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In 2015, India launched an ambitious plan dubbed the National Smart Cities Mission, which aims to make 100 urban centers more livable and sustainable through innovative and inclusive solutions.
Among the 100 cities selected was Jaipur, the northwestern desert capital of Rajasthan.
But while the concept of the smart city project was aimed at modernizing India, historians argue that Jaipur’s “smart” credentials have reigned supreme for centuries.
Now famous for its historic pink buildings, it was the first ‘planned city’ of King Sawai Jai Singh, an astronomer who used the planetary positions to guide his decisions on the orientation and placement of structures. He moved the capital of his kingdom from the nearby village of Amer to Jaipur in 1727.
Vishal Bhatnagar/NurPhoto/Getty Images
About 1 million people visit Hawa Mahal every year.
In the years that followed, the kings of Rajasthan continued their patronage of art and architecture – including the descendant King Sawai Pratap Singh.
He was a master builder with an artistic side – the ancient palatial city walls of Jaipur bear numerous examples of his love of art. But nowhere is this passion more evident than at the Hawa Mahal, which is not only architecturally stunning but also offers lessons in sustainable building.
It was completed in 1799 and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today it is one of India’s most recognizable landmarks and a popular tourist attraction. Indian authorities in charge of the memorial say about a million people visit each year.
Behind the fractal pink walls of the city and the hustle and bustle of the old city market, the Hawa Mahal is an imposing structure, its recurring pyramids rising five stories above the chaos.
At a staggering 87 feet tall and boasting 953 ornate louvered windows, it’s a feast for the eyes. But few realize that what you see from the street is essentially the back of the building.
“It’s very unusual for a building to be known not for its front but for its back,” says Sanjay Sharma, who has been guiding visitors to Hawa Mahal for more than two decades.
“(Travellers) marvel at what they see from the main street, pose in front of it for a typical Jaipur photo and move on.” Few get inside; The interiors are simple, only inquisitive minds would understand that there is much more behind the blushing facade than meets the eye.”
according to dr Mahendra Khadgawat, director of the State Museum and Archeology Department of Rajasthan, King Sawai Pratap Singh was an ardent devotee of the Hindu deity Krishna and commissioned architect Lal Chand Usta to build a crown-shaped pavilion to resemble Krishna’s crown. Hawa Mahal was the result.
“The main purpose of the building was to allow the royal ladies to enjoy everyday street scenes and processions without being seen, which stems from the purdah system,” he says, referring to a social practice in medieval India , which was attended by women, especially from the upper class. They had to cover themselves and stay away from the public.
Architect Kavita Jain, a conservation and heritage expert, says Hawa Mahal served other purposes as well.
“For the city dwellers, the rear façade on the east side towards the edge of the road is a visual treat; for the king himself a legendary building that will be remembered for generations; A way for the royal ladies to connect with the common people and their celebrations without appearing in public,” she says.
“But to a keen eye, it’s a clever feat of engineering, using aesthetically pleasing elements to create a microclimate comfortable enough for the queens to enjoy their outing.”
Today the building is a prime example of the role of climate in India’s historic buildings and a testament to an advanced understanding of the laws of thermodynamics.
In Hindi, ‘hawa’ means wind and ‘mahal’ means palace – and the name couldn’t be more appropriate.
01:02 – Source: CNN
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“The orientation of the building is on the east-west axis, aligned with the direction of the natural wind flow in this region,” says Jaipur-based architect Shyam Thakkar.
“The wind enters the palace from the west (through a series of open lots). It absorbs moisture from the body of water, carefully placed in the courtyard, on the principle of convection currents. The hot air rises and the cool air sinks.”
That’s not all. Thakkar says the moisture-laden wind then moves toward the 953 windows (jharokha) and cools the air thanks to the Venturi effect — air flowing through a narrowed passage, increasing wind speed while lowering pressure.
“Intricate lattices (jaalis) on the windows break open and evenly distribute airflow to ensure no hotspots are created. It also controls direct glare from sunlight,” he adds.
“The use of lime (chuna) as the lattice material is a finishing touch. Chuna has a natural ability to regulate temperature.”
According to Guide Sharma, the floors have also been separated by seasons.
“The number and size of the openings vary accordingly from floor to floor,” he says. “Some floors have windows covered with stained glass and others only have open jaalis. The proportion of open spaces remaining on each floor depends on the season of use, namely pre-winter, spring, summer and winter, which makes the Hawa Mahal a very climate-friendly building.”
Jaipur is hot and dry most of the year. In the peak summer months, the temperature can rise to over 43 degrees Celsius (110 degrees Fahrenheit).
As India is now the most populous country in the world with a growing middle class, amenities that were once a luxury have become a necessity. And that includes the air conditioning.
According to the IEA, updated in October 2022, the world is estimated to add 1 billion air conditioners by the end of the decade.
This will ultimately lead to more CO2 emissions. With India accounting for 17.7% of the world’s population, global impacts are inevitable.
Elena Odareeva/Adobe Stock
Hawa Mahal has 953 ornate louvered windows.
Given the urgent need for more sustainable, greener buildings, many architects have looked to the past for guidance.
“We can learn a lesson or two from traditional Indian architecture, which evolved by harnessing forces like sunlight and wind to create comfortable environments,” says Thakkar.
“As a climate-conscious architect, I recently took advantage of the water body arcade columns on a project for a city restaurant, which significantly reduced the need for air conditioning in the building. In another case, in our hotel project, we use lime mortar, as well as patios and small windows. The result was a stunning, passively cool building.”
In another instance, New York-based architect Diana Kellogg used the “Venturi Effect” effectively to create an award-winning school project in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan – the Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls’ School.
To experience the cooling effects of the Hawa Mahal first-hand, head to Jaipur’s City Palace – it sits on the edge of the palace grounds. Visitors have to pay a small entrance fee.
Its golden glow is best admired at sunrise, but the palace itself is only open from 9am to 5pm. A few small cafes across the street are open for those wanting to take photos of the Hawa Mahal in the early morning light.
While today’s new structures may be more technologically advanced, historic buildings like the Hawa Mahal are unrivaled in their awe, concludes architect Jain.
“They are eternal,” she says. “I can’t imagine people remembering a faceless glass skyscraper in a concrete jungle 200 years later like the Hawa Mahal.”