Hawa Mahal
Jaipur has hundreds of lovely havelis and palace apartments, each one constructed in a blend of Rajasthani and Mughal style. The most photographed building in Jaipur is the Hawa Mahal.
Located at one end, but very much part of the City Palace Complex, Hawa Mahal is best viewed from the street outside. This unusual architectural structure was designed by Lal Chand Usta. The name literally means ‘the palace of the wind’. It is a tall pink coloured oddly-shaped structure. It is designed one room deep but raised on five storeys. The angled and lacy lattice windows may capture the slightest wisp of a breeze. The building was added to the palace complex in 1799 by Pratap Singh. It was built for the ladies of the royal family to watch processions and festivities on the street below without being seen themselves. It has tier after tier of 953 small casements, each with tiny lattice work (Jali), pink windows, small balconies and arched roofs with hanging cornices, exquisitely modelled and carved.
