The Hawa Mahal or "Palace of the Winds" was essentially a screen wall built akin to a 5 storey honeycomb of a beehive with its 953 windows being decorated with latticework so the women of the royal household could observe street festivals and daily life while obeying "purdah" (face cover) and remaining unseen by the outside world during strict Muslim rule . The lattice also allows cool air through the intricate pattern, providing air conditioning during the hot summer. Constructed of red & pink sandstone, the palace extends to the women's chambers of the City Palace. The structure was built in 1799 in the form of the crown of the Hindu god, Krishna. |
The city of Jaipur is the capital of the state of Rajasthan, and named after its founder Maharaja Jai Singh II who moved his capital here from nearby Amer in the 18th century due to population growth. It is known as the "Pink City", as all the buildings within the walls of the old town are painted a dusky rose pink - the story goes that Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh ordered that all the buildings should be painted in this colour to welcome the visiting Prince of Wales (who later became Edward VII) to the city in 1876, and the buildings have remained the same colour ever since. We found the colour to be closer to apricot orange in most cases. We caught a glimpse of life in Jaipur from our auto-rickshaws and passed by the old Summer Palace on the lake as we headed to Jaipur's main attraction, the Amber Fort. Amer Fort, or Amber Fort, is actually located in Amer, a tiny town just outside of Jaipur and is located high on a hill. Amer Fort is known for its artistic Hindu style elements and its large ramparts overlooking Maorta Lake from a series of gates and cobbled paths. Constructed of red sandstone and marble, the opulent palace is laid out on four levels, each with a courtyard. It consists of the Diwan-i-Aam, or "Hall of Public Audience", the Diwan-i-Khas, or "Hall of Private Audience", the Sheesh Mahal ("mirror palace"), and the Sukh Niwas where a cool climate is artificially created by winds that blow over a water cascade within the palace. Hence, the Amer Fort is also popularly known as the Amber Palace. Our final tour stop was the Jantar Mantar astronomical observatory. The remainder of the day was spent back at the hotel.
2 Comments
Barbara Holley
3/20/2017 10:57:52 am
We spent quite a lot of time at the astronomical observatory and really loved Jaipur. I don't think our hotel was nearly as fancy though. I am glad that you had at least a few nice places to stay. So far, based on your blog, some of your accommodations weren't terrific.
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Michael
3/20/2017 11:07:33 am
No, not all of our accommodations were terrific! It was certainly hit and miss, as some exceeded our expectations while others were abysmal. I don't particularly like it when there are blood stains on the sheets and walls. :( Glad to know that you're following along as I endeavour to catch up on this site. Please keep commenting so I know that I'm not the only one viewing our photos. :)
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