Alwar Tour & Travel Guide

Explore and Experience the Grandeur of this Vintage City

One of the oldest kingdoms of Rajasthan, Alwar was once a part of Viratnagar in 1500 BC. The place gained limelight again during the reign of Maharaja Pratap Singh in the 18th century. He shoved back the Jaipur rulers to south and the Bharatpur Jats to the east and also successfully turned down the Marathas. Alwar, then was one of the foremost Rajput states to place in a friendly association with the fledgling British Empire. Alwar was earlier known earlier as Mewat and gained the repute of being a remarkable seat of art and culture under the kingship of Maharaja Pratap Singh. In present day it is a mediocre city with decent facilties and is extremely popular tourist destination owing to its proximity to the famous Sariska Tiger Reserve and Bhangarh fort. Dotted with several forts, heritage buildings, courtyards, lakes, and nature reserves, Alwar is a hub of tourism and tourist flock in huge numbers.

The most popular fort here is the Alwar City Palace, also known as Vinay Vilas Palace, is standing tall since 1793. The architectural styles, the marble pavilions on lotus-shaped bases in its courtyard, a well maintained museum with rare artefacts makes this place a must see.

Also the marble and sandstone Moosi Maharani Chhatri or Cenotaphs, Moti Doongri and the Bala Qila fort with intricately made balconies and carved marble pillars are a glimpse of the richness in art and architecture of the bygone era. The famous Karni Mata temple, popularly known as the Rat Temple for its 20,000 or more black rats is a major tourist attraction in Alwar. Other places that tourist enjoy here are the Siliserh Lake, Company Garden, Naldeshwar Shrine, Vijay Mandir Palace and Tomb of Fateh Jung, to name a few.

Colourful life of Rajasthan is well depicted in its fairs and festivals. Much like every city / town here, Alwar has its own set of fairs and festivals that draw the attention of tourists from far & wide. The three days Alwar Festival is held in February every year and is organized by the government agencies that promote tourism. These festival are the perfect window for glimpses of Alwar’s rich tradition, culture and heritage. Another popular festival here is the Shilp Gram, which displays the rustic flavours of Alwar and the handicraft and handloom industry flaunts here. The Mega Alwar trade fair is a popular commercial assemblage, which is held at Dusshera ground every year. Alwar is also popular for wide variety of hand-made Papier-mâché products.