Hawa Mahal, or the "Palace of Winds," is one of the most distinctive monuments in Jaipur. Built in 1799, this five-story palace is shaped like a honeycomb with its 953 small windows decorated with intricate latticework.
Built by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, Hawa Mahal was designed to allow royal women to observe everyday life and festivals celebrated in the street below without being seen, since they had to obey strict "purdah" (face cover).
The palace's unique five-story exterior is akin to a honeycomb with its 953 small windows called jharokhas decorated with intricate latticework. The original intention of the lattice design was to allow royal ladies to observe everyday life in the street below without being seen.
Built of red and pink sandstone, the palace is an example of excellent craftsmanship of the time with its unique blend of Hindu Rajput architecture and Islamic Mughal architecture. The building is shaped like Krishna's crown because Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh was a great devotee of Lord Krishna.