Register
Back to Previous Page

Hawa Mahal, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India (1799)**

Artist/Designer:

Project Location: Jaipur, India

Figure 1: Exterior detail of the Hawa Mahal ( Source | Accessed : March 6, 2020 | Photographer: Pavan Gupta )
Figure 2: Exterior of the Hawa Mahal lit up in the night with a gradient of different LED lights ( Source | Accessed : March 27, 2020 | Photographer: travdiary.com )
Figure 3: Exterior during the day time ( Source | Accessed : March 27, 2020 | Photographer: indian-gk.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Hawa_Mahal_2011.jpg )
Figure 4: Tourist sitting within the inner corners of the Hawa Mahal ( Source | Accessed : March 27, 2020 | Photographer: Unknown )
Figure 5: Coloured blocks within the interior that bring in coloured dappled sunlight ( Source | Accessed : March 27, 2020 | Photographer: Unknown )
Figure 6: Hawa mahal interior with heavily decorated and intricate door ( Source | Accessed : March 27, 2020 | Photographer: Unknown )
Figure 7: Exterior structure behind the main facade that is not usually visible from street view ( Source | Accessed : March 27, 2020 | Photographer: Gaston Batistini )

Style/Period(s):
No Style/Period Assigned.

Primary Material(s):
Stone

Function(s):
Community Center

Related Website(s):

Cultural India Blog | Accessed : March 27, 2020
India Palette Blog | Accessed : March 27, 2020
Official Website | Accessed : October 19, 2020
Interior Detail Shots | Accessed : October 19, 2020
Wikipedia Article | Accessed : October 19, 2020
Jaipur: The Pink City | Accessed : October 19, 2020
NGA Library Archives | Accessed : October 19, 2020
Proptiger Blog | Accessed : March 27, 2020

Significant Date(s):
18th Century, 1799

Additional Information:
Publications/Texts in Print:
Garima Dhabhai. "Visible Histories, Invisible Contestations: Narratives of ‘Pink’ in Jaipur." Pakistan Journal of Historical Studies 2, no. 1 (2017): 24-42.

Gulzar. "Hawa Mahal, Jaipur." Indian Literature 53, no. 4 (252) (2009): 13.

Rizvi, Uzma Z. "GJCC Material Culture and Chronological Implications." In The Affect of Crafting: Third Millennium BCE Copper Arrowheads from Ganeshwar, Rajasthan, 44-57. Oxford: Archaeopress, 2018.


Building Address: Hawa Mahal Rd, Badi Choupad, J.D.A. Market, Pink City, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302002, India



Significant Dates: Constructed in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, the grandson of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, Renovations by Unit Trust of India 2006

Supporting Staff/ Designers: Lal Chand Ustad

Tags: India, Hawa Mahal, Jaipur, Rajasthan, 1799, Vernacular, 18th Century, Stone, Community Center, Honeycomb, Beehive, Wind, Heat, Ramps, Islamic Mughal, Hindu Rajput architecture

On the front the Hawa mahal seems like a very thin structure , almost like the sets of a movie as it is the only kind of it's own within the vicinity and stands out in a very abrupt manner due to it's design. The entrance is through a main majestic door that opens into a large courtyard where there is another whole structure. These are double storeyed buildings and the courtyard also houses a museum. The historic purpose of this palace is to allow women to peek through onto the street life without passerbys noticing them. The palace has 953 tiny windows for the women to gaze through, the facade resembles the honeycomb like structure of a beehive, some people also believe it to resemble a deity's crown. Translated into english Hawa means wind and Mahal means palace therefore Hawa Mahal means palace of winds, this is due to the wind that is allowed to pass through the various openings, allowing for relief from the heat during the hottest times of the year. The width of the palaces top floor is no more than a single room which enables the wind to reach behind in a very convenient manner.. The interior is more simple as compared to the decorative and intricate exterior. Within this structure there are ramps used for movement up and down, not steps - this was because the women's jewellery and outfits were so heavy that they had to be wheeled around thereby making ramps more convenient. The structure is a blend of Islamic Mughal with Hindu Rajput architecture, the whole structure was made from red sandstone local to the city of Jaipur in Rajasthan.

Viewers should treat all images as copyrighted and refer to each image's links for copyright information.