Minerva

Hawa Mahal  is a palace in  Jaipur , India, so named because it was essentially a high screen wall built so the women of the royal household could observe street festivals while unseen from the outside. Constructed of red and pink  sandstone , the palace sits on the edge of the  City Palace , and extends to the  zenana , or women's chambers The original intention of the lattice was to allow royal ladies to observe everyday life in the street below without being seen, since they had to obey strict "purdah" (face cover). The lattice also allows cool air from the  Venturi effect  (doctor breeze) through the intricate pattern, air conditioning the whole area during the high temperatures in summers.

This monster cannon at Jaigarh Fort was never used in a war. It is believed that the cannon was test-fired only once with a charge of 100 kg of gunpowder. The shot covered a distance of about 35 kilometres and caused a depression which is now being used as a pond by the villagers of Chaksu. The cannon had a range of 22 miles and used 50 kilograms (110 lb) balls. Jaigarh Fort was a centre of artillery production for the Rajputs. The cannon known as Jaivana was manufactured during the reign of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II (1699-1743) at a foundry in Jaigarh. The barrel is 20.19 foot (6.15 m) in length and weighs 50 tonnes. It has a diameter of 11 inches (280 mm). It is mounted on wheels. It can fire in any direction. Presently a tin shed has been built to protect it from the impact of weather. This fort was constructed on the hills of Aravali to protect the city from any attack. Since Rajput rulers of Amber had friendly relations with the Mughals, there was no attack on t...