Palace of the Winds - Hawa Mahal, India

The fasade as you see it on the first photo is famous. Before I went to India for the first time, I had seen lots of photos almost excactly like this. But I did not know what was behind. It is Hawa Mahal. You will find this magnificiant building in the old center of the city of Jaipur, also called The Pink City because of all the prominent buildings in this colour. It is rich in history and architectue with lots of historic sights worth exploring. Even though the old center of the city has several sights worth visiting, it is Hawa Mahal which is the main attraction.

Just look at the facade facing the street. This beautiful pink palace is also called Palace of Winds has become a city icon of Jaipur. It was designed in a way that made i possible for the women of the harem to stand by the windows with out being seen themselves. In this way they were able to look at the bustling life in the street below. without being seen.

The amazing five story structure was built in 1799 by the Maharaja Pratap Singh (1778 – 1803 AD). The building contains two quite large courts. Each of the five floors have a name or known for a special event. The first one is called Sharad Mandir. It was here that the autumn celebrations took place. The second is known for its walls with glasswork. The fifth is called Hawa Mandir. It has probably giving name to the whole building.

It's possible to go to the top. On the way the rooms can be admired. Another thing to do when here, is visisting the archaeological museum located on the premisis. I didn't do that. To me it was more important to admire the building, imagining how life must have been when it was built.