How often have we been told not to build castles in the air? Very often indeed, but if you are a dreamer and wish to see this 'palace of the winds' which is not just in your imagination but a real palace, then come to the 'pink city' of Rajasthan and see the Hawa Mahal. Each wall of the palace reinforces the idea that 'dreams truly can come true', and the whole structure is such a beautiful sight that you possibly cannot describe it in words.
The Hawa Mahal, which adjoins the famous City Palace wall, was built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh and has now become one of the major landmarks of Jaipur. The palace is shaped like a pyramid and is a five-storied building, with number of small windows and screens, with arched roofs. As one looks at this building, one realizes that the rear side of the building is comparatively very plain and lacks much of ornamentation. One is rather surprised at the contrast, since in the front there is intricate carving and much attention has been paid to even minute details yet the backside is more a mass of pillars and passages.
Today, Hawa Mahal provides the travelers in Jaipur with some excellent views of the city and a bird's eye view of the Jantar Mantar (a medieval observatory and an important tourist place in Jaipur). The best time to view Hawa Mahal is sunrise when it catches the early morning sun and is bathed in its golden light making it glow like a gem. Strangely, the entrance to Hawa Mahal is from the rear side. So, the next time you travel to Jaipur, do fix up a date with Hawa Mahal.
