Hawa Mahal, also known as the Palace of Winds, is an iconic architectural gem in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Built in 1799, it features a distinctive pink facade with 953 intricately carved windows, designed to allow royal ladies to observe street festivities while maintaining privacy. This five-story marvel, shaped like Lord Krishna's crown, is a symbol of Jaipur's rich history, blending Rajput and Mughal architectural styles.
Resembling Krishna’s crown, Hawa Mahal is an elaborate monument in Jaipur. Standing right in the middle of the old market of Jaipur, the structure made of red and pink sandstone keeps the name of the Pink City very proudly. Explore Hawa Mahal on Jaipur travel packages for historical elegance.
Lal Chand Ustad has put a lot of effort in designing the back of the palace to blend in the city, which is now also confused as the front by people.
Also known as ‘The Palace of Winds’, the Hawa Mahal is a part of the City Palace. There is no entrance from the main road to the mahal, so you have to seek for the gate which let you enter. Inside are five floors designed very carefully.
There are 953 ‘jharokhas’ made to allow the winds to pass into the palace and keep it fresh and breezy in sweltering summers.
Being surrounded by the traditional market of Jaipur, you will find all the authentic pieces of souvenirs related to the culture and the history of Jaipur.
Hence, you can club shopping while visiting the palace.
Make sure to spend your entire evening shopping traditional souvenirs and then wait for dusk to draw upon only to see the colourfully lit Hawa Mahal standing amidst the bustling market.
Hawa Mahal was built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh who was the grandson of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh. The story of the birth of the palace started when Pratap visited Jhunjhunu and saw Khetri Mahal.
Maharaj was impressed by the unique design of the Khetri Mahal, and that was when he decided to create a better version of it. Lal Chand Ustad designed this palace and ended up making one of the best monuments history has ever created.
The primary purpose for creating this palace was to give royal women a separate place. From Hawa Mahal, they could enjoy the everyday lives and celebrations of the festival through the windows without being seen as they weren’t allowed to go out in public without a veil.
The Hawa Mahal was a part of the main City Palace, and the royal family used to come here to escape the scorching heat as this palace was always cold and breezy due to the windows it has.
From then on, it has been preserved to keep the glory and grace alive for the generations to come.
Hawa Mahal is an excellent example of Hindu Rajput architecture finely blended with Islamic Mughal architecture giving it the face it is famous for.
It is made with red and pink sandstone along with white marble inside the palace.
The look of the palace observed from the street looks extremely beautiful, and people mistake it with the entrance of the palace.
Actually, it is the backside of the palace as it is an extended part of the main City Palace. It has five floors adorned with 953 jharokhas and latticework.
The technology of Venturi effect is utilised well to make the air coming inside the palace cool.
This effect always helped the Hawa Mahal stay serene and pleasant, so royal women never had a problem staying here in hot temperatures.
At several times, the entire royal family used to get together here and escape the summers together.
This honeycomb-like monument is a proud heritage left by the bygone era, which is an integral part of the history as well as architecture.
Jaipur Airport is 12.2 KM from the beautiful Hawa Mahal. You can hire a taxi from the exit of the airport to drive to the palace.
Booking cabs or bikes online are also an option which is undoubtedly better than hiring from the airport.
Lastly, you can catch a local bus from the stop near the airport, which is the most cost-effective way of travelling.
The best time to visit Hawa Mahal is winter from October to March. It is the time in Jaipur when the average temperatures will be way better than the daily temperatures of the summer days. You can easily roam around the city exploring places without getting irritated and dehydrated.
-Location: Hawa Mahal Rd, Badi Choupad, J.D.A. Market, Pink City, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302002
-Timings: 09:00 am to 05:00 pm; Visit back at night to look at the beautifully lit monument.
-Fee: INR 50 for Indian tourists and INR 200 for Foreign tourists
There are numerous cafes and restaurants near Hawa Mahal which you can explore. They all serve excellent Rajasthani cuisine along with some chosen recipes from around the world.
Wind View Cafe: There is another restaurant adjacent to it which is Wind View Cafe. You can get traditional Rajasthani cuisine, North Indian cuisines, Italian food, finger food and a variety of beverages.
Laxmi Mishthan Bhandar: Lastly, you should not miss LMB, Lakshmi Mishthan Bhandar.
It is an amalgam of a sweet shop and a brilliant restaurant. It is highly suggested that you should visit this restaurant and try on their lip-smacking variety of food.
1. There are a lot of tips which could be given to keep in mind while visiting Hawa Mahal:
2. Visit the monument early in the morning and hike up the rooftop cafes in front of the palace. Click some good pictures from there while the sunlight enlightens the front of the palace.
3. Jantar Mantar and City Palace are at walking distance from Hawa Mahal. So make sure to plan all these three places together.
4. You should be aware that Hawa Mahal is located in the old market, which is very much famous for shopping for souvenirs and local Jaipur stuff. So plan accordingly.
5. Although the monument closes its entry at five in the evening but it is suggested to wait till night to click a picture of the colourfully lit monument from the outside.
You can go to The Tattoo cafe and Lounge which is situated right in front of the Hawa Mahal giving picture-perfect views of it along with The City Palace, The Nahargarh Fort, The Garh Ganesh and the entire Pink City.