Alwar (Rajasthan, India)

Alwar is famous for scenic splendor and is a town buzzing with shopping, sightseeing and entertainment. It has one of the finest wild life sanctuaries in Rajasthan named Sarika, which is an excellent tiger country. Some of the interesting places to visit in Alwar are:

Bala Quila

Undertake a journey through time by visiting this huge fort. The way to the fort goes near the collectrate office in the city. It is a climb up to the hill with panaromic view all around. In the way one can see the temple of Godess Karani Mata. The fort is believed to be constructed by Nikumbh Rajputs in 928 AD. Most of the structures inside the fort are in the ruins, but they reflect the grandeur of the bygone era. They are remains of Jai mahal, Nikhumbh Mahal, Salim Sagar Pond, Suraj kund and many other temples.

City palace

While returning back from Bala Quila, make sure to step in the City palace. Situated below the Bala Quila, the fort sprawls the huge palace complex, its massive gates and tank lined by a beautifully symmetrical chain of ghats and pavilion. Today, most of the complex is occupied by govt. offices, but there is a museum housed in the city palace. Examples of miniature writing, miniature painting of the Bundi school and ivory, sandalwood and jade objects d’art as well as the usual armory displays, are among the museum’s unusual exhibits.

Sagar

A nice viewpoint, situated behind the City Palace is an artificial lake built in 1815 A.D. by Maharaja Vinay Singh with few temples along its banks. A marvelous chhatri with unusual Bengali roof and arches, also known as the Moosi Maharani ki chhatri, is situated here.

Government Museum

Spend the rest of the day exploring the collection of Mughal and Rajput painting in the Government Museum. It also possess rare ancient manuscripts in Persian, Arabic, Urdu and Sanskrit

Excursions

If you are a wildlife lover and also interested in art and archeology, an excursion to Saiska National Park is must. Perched in the quaint surroundings of Aravali, this thickly wooded forest is a marvel of ecological adaptation and endurance.

The tiger reserve features dry open deciduous forests sprawling over a vast tract of rolling hills and valleys, lovely springs cascading through the hills, numerous valuable sites of geological and historical interests and above all, a rich and varied exotic fauna constituting tiger, leopards, and hyena,jungle cat,sambar , chital, nilgai, chausingha, jackal, wild boars,wild dogs, langurs and rhesus monkeys.

Avifauna varies with shrike, parakeet, Partridge, crested serpent eagle, red spurfowls, quail, sandgrouse, dove ,vultures, owl, treeple & golden backed woodpecker, Babbles & bulbuls.