The Hawa Mahal is counted amongst the most gorgeous and captivating piece of work by the Rajput rulers. The Rajputs were strictly traditional and did not wish their women folk to be seen in public.

The Rajputs women were themselves immensely particular about their dignity and self respect hence, they did not prefer to come out in open with the common public and strangers. However, this did not deter them from taking interest in the proceedings of the court and other happenings of the world. Infact, the court rooms had special chambers for the women from where they could watch the day to day proceedings. And when they desired to have a look at the happenings of the outer world, a structure like Hawa Mahal had to be built.

So, Hawa Mahal was a window to the outer world for the royal ladies and the Rajput ruler who ordered its construction in the year 1799 was Sawai Raja Pratap Singh. The Hawa Mahal is an elemental part of the City Palace complex of Jaipur, yet it stands away from it and commands its own identity from the passerby. Standing on one of the main streets of Jaipur, the Hawa Mahal still quietly monitors the affairs of the city dwellers and welcomes anyone who comes to inspect it.

Architecture of Hawa Mahal
This five storeyed pyramid structure was designed by Lal Chand Ustad who dedicated his work to Lord Krishna and Radha. The pyramid shape of the Mahal gives it an appearance of the crown that adorned the head of Lord Krishna. The Mahal stands on a podium and is fifty feet high. The thickness, however, is less than even a foot.

The entrance is through the City Palace from where doors open into a commodious courtyard with double storeyed buildings covering three sides. The building today houses an Archaeological Museum. The upper two storeys have just a single room. There are no stairs to reach the upper floors. Rather, there are ramps meant for carrying the palanquin of the royal ladies.

The entire structure is made up of 953 small casements each with small lattice worked pink window, small balconies and arched roofs with hanging cornices. Cool breezes enter through the window and keep the inner atmosphere extremely pleasant and airy. Visitors will be surprised to notice that in sharp contrast to its rich exteriors, the interiors of the Hawa Mahal is strikingly simple. However, it is from here that visitors can have some of the finest views of the modern city of Jaipur. A remarkable Rajputana structure worth visiting.

Hawa Mahal - Rajput Style Of Architecture
Among all the states of erstwhile princely India, Rajputana (now Rajasthan) is undoubtedly one of the most colorful. Despite their time-consuming preoccupation with war, the Rajputs, at all periods of their history, have been patrons of art and architecture. They were great builders, and their forts and palaces, built for reasons of security, residence and leisure of the Maharajas and their women, are not only impressive but a very important part of Rajasthan's cultural and architectural heritage. A study of Rajput monuments shows that it was strongly influenced by Mughal architecture.

However, the Rajputs adapted and used Mughals styles so tastefully in their buildings that it led to the development of a distinct architectural style of great sophistication and imaginative invention. The Rajput style, on one hand, has traditional Hindu elements like the chhatris (small domed canopies, supported by pillars), fluted pillars, lotus and floral patterns, etc., and, on the other hand, it has elements like stone inlay work and arches, which are reflective of the Islamic style of architecture.

Hawa Mahal - Monument Of India
The city of Jaipur reflects a clever amalgamation of the Rajput and Mughal styles, which has given this city a unique character. Being close to Delhi and Agra, and the fact that its rulers were powerful members of the Mughal durbar (court), ensured that its rulers kept the special Mughal touches of filigreeing marble and sandstone alive.

Fresco painting and inlaid mirror work has also been used extensively to create a fantasy world of color and richness in the midst of bleak surroundings. This love for decoration was not confined to the royal houses but filtered down to the common man as well. This is apparent when one takes a walk down the broad streets of this delightful city. Jaipur was founded in 1727 by one of the greatest rulers of the Kachhawaha clan, the astronomer-king Sawai Jai Singh II (1699-1743), and designed by the brilliant architect Vidhyadhar Bhattacharya. Later rulers made their own contributions to the city by building more palaces and temples during their reign.

Designed in accordance with ancient Hindu treatise on architecture, the Shilpa Shastra, Jaipur follows a grid system and is encircled by a fortified wall. The main palace lies in the heart of the city and occupies the space of the central grid. The rest of the grids were cut across neatly by wide lanes, which divided the area into tidy, well-laid rectangles of commercial and residential use. Most places of interest are located mainly in the walled city. The City Palace complex is the most important landmark of Jaipur and has a number of interesting buildings within its precincts.