State where once Rolls Royce’s were deployed to
collect garbage, could not have been an ordinary place. Legend of Maharaja Jai
Singh of Alwar is well known, how he bought Rolls Royce company to its
knees. Apart from the legend of Maharaja jai Singh Alwar is acclaimed worldwide
for its famous dessert Kalakand (Milk-Cake).
Located midway between Delhi and Jaipur, Alwar is
one of the oldest cities in Rajasthan, with history going back to the time when
Viratnagar used to be flourishing center. Viratnagar, the same Matsya Desh dating
back to the times of Mahabharata, where Pandavas spent last year of the 13 years of exile. Despite located close to Delhi, Alwar somehow
gets missed out from the itinerary as crowds prefer opulence of Jaipur or
probably information about unseen spots in Alwar is rather limited.
Alwar City has several spots, which make it a worthy
weekend getaway destination. Though Alwar is a dry region, but has a celestial
Siliserh lake, which shall be the first spot in the Alwar itinerary. The Siliserh Lake is a big
man-made lake, constructed by Vinay Singh in year 1845 AD and was supposed to provide the water supply reserves for Alwar state.
Flanked by Aravalli hills on two sides and a dam
ensures water stays in this Lake. Lake is much sought-after picnic spot for
locals and tourists. Boating facilities are also available in the lake, but not
round the year.
Enjoy for an hour around the lake, you can also opt for refreshments in the Fort restaurant nearby. Accommodation options are also available at Lakeside resort, in case you want to cherish reading alongside a lake. And thereafter continue your drive further uphill to the majestic Bala Quila. Bala Quila which means 'Young Fort' is located on top of a hill from
where one can have a wonderful view of the city.
Spread over 5 km., Alwar Fort is ranked amongst the
largest forts in Rajasthan. Check the Fort spread and wall guarding over it:
The fort has 6 entrance gates and each gate is referred to as "POL". Covering around 1.5 km. in width, the 6 gates
called as “POL”, are Chand Pol, Suraj Pol (named after Raja Suraj Mal of Bharatpur),
Krishna Pol, Laxman Pol, Andheri Gate, and Jai Pol. Named after illustrious
Rajput warriors, each gate has a history of chivalry and courage attached. Check out the Jai Pol -
Pratap Singh, the founder of Alwar state entered in the fort through Laxman
Pol. Road through Laxman Pol is the only surfaced road which connects fort with
the city.
Built around 1550 AD, fort stands invincible at a
height of 1000 feet with 15 large, 51 small towers and 446 openings for battle
ready soldiers’ movement. Finally, the Bala Quila, structure still is impeccable, and some canons are still guarding it -
There will be complementary handshakes with Peacocks,
Neelgais, Sambhars and monkeys while driving uphill to Bala Quila. Relax and
enjoy the drive.
In 1775 A.D Kachhwaha Rajput Pratap Singh captured Alwar
and laid the foundation of Alwar city near it. The present day Alwar city owes
existence to Pratap Singh. Thereafter the city was decorated with notable
monuments like Moosi Maharani Ki Chhatri, a cenotaph dedicated to Raja
Bakhtawar Singh and his wife Rani Moosi.
Built by Vinay Singh, the Cenotaph is
a double story design, carved in red sandstone and marble with an exceptionally
attractive design consisting of splendid arches and unusually rounded roofs.
Adjacent to Moosi Maharani ki chhatri is the Palace
Museum, also known as the Government Museum.
For history buffs, this is a
worthwhile place to visit. History of Rajasthan and Alwar is depicted in a
wonderful display of artefacts, inscriptions, manuscripts, paintings, and most
important range of weaponry.
Keep at least a couple of hours for this museum to
explore and look back on to the history of Alwar and its unique culture and
tradition.
Backdrop of the Aravalli ranges provides a perfect
canvas to the beauty of these monuments. In the picture the
connection with one of the watch towers is clearly visible -
Palace museum and Moosi Maharani ki chhatri are
basically part of the Alwar Fort. The fort has beautiful scriptures and
sculptures carved. However poor maintenance is ensuring gradual erosion of
these carvings. Likewise, this maze arrangement could have been a spectacular attraction, but in bad shape now -
The fort also has numerous temples inside its campus.
Lot of stuff for a 2-day itinerary, but there is one
more called Hope circus in the middle of Alwar city. This monument is a Lord
Shiva Temple, with circular structure and stairs leading to the top from all
four sides like a lotus flower. You will love this spot.
Name Hope Circus for a temple looks odd. Actually, it
was named after Miss Hope, daughter of then Viceroy of India, who visited Alwar
in 1939-40.
Hope Circus is surrounded by a big market to keep
your shopping buds engaged. That’s it for Alwar in this 2-day trip. If you have
an extra day, try exploring Bhangarh Fort (one of the most hanuted place in the World) and Neelkanth Mahadev Mandir (dating back to times of Mahabharat) along
with some hidden waterfalls. Alwar may not have grandiose of Jaipur, but it is a
destination full of rustic charm and definitely worth exploring. Carry a good camera to capture the varying landscapes from thick forest cover on the hills to monuments under scorching sunlight.
While returning do enjoy and take back the local
delicacy, “The Milk Cake” of Alwar.
Keep exploring Folks.
