Hawa Mahal, Jaipur: A Complete Guide

The Hawa Mahal, the famous Palace of the Winds, is the most iconic and recognisable sight of Jaipur, a soaring five-storey screen of rose-pink sandstone studded with hundreds of delicate latticed windows, right in the heart of the old walled Pink City. This complete guide from Delhi Agra Tour Packages covers the Hawa Mahal's timings, entry fees and online booking, its fascinating history and clever architecture and the best tips and photo spots for your visit, ideal alongside a wider Golden Triangle tour.

I was born in Delhi and in more than 11 years guiding the Golden Triangle for Experience My India I have taken countless travellers to the Hawa Mahal. Here is the clear, practical guide. Please note that entry fees and timings are set by the authorities and can change, so always reconfirm the current rates before you travel.

Hawa Mahal at a glance

What is the Hawa Mahal?

The Hawa Mahal, whose name means the Palace of the Winds, is an iconic five-storey pink-sandstone structure in the heart of the old walled Pink City of Jaipur, built in 1799. It is really a great, curved screen wall, famous for its extraordinary facade of 953 small latticed windows or jharokhas, rising in tier upon tier, which give it its unique honeycomb appearance.

Although it looks like a grand, deep palace from the street, the Hawa Mahal is, in fact, a tall, thin and curving screen, only one room deep in places, built as an extension to the much larger City Palace that stands behind it. It was cleverly designed so that the royal ladies of the court could watch the life of the city below while remaining quite unseen and so that cool breezes could flow freely through its hundreds of windows. Standing proudly on the busy Badi Choupad, at the edge of the old city's great bazaars, it is comfortably the most photographed building in all of Jaipur and a much-loved symbol of the Pink City itself.

The history of the Hawa Mahal

The Hawa Mahal was commissioned in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, the ruler of Jaipur, as an extension of the zenana, the women's quarters, of the City Palace. Its purpose was rooted in the customs of the time.

Under the strict purdah system then observed by royal and noble families, the women of the court were not to be seen in public or by strangers and lived largely within the secluded zenana. The Hawa Mahal was built so that the royal ladies could sit comfortably at its many latticed windows and look out over the busy streets below, watching the bustling markets, the colourful daily life of the city and the grand royal and religious processions that passed along the street on festival days, all while remaining completely hidden from public view behind the delicate stone screens. In this gentle and ingenious way, the women of the court could enjoy the life, colour and spectacle of the city from which the custom of the day otherwise kept them entirely apart.

The architecture of the Hawa Mahal

The Hawa Mahal is a masterpiece of design, built in the pink sandstone that gives Jaipur its nickname, the Pink City. Its architecture is as clever as it is beautiful.

• Shape of a crown: it was designed by the architect Lal Chand Ustad in the shape of the crown of Lord Krishna, a form fitting for a city so devoted to the deity.

• The jharokhas: the facade is made up of 953 small windows or jharokhas, rising in tier upon tier, each with its own delicately carved stone lattice screen, through which the royal women could see out clearly without ever being seen themselves.

• The Palace of the Winds: the whole honeycomb of latticed windows was cleverly designed to channel the breeze, creating what is known as a venturi effect that draws cool air through the interior corridors and chambers, naturally cooling the building even in the heat, which is exactly how it earned its poetic name, the Palace of the Winds.

• A remarkable structure: standing at an angle of about 87 degrees, it is often noted as a remarkable historical structure built without a conventional deep foundation, yet it has stood for well over two centuries.

• Ramps, not stairs: inside, instead of ordinary staircases, the floors are connected by gentle ramps originally designed so that the royal women could move easily between the levels in their heavy court attire.

• The inner chambers: the notable chambers within include the Sharad Mandir, the Ratan Mandir and the Vichitra Mandir, each with its own character and decoration.

Together, these features make the Hawa Mahal not just a strikingly beautiful facade to photograph, but a genuinely clever, thoughtful and unusual piece of architecture, blending Rajput and Mughal styles, that is well worth exploring from the inside as well as admiring from the street below.

Hawa Mahal timings

The Hawa Mahal is open every day of the week, from 9 AM to 5 PM. Most visitors spend somewhere between 45 minutes and an hour and a half there, enough time to climb up through the floors, enjoy the views out through the famous windows and admire the structure.

The best time to arrive is right at the 9 AM opening, when the soft, golden morning light falls beautifully on the pink facade, which faces east towards the rising sun and the crowds are at their very smallest before the day's tour groups arrive. The cool season, from October to March, is by far the most comfortable time of year to visit Jaipur and the Hawa Mahal, avoiding the fierce heat of the Rajasthan summer.

Hawa Mahal entry fees

The Hawa Mahal entry fee is modest and there is a useful money-saving option if you plan to see several of Jaipur's heritage sites.

• Indian citizens: ₹50 per person, at the time of writing.

• Foreign tourists: ₹200 per person, at the time of writing.

• Composite ticket: a composite ticket, which covers several of Jaipur's heritage sites together, is also available and offers good savings if you plan to visit a number of them.

If you intend to see the Hawa Mahal along with several other sites, such as the Amber Fort, the City Palace, Jantar Mantar and others, over a day or two in Jaipur, the composite ticket is well worth considering, as it works out noticeably cheaper than buying separate tickets for each monument. As always, do remember that these rates are set by the authorities and can change from time to time, so it is wise to reconfirm the current fees before you travel.

How to book Hawa Mahal tickets online

You can buy your Hawa Mahal ticket at the counter at the entrance or book it online in advance through the official Rajasthan Tourism online booking system, to save time. Online booking is managed by the Government of Rajasthan, through the OBMS tourist portal (obms-tourist.rajasthan.gov.in). Here is the step-by-step process:

1. Open the portal: go to the official OBMS Rajasthan tourist portal. Hawa Mahal ticket Booking.

2. Select the Hawa Mahal: choose the Hawa Mahal from the list of monuments or search for it directly.

3. Choose your visitor type: select Indian national, foreign national, Indian student or foreign student, remembering that students must carry a valid student ID.

4. Pick your date and number of tickets: select your date of visit and enter the number of tickets you need.

5. Enter visitor details: fill in the required details for each visitor, including full name, age and a valid photo ID, such as an Aadhaar card or passport.

6. Make payment: proceed to the secure payment gateway and pay by UPI, net banking or debit or credit card.

7. Save your e-ticket: download or save the QR-code e-ticket sent to your registered mobile or email and present it at the entrance gate.

Keep the e-ticket handy on your phone and carry the original ID used in the booking, as both may be checked at the gate.

Tips for visiting the Hawa Mahal

A few tips help you make the most of your visit to the Hawa Mahal:

• Arrive at 9 AM: come right at opening for the soft morning light on the east-facing pink facade and for the smallest crowds of the day.

• Photograph from across the street: the best head-on photographs of the full facade are taken not from inside, but from the rooftop cafés directly across the street, such as the well-known Wind View Cafe or the Tattoo Cafe, which look straight out at the Hawa Mahal over a cup of chai.

• Go inside too: many visitors only photograph the facade from the street, but it is well worth buying a ticket and going inside, to climb the ramps, see the chambers and look out through the famous windows.

• Allow about an hour: 45 minutes to an hour and a half is enough for a good visit.

• Carry your ID: bring the original government or student ID used in your booking.

• Combine with the Pink City: the Hawa Mahal sits right among the other great sights of Jaipur, so it is easy to combine into a day.

Our things to do in Jaipur guide covers the rest of the Pink City, so you can plan a full day.

Combining the Hawa Mahal with the rest of Jaipur

The Hawa Mahal is right in the heart of the old Pink City, so it is easy to see along with Jaipur's other great sights. Just behind it is the City Palace and nearby are the Jantar Mantar observatory and the bazaars of the old city, while a short drive away is the magnificent Amber Fort, as our Amber Fort ticket and timings guide covers that great fort in full.

Jaipur is the third city of the classic Golden Triangle, along with Delhi and Agra, so many travellers see the Hawa Mahal as part of a wider circuit that also takes in the Taj Mahal, as our Taj Mahal ticket price and timings guide covers that wonder. To see how it all fits together, our one week North India itinerary guide maps out the week and our best time to visit North India guide covers the seasons.

Planning your Jaipur visit

A Jaipur visit is easiest and most rewarding when the tickets, the timing and the transport are all handled for you, especially as part of a wider trip. That is what we do, your Hawa Mahal and other tickets and the best timing sorted, a knowledgeable guide to bring the history to life and the rest of the Pink City and the wider circuit covered, so you simply enjoy this iconic palace and all of Rajasthan.

Tell us your dates and group size and we will price it honestly around your standard rather than a fixed figure. We can build it all within our wider Delhi Agra Tour Packages.

Plan your trip with us

Want the Hawa Mahal and the best of Jaipur, with the tickets, timings and a guide all sorted, as part of a wider Golden Triangle trip? Message us on WhatsApp and Experience My India will build it for you, honestly priced and expertly timed.

Start with the classic circuit on our Golden Triangle tours, which includes Jaipur, the Taj Mahal and much more.

Related guides

• New Delhi tour: the capital's imperial landmarks.

• Old Delhi tour: the Red Fort, Jama Masjid and Chandni Chowk.

• Delhi day tour: the best of the capital in a day.

Experience My India has personally hosted 50,000+ travelers and the service he leads is rated 4.9 from 2,600+ reviews, operating since 2015. Delhi Agra Tour Packages is a unit of Experience My India.