Alwar

Located in the north eastern part of Rajasthan, Alwar is often referred to as the gateway to the historic and colorful state. Alwar itself is a place of great historical significance and preserves some charming legacies of the past in the form of forts, palaces and artificially built lakes. Alwar in its present form was founded by Rao Pratap Singh in the year 1775. The place has also been the administrative seat of many rulers. Alwar also finds mention in Hindu epic Mahabharata. A few excursion destinations are also located near Alwar of which Sariska Tiger Reserve is the most popular. The barren Aravalli ranges flanking Alwar prevent the place from becoming too hot. Thus, Alwar enjoys a temperate climate compared to most other places of Rajasthan.

There is a huge ornamental tank located near Vinay Vilas palace. It was dug by Vinay Singh in the year 1815 and lined up with steps on three sides. Several small temples are also present on the banks of the tank. A cenotaph-Moosi Maharani ki Chhatri adorns the other side of the tank. The combination of the tank, temples and cenotaph look very attractive.

On the outskirts of Alwar is the beautiful Siliserh lake built by Maharaja Vinay Singh in 1844 A.D. The lake was built to channelise water to Alwar town and ease the water scarcity of the place. This lake is solely responsible for transforming the barren Alwar landscape into a lush green one. Overlooking the waters is an attractive white palace built by Vinay Singh in honour of his queen Seela. This clear blue water lake is also a must-see for tourists.

The name of Alwar's fort is Bala Quila. The huge structure sits on top of a 300 metre steep cliff. Although the fort was built before the arrival of Mughals in India, the name of the person who built it is not known. Mughal Emperors Babur and Jahangir had spent some time in the fort. The ramparts of the fort are very extensive stretching to 5 kms from north to south and 1.6 kms from east to west. There are 66 large and small towers that were built to keep a watch on enemies. The fort also had 446 openings for musketry and 8 huge bastions. The fort was built in such a way that it was almost invincible.

Vinay Vilas is the palace complex of Alwar. The architecture of this palace ranks among the best of Rajasthan palace architecture. It is a pity that the palace complex has been taken over by the government and converted into a office of the government. Yet, tourists can visit the complex which is undoubtedly Alwar's most attractive building.

Vijaymandir Palace is another charming palace complex located on the outskirts of Alwar town. Built by Maharaja Jai Singh, the palace has 105 rooms, well laid gardens and a lake flowing in the foreground. Some lovely carvings could be seen on the walls and floors of the palace.