|
Introduction of Alwar |
Alwar is a
gateway to the historic and colorful state of Rajasthan. Alwar has its
own heritage which goes back to the mythological legends of the
Mahabharata. Alwar is situated in the north eastern part of Rajasthan
at an elevation of 237 meters above sea level. It lies 160 km south of
Delhi and is about 150 km from Jaipur and covers an area of 44.76
square km. It is flanked by the barren hills of the Aravali range.
Alwar has a chequered history and has been a witness to many rules and
rulers. It offers various sites of historical importance to the
traveller.
Climate of Alwar is temperate. Summers are hot but the winters are
cool and pleasant. During the summers the temperature is around 41.8º
Celsius and during winters it is around 5º Celsius. Best time to visit
Alwar is from September to February. Common languages spoken in Alwar
are Rajasthani, Hindi, Marwari and English. |
City Palace Alwar |
|
History of Alwar |
Alwar
dates back to 1000 A.D. It was once an ancient Rajput state and
formerly known as Mewar. The people of the state did not accept any
external interferences and bravely resisted all foreign invasions. In
the 12th and 13th centuries they formed a group and raided Delhi.
Finally Sultan Balban (1267 AD - 1287 AD) suppressed them, bringing
the area under the Muslim rule. The princely state of Alwar was ruled
by Pratap Singh, a Rajput of the Kachwaha lineage, in 1770. Alwar was
acceded into the authority of India following the independence of
India in 1947. On 18 March 1948 the state was merged with three
neighbouring princely states (Bharatpur, Dholpur and Karauli) to form
the Matsya Union. On 15 May 1949 it was united with neighbouring
princely states and the territory of Ajmer to form the present-day
Indian state of Rajasthan. Apart from its long history the city has a
rich natural heritage with some attractive lakes and scenic valleys
thickly wooded in parts. |
|
Tourist Attraction in Alwar |
Famous
tourist attraction of Alwar is
City Palace
or Vinay Vilas Mahal,
Siliserh Lake Palace,
Neemrana Fort Palace.
Other prominent attraction is
Sariska National Park
in Sariska. Sariska was once the hunting reserve of the Maharajas of
Alwar. The main fauna in the Sariska National Park are the Leopard,
Hyena, Tiger, Sambhar, Civet, Chinkara, Panther, Jungle Cat,
Four-Horned Antelope, Porcupine and Nilgai. also attractions. |
|
|
|
Siliserh Lake
Palace |
Neemrana Fort
Palace |
|
|
Sariska
National Park |
Sariska
National Park |
|
Other Tourist Attraction in Alwar |
City Palace
City Palace is located below the scarred battlements of the fort, at the
base of the hill with its spacious apartments. It now houses a museum
within it with its collection of royal memorabilia. A beautiful pond
called Sagar is located behind the City Palace.
Jain temple
Jain
temples are dedicated to the eighth Tirthankar (great teacher) Shri
Chandra Prabhu Bhagwan. It has elaborate paintings and carvings, exquisite
arches and pillars. It is located about 60 kms on the Alwar - Delhi road
route, it is an important Jain pilgrimage.
|
|
|
Alwar
Fort |
Bhangarh |
Nilkanth Temple
Neelkanth Temples are a famous tourist attraction of Alwar. It is
dedicated to Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva is also known by the name of Neelkanth
as per Hindu mythology. The temple attracts huge number of devotees from
all over the country. It is surrounded by lush green trees that add to its
beauty. The temple is quite similar to an ancient museum. In addition to
its religious significance it is famous for its excellent stone carving.
The amazing fine work on the shikhara or the spire is still undamaged. The
wonderful carvings of figures on the temple are worth seeing. Some of the
pillars of the temple are severely damaged. A number of carved stone slabs
lie all around the temple.
Bhangarh
Bhangarh was founded in 1631 by Madho Singh who was younger brother of
famous Man Singh of Amer. The ruins of Bhangarh paint a picture of the
ancient kingdom that was once flourished here. Very prominent in Bhangarh
is the town planning, castle hierarchy, market system and the charming
beauty of several temples. This town of about 10,000 dwellings was
suddenly abandoned due to reasons clothed in mystery.
|
|
|
Bhartrihari |
City
Palace |
Alwar fort
Alwar fort is built on a hill which is about 1960 feet above the sea
level, it stands majestically 1000 feet above the city of Alwar. The fort
was built by Hasan Khan Mewati in 1550 A.D. It passed from the Mughals, to
the Marathas, to the Jats, till it was finally captured by the Kachhwaha
Rajputs. The fort, from north to south is about 5 kms long and is about
1.5 kms wide. There are six entrances to the fort which are Kishan Pol,
Jai Pol, Chand Pol, Laxman Pol, Suraj Pal (named after Raja Suraj Mal of
Bharatpur), and Andheri Gate. It is said that Pratap Singh the founder of
Alwar state used Laxman Pol for entering the fort for first time. A
metalled road in the past connected the city with Laxman Pol.
Bhartrihari
It is a throbbing pilgrimage centre which revolves around the legend of
King Bharathari who wandered about in exile. In this region in panance for
his suspicions against his younger brother Vikramaditya (renowned king of
Malwa).
|
|
|
Sariska
Palace |
Jain
Temple |
Pandupol
The bridge of Pandupol is related to the Pandavas who spent part of their
time in exile here secretly. At one place, there are two hills meet
together. The way was obstructed which was broken upon by Bheem, the most
powerful of the Pandavas with his Gada (mace). Situated midst the game
century of Sariska, the place has special charm. Temples here draw
pilgrims round the year, though it is most popular during a September
fair.
Moosi RaniKi Chhatri
Moosi Rani Ki Chhatri is a very wonderful Chhatri built in memory of Moosi
Rani, wife of Maharaja Bakhtawar Singh. It took nine years (1804 A.D. to
1813 A.D.) to complete the construction of the tank. |
|
|
Moosi
Rani Ki Chhatri |
Museum |
Talvraksh
It is a diversion of 10 km from Kushalgarh on Sarishka – Alwar road and 35
km from Alwar takes one to this enthralling site where pilgrims bathe in
hot spring. Langoors (apes) wander about and the bells of the scattered
temples tinkle all day long. It was the place of penance of Mandav Rishi.
Sariska Palace
Sariska Palace was founded in 1892 - 1900 as a hunting camp by the
erstwhile ruler of the Alwar, it is now a luxury hotel. It is open to
visitors throughout the year but the best time to observe wildlife is from
November to March. The Rajasthan Tourism Dev Corporation runs a hotel and
also provides transport on hire to visit the sanctuary.
|
|
|
Nilkanth |
Pandupol |
Sagar
Sagar is a beautiful tank which is located behind the city place and just
below the fort. It is very scenic during the rainy season. The tank has a
flight of steps leading to its bottom and is enclosed by 12 chhatries or
cenotaphs built of red marble slabs.
Museum
The palace Museum has a wonderful collection of exhibits of the personal
wealth of the Maharajas of Alwar section which has some historic swords
belonging to the likes of Sultan Muhammed Ghori, emperors Akbar and
Aurangzeb.
|
|
|
Sagar |
Talvraksh |
|
How to Reach Alwar |
By Rail:
Alwar is on the broad gauge network of the western Railways. It has
suitable connections from Delhi and Jaipur. An exotic train runs from
Delhi to Alwar. It is the well-known Fairy Queen, which is the oldest
running steam locomotive in the world. The hospitality and the luxury
of this train are exceptional. It takes about 3-4 hours to reach
Alwar. One can enjoy the scenery of the surroundings en route.
By Road:
Alwar is well connected by road to the various parts of Rajasthan.
Regular bus service operates between Alwar and major cities like Kota,
Udaipur, Ajmer, Jaipur, Delhi, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur.
By Air:
The nearest airport to Alwar is Jaipur which is about 148 km from
Alwar. |
|
You will visit
“Alwar”
during the below Tours of Rajasthan. |
31 Days
Rajasthan Tour (Including Alwar)
31 Days / 30 Nights
Delhi - Alwar - Deeg - Bharatpur -
Fatehpur Sikri - Agra - Dholpur - Ranthambore - Tonk - Bundi -
Jhalawar - Kota - Bijolia - Chittorgarh - Dungarpur - Banswara -
Udaipur - Rajsamand - Nathdwara - Kumbhalgarh - Ranakpur - Mount Abu -
Rohetgarh - Jodhpur - Jaisalmer - Bikaner - Nagaur - Mandawa - Sikar
- Jhunjhunu -Jaipur - Delhi
16 Days Rural Rajasthan Tour
(Including Alwar)
16 Days / 15
Nights
Delhi - Alwar -
Samode - Pushkar - Khimsar - Phalodi - Luni - Ranakpur - Kumbhalgarh -
Chittorgarh - Bundi - Ranthambore - Jaipur - Fatehpur Sikri - Agra -
Delhi
Alwar Tour
3 Days / 2 Nights
Jaipur - Alwar - Jaipur |
|
Map
of Alwar
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|