Hawa
Mahal, or the "Palace of Winds",
is a palace in Jaipur, India. It was built
in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh,
and designed by Lal Chand Usta. It forms
part of the City Palace and extends the
Zenana or women's chambers, the chambers
of the harem. Its original intention was
to allow royal ladies to observe everyday
life in the street below without being seen.
It has five stories and
is constructed of red and pink sandstone,
highlighted with white quick lime. The side
facing the street outside the palace complex
has 953 small windows, and the breeze (hawa)
which circulates through these windows gives
the palace its name, and keeps it cool even
in hot months.
The entrance opens onto a courtyard with a double-storied building on three sides, and one on the eastern wing with three more stories, which is just one room wide. There are no stairs to reach the upper floors, only ramps.