Forts in Rajasthan: The Palace of Breeze- Hawa Mahal is situated in the middle of Jaipur near the City Palace (the main centre of the Rajput kingdom). If one has scheduled his/her vacation in the Pink City, then above all he/she should prioritize visiting this palace.
The palace was built by the Kachhwaha ruler Sawai Pratap Singh in the year 1799, he took the inspiration for building the palace from "Khetri Mahal" in Jhunjhunu.
The design of the palace was undertaken by a great architect- Lal Chand Ustad as an extension of the City Palace.
Hawa Mahal was directly joined to the women's chamber aka "Zenana" due to the strict belief in "Purdah", the Rajput women were not allowed to attend any public gatherings or festivals.
On this, Hawa Mahal served as an aid to the Rajput women by providing 953 windows to watch any festival or public gatherings around the City Palace without appearing in public.
Hawa Mahal is situated in the central part of Jaipur city, the surroundings of it are quite crowded as the market around the city holds the best market in Rajasthan to shop for traditional clothes, bridal lehengas, and Rajput handicrafts.
Apart from this, there is a huge variety of places to eat including the famous "Ramchandra Kulfi Bhandar" and various other Rajasthani cuisines.
If there is something that acquires most attraction after the famous forts Nahargarh, Jal Mahal, Jaigarh, and Amer would probably be the Hawa Mahal palace as it also holds great architecture like the other forts.
The palace has a museum that was established in 1983 showcasing the great heritage of the Rajput Kingdom.
The view from the top of the palace keeps you intact with the fortune of the city and the water fountain at the centre of the palace welcomes the tourist for the visit with a good breeze.
Arrowheads, Fish hooks, Terracotta items, a storage vessel dating back to the 2nd century, etc.
The palace looks better at night from the outside as Rajasthan tourism department has done some light effects on it.
The palace has temples on each of its five floors. Sharad Mandir exists on the first floor while the Ratan Mandir with colourful glasswork is on the second floor.
Vichitra Mandir, Prakash Mandir, and Hawa Mandir adorn the top three floors.
Hawa mahal remains open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm everyday.
The charge for the Indian tourist is INR 50 whereas the charge for foreigners is INR 200.
The charge for the Indian student is INR 20.
This story belongs to the year 1876- when the Prince of Wales and Queen Victoria visited Jaipur city for a tour and in the welcome of those two, the King of Jaipur- Raja Ram Singh ordered to paint the city in pink colour as pink colour of the city brings out a romantic charm that captivates every heart.
Since that day this tradition has been faithfully followed by the residents. But now it is mandatory to have pink colour in the city.
