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hawa-mahal

How Not to Restore Hawa Mahal

Posted on December 9, 2016May 9, 2025

I visited Jaipur in December 2016 with my parents-in-law. So I proudly took them to Hawa Mahal as it is one of my favorite monuments. Agreed it is smaller in comparison to Amber Fort and City Palace, but Hawa Mahal is one of the most recognizable icon of the city. Personally I loved the colored glasses, the courtyards and walking around the various levels. We went in with high expectations. My previous visits to Hawa Mahal were beautiful.

Horror Story

green-ugly-windows-hawa-mahal

To my utter horror they have taken some restoration work and it turns out to be ‘how not to restore Hawa Mahal’ story! I wonder who ordered it and how can they live with themselves, if this is the final work.

When we went to level two, things felt terribly wrong. There are ugly green wooden blocks covering the jharokhas all over the place! I would not use it even at my modest three bedroom home what to say of Hawa Mahal built in 1799 for queens!

The horror story continued at the higher levels too. To block people from climbing into the windows they have put barriers. I can understand that, people may not be behaving responsibly but why to put such ugly railings? Why not make an effort to put in something that blends with the place? Unfortunately I do not have a picture of that particular bit of outrage.

Sense and Lack of It

I am not a heritage person really. But I have been to many heritage sites, in Jaipur and other places. There is something about history that makes me forget it as soon as I get out of the monument! I am not a connoisseur who can understand the intricacies of restorations. Had it been a minor glitch, I would not even notice it. But the present work is so ugly and horrible that even an untrained person like me can spot it without any effort.

The Sad Story of a Beautiful Green Door

bad-work-hawa-mahal

I saw this beautiful green door at Hawa Mahal where someone casually attached the horrible looking Kundi on it! I mean how could someone raise their hands to put an outrage like this into the gorgeous door! I don’t think we make doors like it anymore. Who in their right minds would do this?

But Who Ordered This?

ugly-green-windows-hawa-mahal

I was left wondering who sanctioned and approved this restoration? It is not restoration, it is butchering the monument! It makes me immensely sad to see Hawa Mahal in such a pitiable condition.

When I searched online I can find articles about the 2010 restoration. Back then people were not happy because colored glasses were put in place of jalis. The whole rationale of Hawa Mahal was to let the wind have a free play!

Search as I may, I could not find any articles regarding the current sorry state of the monument. My only sane guess I can make is that maybe, just maybe, this is temporary while the original jalis are being restored.

But this is India which can often leave you incredulous! I won’t be surprised if in somebody’s estimate this is the final restoration of Hawa Mahal. If it is we need to get together and do something. In its current state it is horrible beyond words.

If you feel for the cause please sign my petition at Change.Org

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14 thoughts on “How Not to Restore Hawa Mahal”

  1. Purba Chakraborty says:
    December 10, 2016 at 12:30 am

    Oh this is so sad 🙁

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      December 10, 2016 at 12:33 pm

      Yes Purba it is heartbreaking1

      Reply
  2. Antonina says:
    December 10, 2016 at 2:02 am

    I often feel like that when I see the heritage buildings being “restored” in Mumbai 🙁

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      December 10, 2016 at 12:54 pm

      Ah and here I was thinking this could be an isolated case!

      Reply
  3. Jyotirmoy Sarkar says:
    December 10, 2016 at 9:11 am

    Really pathetic to see such heritage places in this condition.
    I think i should visit such places as soon as possible or later i will miss the original works.

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      December 10, 2016 at 12:56 pm

      Yes Jyotirmoy I was so surprised because I have seen it before and now! I fail to understand how we can do something like this to our heritage?

      Reply
  4. Amit Agarwal says:
    December 10, 2016 at 12:38 pm

    I was also taken aback by the ‘restoration’ work in poor taste when I visited Hawa Mahal in October:(
    They are doing it mindlessly at Amer Fort too:(
    Pathetic..!

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      December 10, 2016 at 12:58 pm

      I am not sure about Amber I went there too and I could not see any such outrage but then I do not have a trained eye. But Hawa Mahal it is visible even to me!

      Reply
  5. Rajeev Moothedath says:
    December 11, 2016 at 10:17 pm

    “It is not restoration, it is butchering the monument!”- Sad…

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      December 11, 2016 at 11:21 pm

      It is truly completely utterly sad!

      Reply
  6. Tales of Travelling Sisters says:
    December 12, 2016 at 1:48 pm

    Its so sad that the people who are responsible to take care of these sites take their job for granted and do hideous things in the name of restoration.

    Reply
    1. Mridula Dwivedi says:
      December 12, 2016 at 10:16 pm

      Yes I have never seen anything so shocking 🙁

      Reply
  7. yashasvi says:
    January 12, 2017 at 6:26 pm

    :-[

    Reply
  8. Chaitali Patel says:
    January 19, 2017 at 5:01 pm

    Heritage conservation is a science and needs so much study. Sad to hear about how Hawa Mahal has been damaged rather than restored. We are country of smart people, why can’t we get some things right?

    Reply

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About Me

I am Mridula Dwivedi and I started this blog in 2005. It has been an amazing ride. I have visited 33 countries till date! I have worked with many tourism boards and prominent travel companies. My blog was featured on the BBC and the Guardian.

I did my Ph.D. from IIT Kanpur. I worked full time in academics till 2015! I quit my job as a professor, thinking I will take a break for one year, which turned into five.

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