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Hawa
Mahal, or the "Palace of Winds", is a palace in Jaipur, India. It was built in
1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, and designed by Lal Chand Usta. It forms
part of the City Palace and extends the Zenana or women's chambers, the
chambers of the harem. Its original intention was to allow royal ladies to
observe everyday life in the street below without being seen.
It has five stories and is constructed of red and pink
sandstone, highlighted with white quick lime. The side facing the street
outside the palace complex has 953 small windows, and the breeze (hawa) which
circulates through these windows gives the palace its name, and keeps it cool
even in hot months.
The entrance opens onto a courtyard with a double-storied
building on three sides, and one on the eastern wing with three more stories,
which is just one room wide. There are no stairs to reach the upper floors,
only ramps.
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