Hawa Mahal In Jaipur – A Complete Guide

The Hawa Mahal of Jaipur is one of the famous and most visited Palace in India. It is certainly one the monuments that India can boast of and is one of the most iconic landmarks of the pink city Jaipur. The undeniable charm of the Palace and the beautiful small windows never fail to arouse the curiosity of the tourists. This article will be a complete guide for you regarding what you need to know about the Hawa Mahal and how to visit there. We hope that by the end of this guide you will have an idea about what to expect when you visit this majestic structure in Jaipur.

History of Hawa Mahal

The Hawa Mahal was built in the year 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, who had ruled Jaipur from the year 1778 to 1803. The Palace was built as an extension of the Zenana which means the women’s quarters of the City Palace. One of the most unique and unusual things about the place is that it has been shaped like a honeycomb from a beehive.

At present, the Palace has a total number of 953 jharokhas i.e. Windows. The women belonging to the Royal family used to watch the city without even getting noticed by outsiders. The Palace has got the name of “Wind Palace” due to the cool breeze that used to flow through the windows. However, the breeze stooped blowing during the year 2010. This is because most of the windows were shut down by the authorities as they were being damaged by the tourists.

The structure of the Hawa Mahal can be said to be a blended style of Islamic Mughal and the Hindu Rajput styles. The design of the Palace is not something that is very remarkable. This is because the designs are similar to those the Mughal Palaces that has a lattice section designed especially for women.

The architect of the Palace was Lal Chand Ustad took the architecture of the building to a whole new level by transforming the Palace to a whole new level and making it five floors. The frontage of the Hawa Mahal seems to be the crown of Lord Krishna as the king himself was an adherent devotee of Lord Krishna. Many people also believe that the Hawa Mahal has been inspired by the Khetri Mahal of Jhunjhunu. This Palace is situated in the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan which was built in the year 1770 by Bhopal Singh. This Palace was also known as the “wind palace” but here pillars were used by the architect to make the airflow instead of walls and windows.

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Though the Hawa Mahal is made from pink and red sandstone, the exterior part of the palace was painted in Pink color in the year 1876 along with the other parts of the city. This was the decision of Maharaja Ram Singh as he thought it would be a great way to welcome Prince Albert of Wales since pink denotes hospitality. This is the story behind how Jaipur came to be known as the “Pink City” of India. Till date, the painting in the city still continues and is maintained by the government.

One more interesting fact about the Hawa Mahal is that it is apparently the tallest building in the world that is without any foundation. The structure was a little bit curved as it did not have any strong base.

Where Is Hawa Mahal Located?

The exact location of Hawa Mahal is at the Badi Chaupar which is also known as the Big Square. The location is easily available to the people who come to Jaipur to witness the majestic structure. The capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur which is also known as the pink city is hardly five to four hours from Delhi. Hawa Mahal is also one of the most popular places to see in Jaipur. The Palace is a part of the Golden Triangle Tourist Circuit of India. One can easily reach the Palace by air, road, and rail.

How Can You Reach Hawa Mahal?

For all the tourists and travelers out there, it is really important to know how exactly to reach Hawa Mahal in Jaipur so that they can enjoy the sheer beauty of the structure.

Here we are going to provide a few details about the traveling options that you can have when you need to go to Hawa Mahal in Jaipur.

• By Air

One of the best things about Jaipur is that it is very well connected to all the different major locations that we have in the country. You can easily catch a flight to Jaipur airport and then catch a ride to Hawa Mahal.

• By Rail

You can also travel to one of the major railway stations that Jaipur has and then catch a taxi to come to Hawa Mahal.

• By Road

The roads to Jaipur are perfect for a drive and you could enjoy the scenic beauty of the locations and have a wonderful time driving to Hawa Mahal.

Things To Do Near Hawa Mahal

When you are visiting the Hawa Mahal, you will see that there is a huge number of shops which sell the usual tourist fare like the textiles and clothing. However, things are very expensive or they are priced very high, so make sure you are bargaining hard while you are buying those things. There are many markets like the Bapu Bazaar, Johari Bazaar, and the Chandpole Bazaar, which has shops that sells jeweler at a cheap rate. You can visit these areas once if you are really fond of jewelry. These places are also famous for handicrafts and turbans as well.

Apart from the Hawa Mahal, the old Jaipur city also has a lot of popular attractions for tourists like the City Palace where the Royal family still lives. You can take a self-guided tour of the internet to enjoy and explore the place by yourself. There is also Surabhi Restaurant and Turban Museum, which is a ten-minute walk from the northern part of the Hawa Mahal. It is a must visit place for all the tourists if they really want to experience the culture of Rajasthan. The restaurant has live music and entertainment that reflects the culture of the city.

So, that is all that you need to know about the Hawa Mahal in Jaipur. Come and visit the place to marvel at its beauty.

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