Oh no, not again! The plaintive refrain may evince deep disapproval from the Rajput Royals who once populated these parts and took fierce pride in their heritage, but to the modern-day tourist, there is just so much brown sand he can take. Then again, maybe not. All the cities in Rajasthan are similar, but different. A visit to one may give you a sense of been there done that, till you visit another one and marvel at the difference. Alwar is just like that – same but so different! Amidst the hills of one of the Aravalis, Alwar presents one of the most scenic places in the state of Rajasthan, surrounded as it is by the hills covering some thick forests and lakes. Alwar stands as an assertion of fierce Rajput pride that gave its people the courage to hold out against foreign invasions till 13th century AD, when it finally came under Muslim rule. It was not until the year 1771, that the Kuchwaha ruler, Pratap Singh, won it back. The city thus, has been influenced by different cultures and leadership.
Sights to See
What you speculate is pretty much exactly what you will get in this once-upon-a-time Rajput stronghold, complete with a battle-hardened fort.
The City Palace, built in 1793 by Bakhtawar Singh, is a wonderful monument that features Rajput- and Mughal-style architecture. The palace complex has massive gates and marble pavilions standing on lotus flower-shaped bases. A beautiful courtyard in the centre and a massive tank that provides the water supply complete the picture.
The Government Museum forms a part of the City Palace Complex and is housed in the top floor of the building. The museum has a great collection of articles belonging to the royal family of Alwar, as well as historic manuscripts including that on the life of Mughal emperor Babur.
On top of a hill, 600 metres above city level, that’s where the Fort, up above the city so high, quite like a sentinel in the sky. The fort walls are spread 5 km north to south and 1.6 km east to west and has a large number of towers, with numerous holes as lookout points.
On the main road between Delhi-Jaipur, nestled in a horseshoe-shaped cleft in the hills, Neemrana Fortwas built over different periods of its history. Now a heritage hotel, it is the perfect base to visit the deep step wells within walking distance.
The cenotaph of Rani Moosi Chhatri, is a memorial built in the memory of Moosi Rani, the wife of erstwhile Maharaja Bakhtawar Singh. It is a double-storey structures that stands on pillar, has arches, pavilions and has multiple domes covering it.
The ruins of Bhangarh paint an evocative picture of the ancient kingdom that once flourished here. Founded in 1631 by Madho Singh, the younger brother of the famous ruler, Man Singh of Amer, this town of about 10,000 homes was suddenly abandoned, for no known reason. Particularly noteworthy is the town planning, castle hierarchy, market system and the lovely temples.
A pilgrimage centre named after King Bharathari who, it is believed, wandered about in exile as penance for his suspicions against his younger brother Vikramaditya (renowned king of Malwa).
An arduous, bumpy drive of 8 km will lower your expectations of what awaits you at journey’s end, but the aches in unknown muscles is almost well worth the breathtaking view of the ruins dating back several ten centuries and the fabulously carved temple which stand studded on a small hillock surrounded on all sides by forest-covered hills. Particularly remarkable is the Shiva temple, where people come to pray to this day, and the single stone giant structure of 23rd Jain Tirthankar locally known as Nogaza.
The Pondava is a tourist spot of epic proportions – literally. This was the sight that the Pandava brothers from the legend, The Mahabharata, passed through on their journey to a rock-wall through which a passage was created for their escape from their cousins, the Kauravas. This forested glen has a narrow stream and deep waterholes. Temples here draw pilgrims round the year, though it is most popular during a September fair.
Excursions
Sariska Place was built between 1892–1900 as a hunting camp by the erstwhile ruler of Alwar, and is now popular in its avatar as a luxury hotel. But what’s the big lure here is the Sasrika wildlife sanctuary, best seen during winter, from November to March. The Sariska Tiger Reserve is just 40 km from Alwar, dominated b thickly forested hill slopes with vertical cliffs. The terrain is undulating with some wide plateau lands separating the valleys.
Once the personal hunting ground of the Maharajas of Alwar, it became a game sanctuary in 1955 and was later taken up under Project Tiger in 1979. The forested hills of Sariska are among the best places to view tigers in India. Leopards, hyenas, Nilgai, chinkara, chansingha, birds are other fauna.
Getting There
By air
The closest airports to Alwar are Delhi, about 154 km away, and Jaipur, some 148 km away. From there, hire a taxi to reach the city.
By rail
The railway station is a couple of kilometres to the east of the town and it is well-connected to from Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Ahmedabad, Deeg and Ajmer. Alwar also falls along the route of the Fairy Queen.
By road
A bus stand located in the west of the town offers long-distance travel. Bus services from Delhi and Jaipur are available.
Getting Around
The best way of travelling within the city are the three-wheeled autos running around these parts of the state which also operate here, or the black-and-yellow taxis.