- Location: Jaipur, Rajasthan
- Built By: Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh
- Unique Feature: Multi Layered Red And Pink Sandstone Building
- Houses: Hawa Mahal Museum
Built
in 1799, by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, the Hawa Mahal Palace (Palace
of the Wind , or Pink palace ) is one of the major landmarks of Jaipur
(Rajasthan - India). The structure is an interplay of red and pink sand
stone, carefully and painstakingly outlined with white borders and
motifs.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 of Hawa Mahal are plain and mere mass of pillars and passages leading to the top story. It does not seem to be part of the same building.
Today, Hawa Mahal provides the travelers in Jaipur 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. Strangely, the entrance to Hawa Mahal is from the rear side. So, the next time you travel to Jaipur, do fix up a date with Hawa Mahal.
Architecture
The palace is a five-story pyramidal shaped monument that rises to a height of 50 feet (15 m) from its high base. The top three floors of the structure have a dimension of one room width while the first and second floors have patios in front of them, on the rear side of the structure. The front elevation, as seen from the street, is like a honeycomb web of a beehive built with small portholes. Each porthole has miniature windows and has carved sandstone grills, finials and domes. It is a veritable mass of semi-octagonal bays, which gives the monument its unique façade. The inner face on the back side of the building consists of need-based chambers built with pillars and corridors with least ornamentation, and reach up to the top floor. The interior of the Mahal has been described as “having rooms of different coloured marbles, relieved by inlaid panels or gilding; while fountains adorn the centre of the courtyard”.
