Hawa Mahal

No building says 'Jaipur' like the Hawa Mahal. Built in 1799, this five-storey façade of pink sandstone is pierced by 953 small windows (jharokhas) arranged like a honeycomb — designed so the royal women could watch the street life and processions below without being seen.

The delicate lattice screens also channel cool breezes through the structure, giving it its name, the Palace of Winds. Most visitors photograph the famous exterior, but you can also go inside and climb up for street views through those honeycomb windows.

• ›The classic front-façade view — best in the soft morning light.
• ›Climbing the interior ramps to look out through the jharokhas.
• ›The rooftop cafés opposite, for the ultimate photo angle.

The best photographs of the façade are taken from the cafés across the street, especially at sunrise. It sits in the bustling Pink City bazaars — easy to combine with the City Palace and Jantar Mantar.