Hawa mahal

Hawa Mahal

Hawa Mahal ("Palace of Winds" or “Palace of the Breeze”), is a palace in Jaipur, India.  It was built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, and designed by Lal Chand Ustad in the form of the crown of Krishna, the Hindu  god. Its unique five-storey exterior is also akin to the honeycomb of the beehive with its 953 small windows called  jharokhas that are decorated with intricate latticework. The original intention of the lattice was to allow royal ladies to observe everyday life in the street below without being seen, since they had to observe strict "purdah" (face cover). Besides this, the lattice also provides cool air caused by the Venturi effect (doctor breeze) through the intricate pattern and thereby air conditioning the whole area during the high temperatures in summers.

Built of red and pink sandstone, the palace is situated on the main thoroughfare in the heart of Jaipur’s business centre. It forms part of the City Palace, and extends to the Zenana or women's chambers, the chambers of the harem. It is particularly striking when viewed early in the morning, lit with the golden light of sunrise.

Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, the king of Jaipur was a prominent person from a royal family who was known for his excellence and knowledge in the whole globe. His establishments in the city Jaipur are the amazing piece of art elaborating the ravishing and breathe taking exemplar of knowledge and brain.  Along with excellence, the king of Jaipur was very peculiar about the culture of the city which is filled with rich heritage of the state. Till today, the Rajasthani people and culture shares a unique residence which exceptionally defines the richness of their values and customs. One of his achievements in the same is defined by “HawaMahal”. The establishment of this famous monument redefines the creativity and excellence of mind used in daily pleasure activities. One such renowned monument in Jaipur famous for its excellent architecture and concept is HAWA MAHAL. Hawa mahal is also known as “palace of winds”.  Jaipur Hawa Mahal is one of the best Jaipur tourists places to the guests and tourist in pinkcity. Every guests and tourists are recorded to be impressed by the architecture and the history behind the establishment of royal palace of winds.

Beauty Of Hawa Mahal

Hawa Mahal is the five storey palace which is located in heart and soul of the pinkcity which was established in the year 1799 under the rule of  Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh. The architecture of the building is so build that it concrete the shape of a pyramid with total of 953 windows uniquely carved in the Rajasthani pattern and designs.  Lal Chand ustad, the architect of Hawa Mahal was told to build this palace in order to enable the queens and other women from royal families to enjoy the view of nature by the windows which serves the purpose of freezing winds inside the palace.

Talking about its architecture, palace shares the height of 50 feet from ground designed in the manner of a castle along with small windows. One interesting fact about Hawa Mahal states that the thickness of the walls of the palace are even lesser than a foot but beautifully carved on thin shield with erect position. The name Hawa Mahal was given to the palace, as the winds blowing in the palace were freezing and creating a soothing surrounding in the palace. out of the five storey, the top three storey of the palace have a thickness of a room with bottom two storey furnished with beautifully designed courtyards on the three sides of the palace. the place ensures the beautiful and breathe taking views of the entire city from the city which feels like the royal glimpse of the city under the open sky.

One may not be aware of the fact that the appearance of this palace resembles to the crown of Lord Krishna in the form of peacock feathers. King Sawai Pratap singh was a biggest devotee of Lord Krishna and thus created this idea of building Hawa Mahal as a dedication to his almighty. During the rule of kings in Jaipur, Purdaah system  was followed by the royal women in the city. They were not allowed to talk or interact with outside people or strangers. This became one of the strong reasons of the creation of this palace which helped the royal women enjoy the beauty of nature through the windows of this palace. Hawa Mahal is registered as one exemplar portraying dignity and honor of the city in the history pages of Rajasthan. The palace of winds plays a vital role in uplifting the social and renowned responsibilities which is running from more than a decade ago by the kings of the city.

Jaipur's  signature building, the Hawa Mahal, a multi layered palace, was built by Sawai Pratap Singh (grand son of Sawai Jai Singh and son of Sawai Madhoo Singh) in 1799 AD and Mr. Lal Chand Usta was the architect. Famous for it's beehive like structure, the Hawa 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 splendors are now living monuments, accepted quite naturally into the lifestyle of the people of the "Pink City" Jaipur.

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.

Architecture

The palace is a five-storey 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”.

Lal Chand Ustad  was the architect of this unique structure who also planned Jaipur city, considered then as one of the best-planned cities in India. Built in red and pink coloured sand stone, in keeping with the décor of the other monuments in the city, its colour is a full testimony to the epithet of “Pink City”  given to Jaipur.  Its façade depicts 953 niches with intricately carved Jharokhas (some are made of wood) is a stark contrast to the plain looking rear side of the structure. Its cultural and architectural heritage is a true reflection of a fusion of Hindu Rajput architecture and the Islamic Mu pagal maksjghal architecture; the Rajput style is seen in the form of domed canopies, fluted pillars, lotus and floral patterns, and the Islamic style as evident in its stone inlay filigree work and arches (as distinguished from its similarity with the Panch Mahal - the palace of winds – at Fatehpur Sikri).

The entry to the Hawa Mahal from the city palace side is through an imperial door. It opens into a large courtyard, which has double storeyed buildings on three sides, with the Hawa Mahal enclosing it on the east side. An archaeological museum is also housed in this courtyard.

Hawa Mahal was also known as the chef-d'œuvre of Maharaja Jai Singh as it was his favourite resort because of the elegance and built-in interior of the Mahal. The cooling effect in the chambers, provided by the breeze passing through the small windows of the façade, was enhanced by the fountains provided at the centre of each of the chambers.

The top two floors of the Hawa Mahal are accessed only through ramps. The Mahal is maintained by the archaeological Department of the Government of Rajasthan.