Alwar

Alwar is referred as the gateway to the historic and colorful state of Rajasthan. Alwar is located in the north eastern part of Rajasthan at an altitude of 237 meters above sea level. It covers an area of 44.76 square km. It lies 170 km south of Delhi and is about 150 km from Jaipur. It is flanked by the barren hills of the Aravali range. Alwar has its own heritage, which goes back to the mythological legends of the Mahabharata. Alwar has had a chequered history and has been a witness to many rules and rulers. It offers the traveler various sites of historical importance. The 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. So the best time to visit this place is from September to February. Hindi, Rajasthani, Marwari and English are the common languages which are spoken here.

Once an ancient Rajput state, formerly known as Mewar, Alwar was nearest to the imperial Delhi. The people of the state did not accept any external interferences and daringly resisted all foreign invasions. In the 12th and 13th centuries, they formed a group and raided Delhi. But finally, Sultan Balban (1267 AD - 1287 AD) suppressed them, bringing the area under the Muslim rule. In 1771 AD, Maharaja Pratap Singh, a Kuchhwaha Rajput belonging to the clan of Jaipur’s rulers, won back Alwar and founded a principality of his own. Apart from its long history, the city has a rich natural heritage with some beautiful lakes and picturesque valleys thickly wooded in parts.

The main tourist attraction of Alwar is City Palace or Vinay Vilas Mahal. The other main 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 Tiger, Leopard, Panther, Hyena, Jungle Cat, Civet, Sambhar, Chinkara, Nilgai, Porcupine and Four-Horned Antelope.

To know the distances from Alwar click here.