Alwar, the seat of administration of
Alwar District, is a beautiful town nestled between a cluster of small hills of the
Aravalli range. Alwar is the gateway to the historic and colorful
Rajasthan and is 150 km to the east of
Jaipur.
Alwar has a rich heritage, whose earlier days date back to the mythological legends of the Mahabharata. Its earlier name was ‘Mewat’ and was a Rajput strong hold. Being strategically located outside the imperial Delhi, the town always was prone to external interferences and had seen many rulers over the years. Alwar was invaded by Sultan
Balban in the 13th century, thus bringing the city under
Mughal rule. It rose to prominence after the town was freed by
Maharaja Pratap Singh in the 18th century. The descendants of him were great patrons of art and architecture and Alwar flourished under them as an important cultural center of north India. Later Alwar came under the British rule and remained with them until India’s independence in 1947.
Places of tourist interest include the City Palace or Vinay Vilas Mahal, the ancient fort, Bala Quila, Government Museum, Purjan Vihar (Company Garden), Vijay Mandir Palace (10 km),
Siliserh Lake, Jaisamand Lake and Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary.
Nearest airport is at Jaipur. Alwar is a prominent railhead and has connections to New Delhi (164), Ajmer, Rohilla, Jodhpur (383 km) and Varanasi. Regular bus services connect the town with Jaipur (143 km), Bharatpur (94 km), Dausa (83 km) and New Delhi.
