In Jaipur is the spectacular Hawa Mahal, also know as Palace of Winds or Palace of the Breeze. It was built of pink and red sandstone in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh.  The intricate lattice work provided a way for the women of the court to observe the outside world without being seen.

We didn’t go in and visit the palace itself.  We just viewed this spectacular building from across the street.  Our guide told us while its gorgeous from the outside, inside is underwhelming.

This was also a location where we saw snake-charmers.   Our guide told us that the snake-charmers do not treat the snakes well and to under no circumstances give them money.  This was fine by me as I would never do that anyway.  I make it a rule to avoid all captive, wild animals in developing countries – it encourages locals to take animals from the wild and often they are kept in poor conditions and have awful lives.

But anyway, back to the Hawa Mahal, a pretty amazing facade, if nothing else!

The following photos were taken from the spot opposite the palace.