One of the highlights of the Hawa Mahal are the small windows or Jharokha’s that decorate the insides of the Palace with vivid colors. Since Marwari women observed the purdah or veil system, they were usually confined inside the walls of the palace, peeking out through these windows to witness the life outside. On the inside the windows…
Tag: Rajasthan
Gatore ki Chhatriyan
The exquisite carvings on the Chhatries or cenotaphs don’t end just at the pillars. They spread from the base of the ceilings right up to the dome. The carvings on the base of the pillars and the inner periphery of the base of the ceiling depict the lavish lifestyle that the royalty indulged into and…
Gatore ki Chhatriyan
These beautiful umbrella shaped cenotaphs are memorials to kings even if they died of illness or other natural calamities or epidemics (none of the Kings in Jaipur ever went to war).
Gatore ki Chhatriyan
These beautiful umbrella shaped memorials are actual empty tombs or cenotaphs which are dedicated to the Royal Kings of Jaipur. Crafted in exquisite Persian marble, the memorials spot traditional Rajasthani carvings. The monuments have been laid down by the Maharaja Sawai Mansingh – II, and the Museum Trust maintains the place.
Jantar Mantar, Jaipur
The Jantar Mantar (meaning instruments for calculation), Jaipur Rajastan is a collection of architectural astronomical instruments, built by Maharaja Jai Singh II between 1727 and 1734. There are as many as five such facilities in the country including the ones at Delhi and Jaipur. This one at Jaipur is the largest and best maintained of…
The Tower of Victory
Vijay Stambh (Tower of Victory) stands nine storeys tall inside the Chittorgad Fort, and was built by Maharana Kumbha to celebrate his victory over the Muslim rulers of Malwa and Gujarat in 1440. The tower is 122 feet high perched atop a 10 feet base. The tower features sculptures and carving across its periphery. The…
The Holy Hindu Trinity
Arguable the most beautiful temple in all the temples that grace the Chittorgarh Fort, this temple spots a statue of the Hindu Trinity (Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh – the creator, the preserver and the destroyer). Legend has it that a jilted Allaudin Khilji went on a rampage after Queen Padmini jumped alive in fire, after King…
Jag Mandir Palace
Jag Mandir is one of the two natural island palaces found in the Lake Pichola. Constructed by three Maharanas of the Sisodia Rajputs from Mewar kingdom, the “Lake Garden Palace” features the Gul Mahal, an elegant façade which spots four carved elephant, the Garden Courtyard, the Darikhana, the Bara Patharon ka Mahal, the Zenana Mahal…
Hawa Mahal
The Hawa Mahal was built by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, based on designs by Lal Chand Usta in 1799. On the inside, the palace with 953 jhorakas (small windows) forms the pattern of the Hindu God Krishna’s crown. The palace is made with different kinds of marble stone to keep the palace cool while the…
Hawa Mahal
Hawa Mahal (Wind Palace) is so called because it is one of the best ventilated palaces in the generally arid and hot Jaipur, and is known to be the summer home for queens. Since the Purdah system was strictly observed by the Madwari women, there were secret passage ways leading to the palace from the main…
Snapshots of my World 