| 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.
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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.
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