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Come to Jaipur and visit the ancient and medival
forts and palaces to experience the real Rajasthan.
 Amber
Fort
Elephant
Safari Amber Fort
City
Palace
Nahargarh
Fort
Wind
Palace
Rambagh
Palace, Jaipur
Elephant
Festival
Ganguar
Festival
Budget
Hotels
Palace
Hotels
Decide your favourite colour and pick a city to
match, Rajasthan's kaleidoscope of colours covers all.
Bastions of history, bristling with memories,
these splendid treasures stand battling the vageries of time.
Fort
Amber
The
City Palace, Jaipur
Wind
Palace, Jaipur
Chittaurgarh
Fort
City
Palace, Udaipur
Jaisalmer
Fort
Mehrangarh
Fort
Nahargarh
Fort, Jaipur
The desert sands shimmer and pulsate with an
energy and a spirit of festivity permeates the air, every season
provides many reasons to celebrate.
Camel
Festival
Mewar
Festival
Elephant
Festival
Gangaur
Festival
Pushkar
Festival
Desert
Festival
Ride a camel over the dunes or horses through
the hillside, speed ahead in a jeep and camp under open skies.
A delicate ecosystem, part desert part marshy
lands and even a small section of lush water filled valleys, sports a
wildlife rich in variety.
Whichever Budget Hotel you choose you will
always experience a traditional hospitality that you may never want to
forget.
Jaipur
Budget Hotels
Jaisalmer
Budget Hotels
Bharatpur
Budget Hotels
Bikaner
Budget Hotels
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Rajasthan Tours Travel » Architectural
Treasures » Palace of Winds (Hawa
Mahal)
Palace of Winds (Hawa Mahal)
Past Perfect
The
Maharajahs of Rajasthan have always been famous for their chivalry and for
being fiercely protective of their queens. A monument to their regard for
this precious sentiment can be found in the form of the Hawa Mahal. The
palace was built in 1799 by Maharajah Sawai Pratap Singh. An integral part
of the City Palace it was an extension of the Zenana quarters.
Constructed at a time when royal ladies observed very strict purdah
(covering the faces), it is widely believed that this interesting palace,
with its screened balconies, provided the ladies of the royal household an
opportunity to watch processions and other activities on the streets below
without being observed themselves. The openings here are almost like
peep-holes partially blocked by fine lattice work in lime and plaster.
This fragile palace was built especially for the delicate women of the
royal household who were brought here in palanquins carried by servants to
enjoy the sights of the city in comfort and style.
Marvel of Architecture
At first glance it looks rather whimsical in design. From the roadside,
where most visitors view Hawa Mahal for the first time, it looks a mere façade.
But there is much more than meets the eye. The beauty of the Hawa Mahal
lies in its fragile appearance. Its delicate structure belies its strength
and makes it no less a work of art than the more imposing forts and
palaces of this regal city. This five-storey, pyramid-shaped structure is
made up of small casements, each with tiny windows and arched roofs with
hanging cornices, exquisitely modelled and carved. Its façade makes
Hawa Mahal look more like a screen than a palace. Its top three stories
are just a single room thick but at the base are two courtyards. It is a
fifty-foot high thin shield, less than a foot in thickness, but has over
900 niches and a mass of semi-octagonal bays, carved sandstone grills,
finials and domes. This multi layered structure is an interplay of red and
pink sandstone carefully and painstakingly outlined with white borders and
motifs. The designer of this magnificent artifice Lal Chand Usta was a
great devotee of Lord Krishna and Radha. This design is his homage to Lord
Krishna and is believed to resemble the crown on Krishna's forehead. This
unique design is also comparable to the a giant Chinese screen, a
befitting comparison since the most important use for this palace was to
screen the women of the royal household from prying eyes.
Views From The Hawa Mahal
A vantage point from which the queens of yesteryears looked out has to be
strategic and you won't be disappointed when you peep out from any of its
900 niches to see the city of Jaipur in all its grandeur, with straight,
wide roads, intersections and teeming crowds in the market. Women in the
marketplace dressed in hues of all colours. Men dressed in white dhoti and
shirts carry huge magnificent turbans - mostly pink, red and yellow. The
landscape a burnished ochre and the city painted pink. A smorgasbord of
colour and truly a feast for the eyes.
Many of the cities' key monuments can also be sighted from this palace.
The Jantar Mantar resembles a collection of mystifying masonry
instruments. The all-important City Palace stands apart, surrounded by a
maze of courtyards. The imposing Nahargarh Fort, perched upon the hill,
keeps its vigil over the city and looks spectacular. The best time to
witness this view is said to be early morning when the first rays of the
sun turn the ochre colours into gold and lend the landscape its mystical,
magical feel.
Weather Watch
Jaipur
has an extreme climate , with hot and humid summers and chilly winters. In
the peak summer months (April to July) the temperature can go up to a high
of 45 degree C. The winter months (October to March) are the best time to
soak in the sights, sounds , smells of this regal city. The winter weather
offering pleasantly sunny days and cool nights makes exploration a
complete delight.
Soak in the Surroundings
Hawa Mahal is only one of the many jewels in the walled city of Jaipur.
Its other attractions include many majestic forts and palaces. The Amer
Palace and Fort, Rambhag palace, The City palace, Bissau Palace, Samode,
Sanganer, Gaitor, Jaigarh Fort, Jaimahal Palace, Jantar Mantar, Nahargarh
Fort, Narain Niwas, Rajmahal palace and the Birla temple.
Getting There
Jaipur is well connected by Air and land transport. Travellers would be
spoilt for choice. Take your pick from any of these.
Air : The Sanganer Airport in Jaipur is just 11kms from
the city center. Indian Airlines and Jet Airways are two domestic carriers
that operate regular flights to and from Jaipur. There are direct flights
to Delhi, Mumbai, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Aurangabad, as well as some other
cities.
Rail : The Jaipur Station is well connected with trains
plying to and fro from all the major towns and cities. There are direct
connections to Jaipur are from Delhi, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Udaipur,
Ahmedabad, Secunderabad, Agra, Lucknow, Mumbai, Chennai and Calcutta.
Road : Jaipur is well connected by many national
highways, the NH8 (from Delhi); NH11 (from Agra); NH12 (from Bhopal) are
some of the finest motorable roads in the country.
Shopping Spree
When in Jaipur do not forget to pick up the exquisite jewellery that it
is famous for. Be it silver trinkets, intricate Meenakari work on gold or
the precious and semi precious stones sold here by the dozen. A big hub of
handicrafts the city has earmarked several sectors exclusively for
artisans and traders. Some of the coveted items include the famous bhandej
(tie and dye) and block print fabrics, lacquered brass work, blue pottery,
skilfully carved wooden ornaments, beautifully embroidered jutis (hand
crafted foot wear) made of camel skin and of course the famous Jaipuri
quilts.
The main markets are along Jauhari Bazar, Bapu bazaar, Nehru bazaar,
Chaura Rasta, Tripolia bazaar and M.I. Road. Shops specialising in
precious and semi precious stones, ornaments and jewellery are to be found
on and along Jauhari bazaar.
