The grandson of Maharaj Sawai Jai Singh, Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh built Hawa Mahal in the year 1799. This structure, older than 200 years, is located in the south of Jaipur city at one of the busiest crossroads in Jaipur- Badi Chaupad which itself has its historical significance.
The monument remains open from morning 9 am to 4:30 pm the whole year. It usually takes one hour to explore the place. However, if you are looking for some mesmerizing clicks, it may take some more time of yours. The entry fee is INR 50 for Indians and INR 200 for foreigners.
The monument is one of the favourite spots of photographers who wish to capture human elements with a symmetrical background. Hawa Mahal is known for its architecture, wall carvings, and design of windows. This gives uniformity to the structure, making it perfect for the background.
This unique five-floor historical building is inspired by the Khetri Mahal located in Jhunjhunu district, Rajasthan. The beehive structure has nine hundred and fifty-three windows. These kinds of windows are known as Jharokhas. A Jharokha is an overhanging balcony covered will all the sides and carved with latticework. This is the prime reason why Hawa Mahal remains windy all time of the day the entire year.
The Historical Significance of Hawa Mahal
Rajasthani women used to follow the tradition of Gungat (covering the face and head with a piece of cloth). It shows that the women here have to follow seclusion. For that reason, Hawa Mahal was built so that that royal women can remain connected with the outside world and at the same time, no one sees them. They used to view the events going out through the Jharokhas.
There is a significant reason for the shape of the palace. The palace resembles the crown of Lord Krishna. The ruler of Jaipur city was a devotee of Krishna, and thus, he asked the architect- Lal Chand Usta to keep the shape that it somehow pays honour to the lord.
It is one of the loved resorts of Maharajas who ruled over Jaipur. It is due to the cooling effect caused by the winds which passed through the respective fountains present in every chamber.
What you will view inside the Hawa Mahal
- When you enter this 50-foot-high-5-floor building, the first thing you will see is an alluring fountain in the centre of the courtyard. To enter the courtyard, you need to pass through a large imperial door which itself is a beautiful attribute of the building.
- This courtyard is surrounded by lots of pillars that act as the inner side of the windows. Through this courtyard, you can find a way to the upper floors. The first two floors are covered from all the four sides.
- All the floors are built from pink and red stones. Most of the inner walls are painted yellow in colour and doors have multi-coloured glasses that reflect beautiful colours on the floor of the room.
- For reaching the top-floor, you may need to do a long hike. As you move above, the staircase gets narrower, and the top two floors can only be assessed through ramps. However, the view you receive from the fifth floor is worth the effort you make. You can view complete old Jaipur which has buildings painted in shades of pink.
How to Reach Hawa Mahal
Jaipur City is 280 kilometres away from Delhi. Both cities are well connected by train, flights, and roads. There are numerous cheap travel options for the backpackers, and one of them is taking a train. However, if you wish to save time, a flight would be better.
The Hawa Mahal is just thirteen kilometres away from the Sanganer International Airport, four kilometres from the bus stand, and five kilometres from the railway station. This makes Hawa Mahal, an easily reachable tourist spot. Also, as it is amidst various other tourist spots such as City Palace, Jantar Mantar, eṭc., it is worth visiting.
Best Time of Visit Hawa Mahal
Rajasthan is known for its hot weather. In the summer season, Jaipur’s temperature goes up to 50 degrees Celsius. However, if you really wish to appreciate the architecture, this would be the best time to visit Hawa Mahal.
Even after such hot weather, the place remains cool and avoids loo without fail. In case you wish to view the place when the climate is pleasant, winter months can be the best choice. The maximum temperature during winters is around 25 degrees Celsius in the afternoon. Otherwise, if you go to Hawa Mahal during morning time, you can experience cold winds blowing from one side to another side.
