Alwar Rajasthan
The city of Alwar was built by the Kachawa Rajput of Macheri - Rao Pratap Singh in 1775. For a brief while the Marathas as well as the British took possession of Alwar. In the year 1949, Alwar was amalgamated with the state of Rajasthan.The principal attraction of Alwar is the city Palace which is known as Vinay Vilas in the local parlance. This magnificent palace was built in 1840 and is located in a triangular hill top.
The palace is 300 m high. The architecture of the palace is distinctly Mughal and the palace is replete with buildings, monuments, museums and shimmering lakes.There is a museum inside the palace and on display at the museum are authentic miniature paintings, rare manuscripts, ivory items, and a rich collection of weapons.
The museum also has in its possession 700 rare manuscripts in Hindi, Sanskrit, Arabic and Persian language. The 24 m Bhagavat and Arabic Koran are some of the museums priceless artifacts and national treasures.
Also on display at the museum is the replica of Sheikh Shadi's Gulistan copy which is simply marvelous. Another priceless item of the museum is the biography of Babur - "Baburnama". The museum also has a fine collection of royal armories, of particular significance are the swords of Shah Abbas, Akbar, Jehangir, Shah Jahan, Dara Shikoh, Nadir Shah and Aurangzeb.Other places worth visiting in Alwar is the Gunijankhana which has a fine collection of paintings. Maharaj Bhaktiyar's cemetry and the cemetry of Shah Jahan's minister Fateh Jung are also worth visiting.
There is also the Puranjan Bihar or the Summer Retreat of Alwar's royalty which exude with the glorious legacy of Alwar's past rulers.On the outskirts of Alwar is the magnificent Vijay Mandir Palace, which was built way back in 1918. The palace is located in a rather picturesque setting on the banks of the shimmering Vijay Sagar Lake. There are 105 grandiose rooms in all at the palace and members of the royal family still live in this majestic palace. One has to seek prior permission from the authorities to enter inside the palace.
Place To Visit In Alwar
1. The Bala Fort
This huge fort with its ramparts stretching 5 km from north to south and 1.6 km from east to west, stands 304 metres above the city and 595 metres above the sea level. Constructed before the rise of the Mughal empire. Babar had spent a night at this fort and took away the hidden treasures to gift to his son, Humayun. Akbar’s son , Jahangir had also stayed here for some time during his exile. The place where he stayed is called Salim mahal. The fort was finally annexed by maharaja Pratap singh in 1775 A.D. It is a forbidding structure with 15 large and 51 small towers and 446 openings for musketry,along with 8 huge towers encompassing it.
2. Government Museum
The museum has the finest collection of Mughal and Rajput painting dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries and somerare ancient manuscripts in Persian, Arabic, Urdu and Sanskrit. ‘Gulistan’ (the garden of roses), Waqiat-I-Babri ’ (autobiography of Mughal emperor Babar) and Bostan (the garden of spring) are some of the notable ones amongst the collection. It also has the copy of the great epic ‘Mahabharata’ painted by the artists of the Alwar school. A rich collection of the Indian armoury are among other exhibits of the museum.
3. Jai Samand Lake
(6 km) A beautiful artificial lake constructed by Maharaja Jai Singh in 1910 A.D. is a popular spot for outing and picnics. During monsoons,sprawling greenery all around makes it a visual treat. Easily accessible by road from Alwar.
4. Vijai Mandir Palace
(10 km) A splendid palace, built by Maharaja Jai Singh in 1918 A. D. picturesque lake overlooking the palace makes it a fascinating sight.
Getting There
Air
Delhi 163 km. is the nearest airport.
Rail
Good connection from prominient locations in and around the state. Some important trains connections are: Shatabdi express (New delhi-Alwar-Ajmer),
Superfast Express (Newdelhi-Alwar-Ajmer), Intercity Express(Jodhpur-Jaipur-Alwar-Delhi) Marudhar Express(Jodhpur-Alwer-Varanasi), Mandore Express(Jodhpur-Alwar-Delhi).
Road
Alwar is linked by road to major cities of rajasthan and to Delhi.
