Hawa Mahal

Jaipur district, India

Open to visitors

The interior is normally open, possibly ticketed.

Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.

Opening hours: Mon-Su 09:00-18:30
Admission: Ticketed

From OpenStreetMap — confirm before travelling

Find out more

The Hawa Mahal, or "Palace of Winds," stands in Jaipur, Rajasthan, as a distinctive five-story structure built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh and designed by Lal Chand Ustad. Constructed from red and pink sandstone, the palace's most striking feature is its honeycomb-like façade of 953 small windows called jharokhas, each adorned with intricate latticework. Originally designed to allow royal women to observe street festivals and daily life unseen, these openings also served a practical function: the latticed pattern created a Venturi effect that drew cool air through the structure, providing natural ventilation during hot summers. Though visitors often perceive it as the palace's front, the Hawa Mahal is actually the rear elevation of the larger City Palace complex, extending to the Zenana or women's chambers. The structure features stone-carved screens, delicately modelled hanging cornices, and arched roofs. After fifty years without maintenance, the monument underwent comprehensive restoration in 2006, supported by the Unit Trust of India.