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ALWAR
 150-km
from Jaipur and 170-km from Delhi, Alwar is nestled between
a cluster of small hills of the Aravalli range. Perched on
the most prominent of these hills is a massive ancient fort
that whispers tales of the rich history of the city.
Once an ancient Rajput state, formerly known as Mewat, 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.
Some of the finest varieties of birds and animals are
spotted here. Alwar has one of the finest wildlife
sanctuaries in Rajasthan - Sariska, which is an excellent
tiger country
Prime Attractions of Alwar
Ajabgarh
Located 21 kms south of Thana Ghazi in Alwar district, this
place is well known for a temple called Shri Raghunathji.
Alwar Fort:
This huge fort with its ramparts stretching 5-km
from north to south and 1.6 kms from east to west, stands
304m above the city and 595m 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, Jehangir
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 Maharana Pratap Singh in 1775 AD It is a
forbidding structure with 156 large and 51 small towers and
446 openings for musketry, along with 8 huge towers
encompassing it. The fort has several gates - Jai Pol, Suraj
Pol, Laxman Pol, Chand Pol, Kishan Pol of Jal Mahal, Nikumbh
Mahal, Salim Sagar, Suraj Kund and many temples.
Government Museum - Alwar
The museum has the finest collection of Mughal and Rajput
paintings dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries and
some rare ancient manuscripts in Persian, Arabic, Urdu and
Sanskrit. ?Gulistan? (The garden of roses), ? Waqiat-I-Babri?
(autobiography of the Mughal Emperor Babar) and ?Bostan?
(the garden of spring) are some of the notable ones amongst
the collection.
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