Uncovering Jaipur's Hawa Mahal After Dark!

About Jaipur and Hawa Mahal -
On almost every street in Jaipur, you’ll find buildings painted a gorgeous shade of dusty pink. The reason? In 1876, Queen Victoria’s son, Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (who would later become King Edward VII) visited India. At the time, pink was the symbolic colour of hospitality. As the people of Jaipur are known for their incredible hospitality, Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh I had the whole city painted pink to welcome the royals. It’s said that Prince Albert nicknamed Jaipur the ‘Pink City’ and the name stuck.
The Maharaja also oversaw the construction of a grand concert hall, naming it Albert Hall, in honour of Prince Albert. Today, the building is the Albert Hall Museum and is the oldest museum in the state of Rajasthan. The building itself is a stunning display of Indo-Saracenic architecture. Venture inside and you’ll find a collection of treasures including paintings, crystal sculptures and jewellery.
In 1877 The Maharaja Ram Singh took the pink obsession one step further. After the Queen of Jaipur declared herself a fan of the pink, he passed a law stating that any future buildings in the city must be painted the same colour. The law has remained, with almost all buildings, from bazaars to temples, adopting the same lovely shade of terracotta pink. And, while times have changed, the Pink City continues to open its arms to the world with the same generous hospitality it always has.
The Hawa Mahal may be Jaipur’s most famous pink building - and for good reason. Known as the Palace of Winds, this five-storey, crown-shaped building is simply mesmerising. It was built from pink sandstone in 1799, then pink-washed with calcium oxide paint in 1876 to boost the impact. The Hawa Mahal has over 950 intricate latticework windows resembling honeycomb. It was built that way so royal women could watch everyday life in central boulevard below without being seen.

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