Hawa Mahal

The "Palace of Winds", a pink sandstone facade with 953 small latticed windows.

The five-storey building is shaped like a pyramid and rises to about 15 metres. Its front carries 953 small windows called jharokhas, each with carved lattice screens. The pink-red stone matches other monuments in the city and fits Jaipur's nickname, the Pink City. Many visitors think the street side is the front of the palace, but it is really the back.

Windows that breathe

The lattice windows had two jobs. They let the royal women watch daily life and street festivals without being seen from outside. They also worked as cooling vents: air moving through the narrow openings, helped by the Venturi effect, made the rooms more pleasant in the hot summers, and fountains in the centre of each chamber added to the cooling.

Inside and behind the wall

The real entrance is on the other side, through an imperial door from the City Palace that opens into a large courtyard. The top three floors are only one room wide, while the first and second floors have patios in front. The back of the building has plain chambers with pillars and corridors, which is a strong contrast to the richly carved front. The top two floors can be reached only by ramps. An archaeological museum is housed in the courtyard.

A mix of styles and a big repair

The design blends Hindu Rajput architecture, seen in domed canopies, fluted pillars and flower patterns, with Islamic Mughal touches such as arches and stone inlay. The palace is said to have been inspired by the Khetri Mahal. A major renovation was carried out in 2006 after a gap of about 50 years, and a company-backed programme adopted the monument to look after it.

On the globe

The model shows the pink front wall full of small windows. Look for the honeycomb pattern.