Sawai Pratap Singh was a great devotee of Lord Krishna and he dedicated this mahal to the Lord, its intricate exterior wall looks like a mukut (crown), which adorns Lord Krishna’s head. It overlooks one of the main street and lies sandwiched between more prosaic buildings.

To the north of the city's main road intersection, the Badi Chaupad, stands Hawa Mahal. Famous for its Beehive like structure, the Mahal is interplay of red and pink sand stone, carefully and painstakingly outlined with white borders and motifs. The Hawa Mahal displays fanciful architecture and has been so named because the palace has specially latticed screens and arches for an unbridled flow of air currents in a set pattern with the passage of the sun.

Hawa Mahal is a pyramid-shaped facade with five stories made up of small casements, each with tiny windows and arched roofs with hanging cornices, exquisitely modeled and carved. The facade of the Hawa Mahal looks more like a delicate screen than a palace from the roadside. It has 953 small windows decorated with tiny lattice work. These pink sandstone windows commonly known as "Jharokhas" are constructed in such a style, that it looks like a giant honeycomb. These small windows circulate cool air even during hot months. Its top three stories are just a single room thick but at the base are two courtyards. It is a fifty-foot high thin shield, less than a foot in thickness, but has over 900 niches and a mass of semi-octagonal bays, carved sandstone grills, finials and domes, which give this palace its unique fame. The upper floors are reached through a ramp rather than the regular stairs, a device to facilitate movement of palanquins carried by servants. This is a less tiresome way as the ramp ascends lazily to the top of the freestanding square tower.

Hawa Mahal overlooks one of Jaipur's main streets and was originally constructed to offer women of the court a vantage point, behind stone-carved screens, from which to watch everyday life and processions in the city. In this manner, the women could enjoy a sense of freedom without showing themselves. The openings here are almost like peepholes, partially block by fine latticework in lime plaster, and some with plain wooden windows.

The Hawa Mahal lives up to its name as one climbs up to the balconies and is almost swept away by the cool breeze. The air circulation through windows represents the marvelous touch of Mughal designing, which keeps the Palace always cool. Here even the May-June winds feel so mild and cool.

The best time to view Hawa Mahal is sunrise when it catches the early morning sun and is bathed in its golden light making it glow like a gem, which makes you feel that even if you dare blink your eyes, it will quickly dissolve into thin air.

There is a small archeological museum here to provide a glimpse of art and craft of Rajasthan. Presently Hawa Mahal is managed by the Department of Archaeology; Government of Rajasthan. Entry to foreigners is Rs 30 while to local citizen is Rs 10.