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Hawa Mahal, the Palace of Winds, is Jaipur's most photographed landmark — a five-storey pink sandstone screen of 953 small windows (jharokhas) built so royal women could observe street life without being seen. Designed by Lal Chand Ustad in 1799, its honeycomb façade is a masterpiece of Rajput architecture.
Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh commissioned the palace in 1799, inspired by the crown of Lord Krishna. The pyramidal form was designed to allow royal ladies of the zenana to observe everyday life and festivals on the street below without breaking purdah (the tradition of seclusion).