The Back of Hawa Mahal

Hawa Mahal is a palace in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. It sits on the edge of the City Palace.

Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh built this five-storey structure in 1799. Lal Chand Ustad served as the architect.

The honeycomb exterior holds 953 small windows called jharokhas. That is a lot of jharokhas to dust.

The front elevation resembles a honeycomb pattern.

Royal ladies used these carved openings to watch street festivals without being seen. Breezes cooled interior chambers.

Many think the honeycomb wall is the front. It’s actually the back. Architects rarely advertise the back door.

In 2006, renovation works began after a gap of 50 years. Rupees do not stretch like sandstone.

The Unit Trust of India adopted the monument. Rajasthan’s archaeological department also maintains it.