Constructed
in 1799, Hawa Mahal is the most sensational monument in the city of
Jaipur. The palace, overlooks one of Jaipur's main streets and was
originally constructed to offer women of the court an upper hand, so
that they can watch the activities taking place in the bazaar and
the surrounding streets behind stone-carved screens. For this
purpose, it was designed with over 900 niches, and the entire
building is shaped like a crown adorning Lord Krishna's head.
The
site offers superb views of the city, including the many old palaces
and houses which were painted ocher-pink for the 1853 visit of
Prince Albert. This five-story, pyramid-shaped structure is made up
of small casements, each with tiny windows and arched roofs,
beautifully modeled and carved. There is a total lack of
ornamentation on the inner face of the building. The chambers are
plain and more mass of pillars and passages leading to the top
storey.
It's Beauty
Famous for it's
Beehive like structure, the entrance to the Hawa Mahal is in the
rear side of the main building, the front portion of the building
having no entry at all, unlike conventional buildings. The Hawa
Mahal is made of red and pink sand stone, beautifully outlined with
white borders and motif's painted with quick lime.
Architecture
The
Hawa mahal was built by Sawai Pratap Singh who was the grand son of
Sawai Jai Singh in 1799 AD and was designed by Mr. Lal Chand Usta, a
famous architect of the time. This was purposely made for ladies of
royal families to watch royal processions and various activities in
the streets while seated behind the small windows.
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