Alwar is the first major city that comes while travelling from Delhi to Rajasthan and is uniquely located at 150 km south of Delhi and 150 km north of Jaipur. Alwar is a hub of tourism with forts like the Bhangarh fort, lakes, nature reserves like Sariska Tiger Reserve and heritage havelis. Apart from being a popular tourist centre, Alwar also draws pride from its reputation of being featured in a number of Bollywood movies. It is also famous for the Mega Alwar Trade fair held at Dussehra Ground every year and handmade Papier-mâché (literally ‘chewed paper’). Alwar is also famous for Alwar ka Mawa, a sweet preparation.
Surrounded by Aravali hills, Alwar is a pretty city of rich culture and heritage. The majestic fort, beautiful City Palace and the colorful markets make Alwar one of the most interesting cities in Rajasthan. Alwar has been one of the oldest of Rajasthani Kingdoms and one of the first Rajput states to align itself with the British empire. The city becomes a great weekend getaway from New Delhi.
Sariska National Park
Nestled in the Aravali Hills over an area of about 800 sq. Km covering the grasslands, dry deciduous forests, cliffs and rocky landscape, lays the Sariska National Park, now known as The Sariska Tiger Reserve. This area was once hunting preservation of The Maharaja of Alwar. The Reserve is known for its majestic Royal Bengal Tigers. It was declared as a national park in 1982. The protected area is a part of the Aravali Range and the Kathiawar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion. In 1978, it was given the status of Tiger Reserve under the Project Tiger. It is the first tiger reserve to relocate the Tigers (from Ranthambore) successfully. As it lies in the lap of Aravali Hills, it holds an abundant amount of mineral resources like copper.
Bhangarh Fort
Famous for the historical ruins and the ghost stories, Bhangarh has been regarded as the most haunted place in the country. It is located on the way between Jaipur and Delhi. The Bhangarh Fort is a 17th Century fort in the Alwar district of Rajasthan. It was built by Bhagwant Das for his son Madho Singh I. It was named by Madho Singh after his grandfather Man Singh or Bhan Singh. As soon as you enter through the main gate of the ruined fort city, also known as Bhoot Bangla, it gives a chill down your spine. Within the fort, there are temples, palaces, and Havelis. Apart from that, there are also four more gates for the entry to the fort: the Lahori Gate, the Ajmeri Gate, the Phulbari Gate and the Delhi Gate.
Bala Quila Fort
Bala Quila Fort or the Alwar Fort is situated in the Aravalli Ranges, above the town of Alwar. Built in 15th century by Hasan Khan Mewati, it has been under the rule of the Marathas, Yadavas, and the Kachwaha Rajputs. ‘Bala Quila’ means Young Fort. Laxman Pole is the only metalled road which connects the Fort to the Alwar city. The silver pages of history speak that Pratap Singh, the founder of Alwar state, entered the Fort through this metalled way only.
In 1775 A.D. Kachhwaha Rajput Pratap Singh captured the fort and laid the stones of Alwar city. With a distance of 595 m, the massive fort is visible from the city itself. It gives a majestic view of the town as it is perched on a 300m high cliff. It spreads over an area of 5 km from North to South and 1.6 km from East to West. The forts have six gates which are Jai Pol, Suraj Pol, Laxman Pol, Chand Pol, Krishen Pol and Andheri Gate. The walls are finely crafted with ancient scriptures and sculptures.
Siliserh Lake Palace
Spread over a large area of 7 square kilometres, Siliserh Lake is an amazing tourist attraction with Silserh Lake Palace bordering the water reservoir. The lake is a famous picnic spot in the region. Having recently been converted into a heritage hotel by the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC), the Siliserh Lake Palace now serves as an esteemed royal getaway amidst the rolling hills of the Aravalli range and the spectacular Siliserh Lake. Activities such as boating and fishing are popular crowd attractors along with the huge number of migratory birds that vacation in during peak seasons. Source: Holidify
Alwar: The Tiger Gate of Rajasthan
