The Hawa Mahal or Palace of the Winds was built in 1799 by Sawai Pratap Singh for the ladies of the royal household to look out to the outside world without breaking purdah. It is actually a facade consisting of five tiers made up of arches, balconies, and perforated screens or jalis set into the palace walls along Jaipur's main street. Pratap Singh was a devotee of Krishna and dedicated the Hawa Mahal to him.
In her book "A Princess Remembers: The Memoirs of the Maharini of Jaipur", Gayatri Devi describes her first visit to the Hawa Mahal-circa 1940.

"…the zenana ladies were led by the palace eunuchs through a labyrinth of dark tunnels and passages and up and down ramps to a gallery that overlooked the main street…Through the lacy, carved marble screen of our own pavilion, perched like this on the top of the palace wall, we could get a clear view beneath us of…the streets of the town."

Today, along with the Taj Mahal, it has become a recognized symbol of Jaipur and India. Climb to the top of the Hawa Mahal for a view over the city.

Click on the links below to see a larger view of each photograph.

Related Web Sites

• India Profile article "The Hawa Mahal-A Fanciful Facade"
• Other Jaipur Links