The city of Alwar was built by the Kachawa Rajput of Macheri - Rao Pratap Singh in 1775. For a brief while the Marathas as well as the British took possession of Alwar. In the year 1949, Alwar was amalgamated with the state of Rajasthan.Alwar is about 145 km away from the pink city of Jaipur and 170 km away from Delhi. Visit the Bala Quila. See Vinay Vilas Mahal, which was built in the 18th century. The palace showcases an excellent mix of Rajput and Mughal architecture. Apart of the palace has been converted into a museum. Alwar has a Government Museum that houses a perfect collection of Rajput and Mughal paintings, weapons and other artifacts

There is a museum inside the palace and on display at the museum are authentic miniature paintings, rare manuscripts, ivory items, and a rich collection of weapons. The museum also has in its possession 700 rare manuscripts in Hindi, Sanskrit, Arabic and Persian language. The 24 m Bhagavat and Arabic Koran are some of the museums priceless artifacts and national treasures.

On the outskirts of Alwar is the magnificent Vijay Mandir Palace, which was built way back in 1918. The palace is located in a rather picturesque setting on the banks of the shimmering Vijay Sagar Lake. There are 105 grandiose rooms in all at the palace and members of the royal family still live in this majestic palace. One has to seek prior permission from the authorities to enter inside the palace.

» Major Attractions of Alwar

PalaceVinay Vilas : The principal attraction of Alwar is the city Palace which is known as Vinay Vilas in the local parlance. This magnificent palace was built in 1840 and is located in a triangular hill top. The palace is 300 m high. The architecture of the palace is distinctly Mughal and the palace is replete with buildings, monuments, museums and shimmering lakes


Vijay Mandir : On the outskirts of Alwar is the magnificent Vijay Mandir Palace, which was built way back in 1918. The palace is located in a rather picturesque setting on the banks of the shimmering Vijay Sagar Lake. There are 105 grandiose rooms in all at the palace and members of the royal family still live in this majestic palace. One has to seek prior permission from the authorities to enter inside the palace.

Jaisamand Lake : Also known as Dhebar , is located 52km south east of Udaipur and was built by Maharaja Jai Singh in 1685.It is one of the largest lakes in Asia covering an area of 36sqkm. *On the banks of lake are elegant marble steps descending to the water and a small temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. *The forests around Jaisamand, which once were the hunting grounds of maharanas of Mewar, have now been converted into a game sanctuary. The Jaisamand Sanctuary built in 1957 covering an area of 62sqkm welcomes a wide variety of resident and migratory birds and animals.

» Places to Stay in Alwar

The RTDC has done a lot to retain the traditional flavour in its hotels in and around Alwar. Hotels like RTDC's Khadim, come with AC Deluxe rooms as well as ordinary rooms, which give a comfortable stay in the city. There are also Sarai facilities for the pilgrims. The government sponsored paying guest scheme makes the visitor feel at home.

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» Shopping in Alwar

There are quite a few market areas in Alwar, full of the heat and dust of Rajasthan. Some of them are Hope Circus, Bajaja Bazaar, Sarafa Bazaar, Mala Khera Bazaar and Kedalganj Bazaar. Jewellery and other handicraft items are the best things you could take back home. Hope Circus, which is quite a busy place, gets its name from a monument of the same name. The latter is a circular structure with flights of steps leading to the top from all four sides. It was named after Miss Hope, daughter of Lord Linlithgow, the then Viceroy of India, on the occasion of her visit to Alwar in 1939-40. and while we're still at shopping and bazaars, you should try the wonderful mawa (a kind of sweet made of milk) in Alwar. You simply shouldn't miss that!.

» How to Get there

Air : The nearest airport is Delhi International Airport which is located 163 kms from the city. From Delhi, you can come to Alwar by a bus or a train.

Rail : The city is well connected with some of the major cities of India. Trains like Shatabdi express, Superfast Express, Intercity express, Marudhar Express and Mandore express connects Alwar with cities like Delhi, Varanasi, Ajmer, Sarai Rohilla and Jodhpur.

Road : It connects some of the major cities of Rajasthan by road. The city is well connected by Jaipur (143 kms) and Delhi ( 164 kms). .

Local Transport : City bus service operate in the city. Unmetered taxis, auto-rickshaws, tongas, and cycle-rickshaws are also available for commutation.

» Climate of Alwar

Pretty hot in summers and becomes green with first rain as all its small mountains become green, in winters temperature is chilled, Max 37 ºC, Min 24 ºC (summer); Max 31 ºC, Min 11 ºC (winter).