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The main tourist attractions in Alwar are
City Palace or Vinay Vilas Mahal, Sariska National Park. The
other attractions in Alwar are Bala Kila, Purjan Vihar, Vijay
Mandir Palace, Bhartrihari Temple, Siliserh Lake Palace, Neemrana Fort Palace.
Tourist Attractions in Alwar |
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been
preserved. In the gilded Durbar Hall at the City Palace there
is a raised platform upon which rests a gold and velvet
throne. On the walls and ceiling you would be able to discover
a fabulous wealth of murals and mirror work. The City Museum,
located on the upper floors of the Palace has a splendid range
of miniature paintings of the Alwar School. The colours in the
paintings are as fresh and vibrant as ever. In the museum
there is the unusual silver table which used to entertain the
nobility of the Raj era and also the vast collection of armoury.
Purjan Vihar (Company Garden)
Built during the reign of Maharaja Shiv Dan Singh in 1868,
Purjan Vihar is also known as the Company Gardens. This scenic
garden serves as a popular picnic spot during summers. One of
the most attractive features of the garden is setting known as
Shimla. It was built by Maharaja Mangal Singh to provide cool
shades as a relief from the scorching summer heat. |
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east to west.
Some of the Mughal rulers are reported to have stayed there
before it reverted back to the Rajput rulers in the 18th
century. The fort is circumscribed with several gates known as
Pols. A few of which are named after various personalities.
e.g. Jai Pol, Laxman Pol, Suraj Pol. In this fort the Mughal
Emperor Babur decided to make a night halt here, but
succumbing to innate greed, he raided the hidden treasures in
the toshakhana and took the booty home to shower on his son
Humayun. Salim Mahal, which lies in ruins now, is said to have
been the palace where Prince Salim, later the Mughal Emperor
Jehangir, spent his three-years exile.
Museums in Alwar
Alwar Government Museum
The government museum is housed in the old City Palace. This
museum has a unique collection of arms, lacquered brassware
and ivory work items, musical instruments, stuffed animals,
pottery works, miniature paintings and Persian and Sanskrit
manuscripts. The museum is divided into three major sections,
each housed in a big hall.
Virat Nagar Museum
In the epic period, the area around the district of Jaipur,
Alwar and Bharatpur came to be known as Matsyadesh with Virat
Nagar as its capital. Frequent references of Matsyadesh have
been made in the Indian epic-the Mahabharat. The Virat Nagar
museum has the richest collection of excavated material like
potteries, paintings, old coins, seals, metallic pieces,
weapons and statues.
Excursions from Alwar
Vijay Mandir Palace
Vijay Mandir Palace is situated just 10 km from Alwar. This is
a royal residence, built by Maharaja Jai Singh in 1819. A
splendid temple of Sita Ram is situated here which is visited
by large number of devotees on the occasion of Ramnavmi.
Bhartrihari Temple
The Bhartrihari temple is a prominent pilgrimage center. There
is a cenotaph of Bhartrihari. According to the legend, the
King Bhartrihari, abandoned the world 21 centuries ago. He
roamed about in these parts in penance and even had his
cenotaph here. Every year a fair is organized at the temple in
the month of September/October.
Siliserh Lake Palace
Siliserh Lake, an idyllic picnic spot is situated about 13 km
south west of Alwar. The shimmering Siliserh lake covers an
area of 10.5 square km. This lake is surrounded by thick
wooded hills with beautiful chhatris on the embankment. This
lake was once a source of the Alwar's water supply and various
fishes and water birds can be seen in this lake. Situated
between the Aravalis and overlooking the lake is the
magnificent royal hunting lodge or Siliserh lake palace. This
lake palace was built by Maharaja Vinay Singh in 1845 AD for
his queen Shila. This palace has now been converted into a
heritage hotel. This lake offers boating and sailing
facilities and is a delightful spot for various photographers
and film makers. The boats can be hired at various rates and
at various timings. |
