Hawaa Mahal in Jaipur, India was built in 1799 AD by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh. It was constructed to allow the women of the royal household to watch everyday life and royal processions without being seen. The five-story, pyramid-shaped structure has 953 small peepholes and is intricately carved from pink sandstone. It was designed more like a screen or lattice than a palace to provide visibility while maintaining the women's privacy.

1. HAWA MAHAL
JAIPUR
"THE PALACE OF WINDS"
• BUILT IN 1799 A.D BY MAHARAJA SAWAI
PRATAP SINGH
• THE MAIN MOTIVE BEHIND THE MAKING
OF HAWA MAHAL WAS TO ENABLE LADIES
OF THE ROYAL HOUSEHOLD TO WATCH THE
EVERYDAY LIFE AND ROYAL PROCESSIONS
OF THE CITY.
• ARCHITECT - LAL CHAND USTA
• CONSTRUCTED IN PINK
SANDSTONE, HAWA MAHAL IS
INTRICATELY CARVED AND
BORDERED WITH WHITE
MOTIVE
• ITS FAÇADE MAKES HAWA
MAHAL LOOK MORE LIKE A
SCREEN THAN A PALACE.
• THIS FIVE-STORY, PYRAMID-SHAPED
STRUCTURE ENDORSES 953 SMALL
PEEPHOLES.
• EACH PEEPHOLE HAS TINY LATTICE
WORKED (JALI) PINK WINDOWS AND
ARCHED ROOFS WITH HANGING
CORNICES
COUTYARD VIEW
INTERIOR VIEW
THE INTERIORS ARE STARK AND PLAIN WITH A MASS OF PILLARS AND
PASSAGES THAT LEAD TO THE TOP STOREY.
THE UPPER FLOORS ARE REACHED THROUGH A RAMP RATHER THAN THE
REGULAR STAIRS, A DEVICE TO FACILITATE MOVEMENT OF PALANQUINS
CARRIED BY SERVANTS WHICH IS A LESS TIRESOME WAY.
• IT IS A FIFTY-FOOT HIGH THIN SHIELD,
LESS THAN A FOOT IN THICKNESS, BUT HAS
OVER 900 NICHES AND A MASS OF
SEMIOCTAGONAL BAYS, CARVED
SANDSTONE GRILLS.
• THE UPPERMOST THREE STORIES ARE
JUST A SINGLE ROOM THICK BUT AT THE
BASE ARE TWO COURTYARDS.
• THE PYRAMIDAL OUTLINE OF THE
STRUCTURE HAS ONE CHARACTERISTIC
FEATURE OF ARCHITECTURE - SYMMETRY,
AND, AS IN JAIN TEMPLES, USES
REPETITION OF MOTIFS TO GREAT
ENHANCEMENT OF BEAUTY AND LOOKS