Hawa Mahal

The Hawa Mahal or Palace of Winds is a five-storey pink sandstone facade on the main bazaar street of Jaipur's old city, built in 1799 with 953 small latticed windows through which royal women could observe street life while remaining unseen. From the outside it presents an ornate honeycomb screen of corbelled arches and floral details, while inside it is a narrow series of chambers barely one room deep. Early morning, when the rising sun illuminates the pink facade and the street below is still quiet, is the standard photographic moment.