are just a single room thick but at the base are two courtyards. It is a fifty-foot high thin shield, less than a foot in thickness, but has over 900 niches and a mass of semi-octagonal bays, carved sandstone grills, finials and domes, which give this palace its unique façade.
There is no definite record as to why Hawa Mahal was built, only conjecture. It certainly was not meant for residential purposes. That becomes clear if one were to view this unusual structure from the rear side. There is a total lack of ornamentation on the inner face of the building. The chambers are plain and more mass of pillars and passages leading to the top story. It does not seem to be part of the same building.
Built at a time when royal ladies observed very strict purdah (covering the faces), it is widely believed that this interesting palace, with its screened balconies, provided the ladies of the zenana (royal household) an opportunity to watch processions and other activities on the streets below without being observed themselves. The openings here are almost like peepholes, partially block by fine latticework in lime plaster, and some with plain wooden windows.
The Hawa Mahal lives up to its name as one climbs up to the balconies and is almost swept away by the cool breeze. The royal ladies not only enjoyed the view but also did so in great comfort and style. Today, Hawa Mahal provides the visitor with some excellent views of the city and a bird's eye view of the Jantar Mantar (a medieval observatory and an important tourist place in Jaipur). The best time to view Hawa Mahal is sunrise when it catches the early morning sun and is bathed in its golden light making it glow like a gem. The entrance to this strange building is on the rear side.
Built in 1799, by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh the 'Hawa Mahal', Palace of the Wind, is one of the major landmarks of Jaipur. It is an integral part of the City Palace, an extension of the Zenana (women's chambers) standing away from the main complex. This five storey building of unusual architecture designed by Lal Chand Usta, is a stunning example of Rajput artistry made of red and pink sand stone, beautifully outlined with white borders and motif's painted with quick lime. The monument with a spectacular view of Jaipur city with road avenues, intersections and colourful crowds in the market, was originally conceived with the aim of enabling ladies of the royal household to watch the everyday life and royal processions in the city without being seen by others.
Hawa Mahal from the road side Its facade from the road side makes Hawa Mahal look more like a delicate screen than a palace. This five-story, pyramid-shaped structure has tier after tier of 953 small casements, each with tiny lattice worked (Jali) pink windows, small balconies and arched roofs with hanging cornices, exquisitely modeled and carved. These small windows circulate cool air (Hawa) even in hot months. The pyramidal outline is even throughout by cramming and multiplying casements; and uses repetition of motifs to enhance its beauty.
The entrance to Hawa Mahal is from the City Palace side, through a stately door which opens into a spacious courtyard. The courtyard has a double storeyed building on three sides. There is a small archeological museum here. Only the eastern wing has three more storeys above, which are just a single room thick. The building, standing on a high podium, is a fifty-foot high thin shield, less than a foot in thickness, with small intimate chambers , which give this palace its unique facade. There are no regular stairs to reach the upper floors, but only ramps.
Hawa Mahal which is currently under the supervision of the State archeological department provides the visitor with excellent views of the city. The best time to view Hawa Mahal is sunrise when sunlight through the latticed windows gives it a wonderful glow.
How to Get There Air: Jaipur is connected to Delhi (300Km), Mumbai, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Aurangabad, Calcutta and Varanasi by domestic flights. Rail: The train service to Jaipur is available from all the major parts of the country. Road: Jaipur can be accessed from all the major places in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi and Mumbai by bus.
Hawa Mahal, Jaipur
Tour to Hawa Mahal Jaipur The Hawa Mahal or the Palace of the Wind is one landmark of Jaipur and a monument famous all over the world. It was built by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799 AD. It is an inherent part of the City Palace and was a later addition. The Hawa Mahal was an extension of the ladies chamber, zenana standing away from the main complex. It was the last part of entire complex made for royal harem and guarded by battalion of sentries. The building was designed by Lal Chand Usta and dedicated it to Lord Krishna and his beloved Radha. It is made of red and pink sandstone and the outlines of white border and motif's are painted of quick lime. It is one of the finest examples of Rajput architecture and artistry.The Hawa Mahal provides a striking view of the city of Jaipur. The building was certainly was not meant for residential purposes. It lacks in ornamentation on the inner side of the building. The chambers are plain and more mass of pillars and passages leading to the top story. It does not seem to be part of the same building. It was probably conceived with the aim of enabling ladies of the royal household to watch the everyday life and royal processions in the city without being seen by others. It was built at a time when royal ladies observed very strict purdah system. The palace, with its screened balconies, provided the ladies of the zenana (royal household) an opportunity to watch processions and other activities on the streets below without being observed themselves. The openings here are almost like peepholes, partially block by fine latticework in lime plaster, and some with plain wooden windows. The royal ladies not only enjoyed the view but also did so in great comfort and style The facade of the Hawa Mahal looks more like a delicate screen than a palace from the roadside. It is a five-storeyed, pyramid-shaped structure. It is made up of tiers one over another with 953 small casements. Each casement had a tiny lattice worked (Jali) pink windows, small balconies and curved roofs with hanging cornices. They were delicately sculptured and carved.Tour to Hawa Mahal Jaipur These small windows circulate cool air even during hot months. The pyramidal outline is even throughout by cramming and multiplying casements and the use of repetition of motifs is done to enhance its beauty. The building is 50 ft high and a foot in thickness. There are over 900 niches in the structure with semi-octagonal alcoves, carved sandstone grills, finials and domes.
The entrance to Hawa Mahal is from the City Palace. An imposing door opens into a spacious courtyard, which has a double storeyed building on three sides. The eastern wing has three more storeys above, which has thickness of just a single room. The building stands over a high podium. There is a lack of regular stairs to reach the upper floors, but have only ramps in order to facilitate the servants to carry the palanquins. The Hawa Mahal stands true to its name. As one climbs up to the balconies, he is almost swept away by the cool breeze. There is a small archeological museum here to provide a glimpse of art and craft of Rajasthan. Hawa Mahal, which is currently under the supervision of the State Archeological Department, provides the visitor with excellent views of the city. The best time to view Hawa Mahal is sunrise when sunlight through the latticed windows gives it a wonderful glow.
Hawa Mahal is also called the Palace of winds and is situated in the heart of the city. It is a five storey structure and was built Poet-King Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799. It was built to enable the ladies of the royal household to watch the everyday life and processions of the city.
Hawa Mahal is the most strikingly designed monument in Jaipur.Hawa Mahal is the part of the east wall of the City Palace complex. Most well known of Jaipur's buildings,you can have the best views of this great building from the street outside.
How to Reach Hawa Mahal Jaipur
There are direct flights from Delhi, Bombay, Jodhpur, and Udaipur to Jaipur. The city is also well connected to Delhi, Bombay, Madras, Calcutta, and Jammu by both trains and buses.By Air
Jaipur is connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Aurangabad, Kolkata and Varanasi by domestic flights.By Rail
Jaipur is well connected to major cities of India by rail. The train service to Jaipur is available from all the major parts of the country.By Road
Jaipur can be accessed from all the major places in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi and Mumbai by bus.
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