Getty Images/iStockphoto

Hawa Mahal

Top choice in Jaipur

Jaipur’s most-distinctive landmark, the Hawa Mahal is an extraordinary pink-painted, delicately honeycombed hive that rises a dizzying five storeys. It was constructed in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh to enable ladies of the royal household to watch the life and processions of the city. The top offers stunning views over Jantar Mantar and the City Palace in one direction and over Sireh Deori Bazaar in the other.

There’s a small museum (open Saturday to Thursday), with miniature paintings and some rich relics, such as ceremonial armour, which help evoke the royal past.

Claustrophobes should be aware that the narrow corridors can sometimes get extremely cramped and crowded inside the Hawa Mahal.

Entrance is from the back of the complex. To get here, return to the intersection on your left as you face the Hawa Mahal, turn right and then take the first right again through an archway. Shopkeepers can show you another way – past their shops!

A valid composite ticket will also gain you entry.

Contact

Address

Sireh Deori Bazaar

Suggest an edit to this attraction

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

City Palace
0.21 MILES
A complex of courtyards, gardens and buildings, the impressive City Palace is right in the centre of the Old City. The outer wall was built by Jai Singh…
Amber Fort
4.58 MILES
This magnificent fort comprises an extensive palace complex, built from pale yellow and pink sandstone, and white marble, and is divided into four main…
Jantar Mantar
0.18 MILES
Adjacent to the City Palace is Jantar Mantar, an observatory begun by Jai Singh II in 1728 that resembles a collection of bizarre giant sculptures. Built…
Galta
1.99 MILES
Squeezed between cliffs in a rocky valley, Galta is a desolate, if evocative, place. The temple houses a number of sacred tanks, into which some daring…
Birla Lakshmi Narayan Temple
2.18 MILES
This splendid modern marble edifice lies at the foot of Moti Dungri fort. The wealthy industrialist Birla family, from Pilani, Rajasthan, bought the land…
Jaigarh
4.09 MILES
A scrubby green hill rises above Amber and is topped by the imposing Jaigarh, built in 1726 by Jai Singh. The stern fort, punctuated by whimsical-hatted…
Isarlat
0.39 MILES
Piercing the skyline near the City Palace is this unusual minaret, erected in the 1740s by Jai Singh II’s son and successor Iswari. The entrance is around…
Nahargarh
1.19 MILES
Built in 1734 and extended in 1868, this sturdy fort overlooks the city from a sheer ridge to the north. The story goes that the fort was named after…

View more attractions

Nearby Jaipur attractions

1. Jantar Mantar

0.18 MILES

Adjacent to the City Palace is Jantar Mantar, an observatory begun by Jai Singh II in 1728 that resembles a collection of bizarre giant sculptures. Built…

2. City Palace

0.21 MILES

A complex of courtyards, gardens and buildings, the impressive City Palace is right in the centre of the Old City. The outer wall was built by Jai Singh…

3. Maharaja Sawai Mansingh II Museum

0.24 MILES

The Maharaja Sawai Mansingh II Museum comprises several buildings and courtyards within Jaipur's City Palace complex. The Mubarak Mahal (Welcome Palace)…

4. Govind Devji Temple

0.35 MILES

This early 18th-century Krishna temple is a popular place of worship set in gardens just outside the City Palace walls.

5. Isarlat

0.39 MILES

Piercing the skyline near the City Palace is this unusual minaret, erected in the 1740s by Jai Singh II’s son and successor Iswari. The entrance is around…

6. Ram Niwas Bagh

0.7 MILES

Adjacent to, but a world away from, busy MI Rd is this oasis of green where you can wander through geometric gardens of roses, palms and ferns…

7. Modern Art Gallery

0.77 MILES

This peaceful modern gallery makes a pleasant diversion during a stroll around the greenery of Ram Niwas Bagh. It’s housed in an old theatre, on the 1st…

8. Central Museum

0.96 MILES

This museum is housed in the spectacularly florid Albert Hall, south of the Old City. The building was designed by Sir Swinton Jacob, and combines…

View more attractions

placement: superzone
path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],

targeting:

{
  "url": "india/rajasthan/jaipur/attractions/hawa-mahal/a/poi-sig/449393/356451",
  "destination": "Jaipur",
  "continent": "Asia",
  "country": "India",
  "region": "Rajasthan",
  "city": "Jaipur",
  "position": "superzone"
}