The Red Fort

As with many other buildings built by the Mughals, the red fort also started out to serve a purpose but ended up serving the Mughals in a different way. The red fort was built primarily for military reasons by Akbar in 1565. It was then converted into a palace by Shah Jahan. The red fort went on to have a lot more additions built in by Shah Jahan's grandsons during their respective reigns. The additional monuments credited to this fort are many but it is basically characterised by 20 ft high walls. Within these high imposing walls you feel you have entered a city within the fort.


The Diwan – e – Am and the Diwan- e – Khas are without doubt the structures that were used completely by the Mughal emperors. The Diwane – e –Am was used as the hearing hall where the emperor listened to the woes and worries of his people and the people found solutions to their problems. This structure originally made of wood but then later converted to it's present form by Shah Jahan has clear indications of the emperor's oh-so-obvious style of architecture complete with floral motifs and carvings. Interestingly this hall of public hearing gives way to the Nagina mosque and the ladies bazaar. This was a one-of-it's kind bazaar where only ladies were allowed to sell their goods to the Moghul royalty way back then. The Diwan – e- Khas encompasses the hall of private audience. It is here that the famed peacock throne was placed.


With the Diwane – e- Khas described it is now time for the octagonal tower. This tower has a sad story to say. It witnessed Shah Jahan spend the last seven years of his life imprisoned by his son here. It also is supposed to have given the imprisoned emperor an excellent view of the Taj Mahal during his last few days. Shah Jahan also had a palace built for his son Jehangir within this very same fort and it is rightly called the Jehangir Palace. The Mina-Masjid and the Moti – Masjid are also housed within this fort.

Among the rest of the structures within this fort are the Machhi Bhawan (fish enclosure), Sheesh Mahal which is completely made of glass and was meant to be a dressing room with little mirrors lining the walls, Jehangir Mahal being one of the few buildings with a Hindu architecture inkling in it, Angora Baugh the well kept geometric gardens, Golden Pavilions built basically for Shah Jahan's daughters and the Mussman Burj where the great emperor Shah Jahan breathed his last.

Hawa Mahal – The Pink City's Pride

India has been ruled for years by royal families. Although of those families only a rare few exist and even fewer live their lives in the past grandeur, the monuments and sculptures built by these ruling families still stand to date, proud and poised as the only reminder of a royal life once lived. Of them the Rajput rulers have endowed Indian land with a number of masterpieces and Hawa Mahal is indeed one of the finest accomplishments of their culture. The captivating view of this five-storey structure is enough to add worth to your vacations. This is the reason for Hawa Mahal being visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists from different corners of the world. If you are planning a vacation to Rajasthan, this glorious landmark is a must to visit.

Hawa Mahal is located in Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan, India. It is located near the City Palace of Jaipur. Apart from this castle of winds, there are many other well-sculpted monuments in this city. The Pink city as Jaipur is more fondly called holds the Hawa Mahal on the peak of the various other monuments built here.


It was under the rule of Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh that Hawa Mahal was given its existence in the year 1799. The famous designer Lal Chand Usta was given the responsibility to construct it in the form of a crown of Lord Krishna. Since then, it has become the icon of Pink City of India called Jaipur.


The depiction of Rajputana culture on this monument is one of the most enchanting highlights of Hawa Mahal. The pyramid like shape of this structure provides an attractive appeal to this palace. The red and pink sandstones have been utilized for rendering beautiful design to this landmark. There are as many as 953 windows, commonly known as jharokhas, which allow the breeze circulation inside this palace. Now, you must have understood the origin of the name given to this site.

Constructed for royal women of Rajput dynasty, it has been successful in keeping the Indian culture alive for so many years.


You may visit this palace round the year, but in order to enjoy a favorable climate, it is recommended to plan your trip in the months from October to February. It is also suggested to visit the palace early morning to witness a spectacular view of Hawa Mahal, basking in the glory of golden rays of sun.
.