Alwar - The land of tigers

Alwar the land of Tigers is also referred to as the gateway to the historic and colorful state of Rajasthan, which is located in the northwestern part of India. However, the city is more than a mere gateway to the rich cultural treasure. It has its own heritage & culture, which goes back to the legends of the Mahabharata. The city had a chequered history and has witnessed many rules and rulers. It offers many sites of royal historical importance.

Location – The district Alwar is situated in the north-east of Rajasthan which located on the old highway between Jaipur and Delhi. It is 150 kms from Jaipur and 170 kms from Delhi & nestled between clusters of small hills of the Aravalli range. 

Language spoken – People of Alwar basically speak Rajasthani with a little touch of Hindi & their local dialects. So, Hindi, Rajasthani and English are the languages which

Transportation facility – The transportation facility is superb. Regular bus services link the city with key destinations in Rajasthan and with other major cities of India. Jaipur, which is 143 km away from Alwar, is the nearest airport and there are good connections from prominent locations in and around the State by train.

People & culture – The people of Alwar are just like the people of other parts of Rajasthan simple yet colorful, enthusiastic, honest & brave.  The people of city never submitted to alien rule and rebelled most of the time as they had developed a hardy, but carefree attitude to life. The colorful people of celebrate merry occasions with traditional arts, music and dance. Hinduism is the main religion followed by people of Alwar. Another important religion followed by peoples is Islam & Jainism. Most of the festivals which are celebrated by Hindus & other religion in other part of India are celebrated in the city of Rajput with great enthusiasm & fun.

Fair & festivals – This city is famous for the Alwar Festival which is organized between 13-15 February. The Alwar Festival displays the best of folk culture, music, handicrafts and colorful traditions of the region. The three-day festival is organized by the district administration to promote tourism and emphasize on the legacy of rich culture. The `Shilp Gram', handicraft village is organized which emphasizes on the display of the hand-made items and promote the manual skills. The festival mainly focuses on the tourism of this magnificent city and the rural activities of the local people. The city of tigers is mainly known for its pottery and jewelry, so during the festival tourist and visitors purchase pottery and jewelry from the market. The Festival exhibits elephant polo, fancy dress, flower show and sketching competitions for children, rare and antique items of the region, film show on the culture and social customs of Alwar.

Apart from these organized festivals the city celebrate all other religious festival with fun & enthusiasm. Sawan teej, Laldas mela, Sahib ji ka mela, Jagannath ji fair, Bhartrihari & huhar sidh are organized & celebrated with traditional art, music & dance. 

Tourist attraction of Alwar – Alwar is an ideal holiday destination for nature & architect lovers. This holiday destination is surrounded by small hills of Aravali range with some of the best variety of animals and birds.

Bala quila/Alwar fort – The huge Alwar fort, sitting high up on a 300m steep cliff, was built before the 16th century. The Hindu scriptures, Puranas, dictate that “fort is the strength of a king”. This fort has huge ornate pols like other Rajasthani Forts. Some of the important pols are the Jai Pol, Suraj Pol, Chand Pol, Laxman Pol, Kishan Pol and andheri Gate. There are other structures like the Nikumbh Mahal, Jal Mahal, Salim Sagar, Suraj Kund and about 15 temples which are important tourist spots. The most exciting aspect of the fort is the fabulous view of the city and the lake studded countryside below. 

Vinay vilas- the city palce – Vinay Vilas Palace is a wonderful blend of Rajput and Mughal styles of architecture. The palace complex of Vinay vila is a must-see which is situated just below the fort; the palace complex is a large and imposing one with massive gates. Adjacent to the palace is a beautiful garden, Purjan Vihar (Company Garden). The greenery & lush cool shades make it hard to believe that the park is so close to the Great Indian Desert. The upper storey of Palace is a Museum which is divided into three sections. The museum consist few of Alwar's legendary treasures such as Mughal and Rajput painting dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries, objects made from jade, ivory and silver, a pair of ivory slippers and a silver dining table with legs shaped like a lion’s feet, beautiful brass and pottery works from Jaipur, Multan (now near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border), Bengal and Sri Lanka, swords of Sultan Mohammad Gauri and of the Mughal emperors Akbar and Aurangzeb, fine collection of Rajput weapons like shields, swords, pistols, rifles and daggers. Moreover, there are some ancient manuscripts in Persian, Arabic, Urdu and Sanskrit. When you are in this section don't miss the illustrated copy of the Mahabharata painted by the artists of the Alwar School, a 200-feet long scroll which is made from a single length of paper. But the most valued piece is the copy of the Gulistan or Garden of Roses, initially written by Sheikh Saadi, a masterpiece of calligraphy.

Moosi maharani ki chatri – Outside the city palace, there is an impressive Moosi Maharani ki Chhatri built by Vinay Singh in the reminiscence of Maharaja Bakhtawar Singh and his wife Rani Moosi, who committed sati. The interiors of chhatri have several great carvings but most of the frescoes on the ceilings are not visible any more. Moreover, if you're lucky enough you'll get a real visual treat of hundreds of peacocks and other colourful birds flapping around the place. Near the Chhatri's is a huge water kund which was created in 1815 by Vinay Singh and is lined with steps on three sides like a stepwell. 

Jai samand lake – Jai Samand lake is also known as Dhebar which is located 52km south east of Udaipur and was built by Maharaja Jai Singh in 1685. The lake is one of the largest lakes in Asia covering an area of 36sqkm. There are elegant marble steps on the banks of lake descending to the water and a small temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.  There are seven islands on this lake and the two bigger islands are known as Babaka Bhagra and a smaller is called Piari. There is Jai samand sanctuary built in 1957 which lies just beside the artificial Jaisamand Lake and has an area of 62sq km. The lake is a home of a wide variety of resident and migratory birds and the cunning crocodiles. The surrounding forest is full of leopard, cheetal, chinkara and wild boar.

Bhangarh – The ruins of Bhangarh presents a picture of the ancient kingdom that once flourished here in 1631 by Madho Singh, Younger brother of the famous Man Singh of Amer. This town of about 10,000 houses was all of a sudden deserted due to the mystery.

Sariska wildlife sanctuary – The Sariska Tiger Reserve is just 40 kms from here and 110 kms from Jaipur. The landscape is dominated by thickly forested hill slopes with vertical cliffs. The terrain is rising and falling with some wide plateau lands separating the valleys. The hills of Sariska are among the best places to view tigers in India. Leopard, Hyena, Somebar, Chansingha, Nilgai, Chinkara, Monkey & Birds are other attractions. This sanctuary was once the personal hunting ground of the Maharajas of city. It became a sanctuary in 1955 and laws later taken it up under Project Tiger in 1979. Sariska wildlife sanctuary is open to visitors throughout the year but the best season to visit sanctuary is during winter months, from November to March.

Accommodation – As all kind of travelers come to visit this city the accommodation here in is also varied. Some of the hotels are deluxe or heritage while others are Budget hotels which are perfect place to enjoy the Rajputana hospitality. The facilities provide by these hotels are superb. The tourist’s just love to stay in these hotels and re- live the past era of valor and courage. 

This gateway of Rajasthan, Alwar is undoubtedly a traveler's delight, for the variety it offers to them in being a powerhouse of nature as well as culture. Now pack your bags and enjoy the great tourist attractions of Alwar.