Zenana
Zenana. This is a new word for us: it describes the area in which the women of a palace live. In the more Northern parts of India, that means that the zenana enforces purdah, or the cloistering and covering of the women of Islam.
What is most interesting about these areas is that though women were shielded from being seen from the outside world by intricately carved wood or marble screens, they could see out of them quite well and were able to keep an eye on the daily comings and goings of the palace.
In Jodhpur, the screens in the zenana were exquisitely carved and we were told that no two are alike.
In Jaipur, the Maharaja erected an entire building for the women of his palace to watch, through screens, the life outside their zenana. Today, it is an emblem of the city , like the Empire State building is New York, and is a much visited monument.
