Jaipur, known as the Pink City, is the capital of Rajasthan, India. It was founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II.Jaipur is the first well planned city of India, and its very structure resembles the taste of the Rajputs and the Royal families. One of the attractions in Jaipur is the Hawa Mahal, literally meaning the Palace of the winds.
The Hawa Mahal, was built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh and is shaped like a pyramid. It is a five-storied building, with number of small windows and screens, with arched roofs. The rear side of the building is comparatively plain and lacks much of ornamentation and is a mass of pillars and passages.
Since the Hawa Mahal was built at a time when women of the royal families had to observe strict purdah, the Hawa Mahal was built, so that ladies from the royal families could watch the processions and various activities taking place on the streets through the tiny windows and many screened balconies of the Mahal. The royal ladies could look below at the people without showing themselves and thus enjoy a sense of freedom. It is also believed that the Hawa Mahal enjoyed the coolest breezes in Jaipur so that the royal ladies could rest comfortably.
The Hawa Mahal is a great example of the Rajputana architecture, which was strongly influenced by Mughal style of architecture. The best time to visit Hawa Mahal is in the early morning, right when the sun is rising. As the palace bathes in the golden light of the sun, it looks like a fantastic image conjured up by the mind in a trance.