India

Jaipur is the capital and largest city of the state of Rajasthan. Founded in 1727, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million and is known as the “Pink City.”

Hawa Mahal is a palace built in 1799 in the form of the crown of Krishna, the Hindu god. Its unique five-story exterior is like a honeycomb with its 953 small windows called “jharokhas” that are decorated with intricate latticework. The original intention of the lattice was to allow royal ladies to observe everyday life in the street below without being seen.

Jal Mahal, (or the Water Palace) sits outside of Jaipur in the center of Maan-sarovar lake.  The palace was built in the 17th century in a Rajput style architecture.  The lake is often dry in the winter, but summer monsoons frequently turn it into a beautiful lake filled with water hyacinths.

Jaipur itself is a wonderful commercial city.  We did some  street scenes and some of the Hawa Mahal, but little else there.  One afternoon, we hired some models and did off-camera flash.  That having been said, most of our stay in Jaipur was in the surrounding areas.