"Jaipur's Hawa Mahal: A Royal Window on the World One can only imagine the royal gossip exchanged behind the pink sandstone screen of Jaipur's Hawa Mahal when women of the royal household gathered on the upper floors of the five-story palace to watch street festivals below while they remained invisible to the outside world. Built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh as an extension to the Royal Palace, the iconic structure reflects the maharaja's devotion to Lord Krishna as its honeycombpatternresembles the Hindu god's crown. Intricate stone inlays and filigree work reminiscent of Islamic architecture blend with floral patterns and fluted pillars to make it one of the finest examples of Rajput design. Named “Palace of Winds” for a clever cooling system that sent breezes through the inner rooms during the intense Rajasthan summers, the Hawa Mahal remains the Pink City's most distinctive landmark even lacking the winds for which it was named. (Inmodern times, the clever cooling design was lostwhen a renovationadded windows behind each of the lattice openings.) A small museum offers small paintings, ceremonial relics, and other souvenirs evocative of Jaipur's royal past."
