The 953 windows covering the lace-like facade of the Palace of the Winds were designed to allow the ladies of the royal court to watch the drama of the streets unobserved behind their delicate latticework.

Known as Hawa Mahal in Hindi, the Palace of the Winds was constructed in 1799 for Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh as part of the women’s section of the enormous City Palace at the center of Jaipur. The facade we see from the street is essentially an enormous screened porch, one room deep in most places.

The palace’s distinctive rosy color comes from the natural sandstone from which it is built which also gives Jaipur its nickname, “The Pink City.”

The Palace of the Winds is considered one of the finest examples of Rajput architecture in India.