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Rajasthan
( Alwar )
INTRODUCTION
Alwar has been
among the historic cities in Rajasthan. It is
surrounded by prehistoric as well as historic
sites that are an archaeologist's delight. Once
a part of the Matsya Kingdom, visit to Alwar is
like walking back into the past. This area is
protected from the desert sands by the Arawali
range that also provides Alwar with a lot of
picturesque locations. The entire region is
rich in lakes and wooded hills that provide
shelter to a large variety of flora and fauna.
Today, Alwar is an important industrial centre
and one of Delhi's satellite towns yet its
ancient temples, medieval forts and palaces,
gardens and wildlife make it an interesting
tourist destinations.
SIGHT SEEING
Some important
sights that are not be missed are the Bala
Qila where Emperor Babur spent one night,
the majestic.
City palace
which houses a museum. In the museum can be
found quite a few of Alwar's legendary
treasures rare manuscripts, paintings, objects
made from jade, ivory and silver and a large
collection of weapons. The beautiful Moosi
Maharani Ki Chhatri a majestic red stone
and white marble cenotaph built in the memory
of a mistress of Maharaja Bakhtawar Singh, a
ruler of Alwar. Other interesting monuments are
Viay Vilas Palace, Vijay Mandir palace and
Moti Doongri.
A little further
on the road to Jaipur is Alwar's most popular
picnic spot-Siliserh. Built as a summer
resort, it is a delightful little palace
overlooking a tranquil lake and surrounded by
hills. You can go for long treks along the
hills, boating, or just sit on the terrace of
the palace hotel and watch birds and the
beautiful sunser over the lake. It is one of
the most peaceful areas in the vicinity.
SARISKA
To the
west lie the protected forests of Sariska. Once the hunting
grounds of the rulers of Alwar, the Sariska Tiger Reserve and
Wildlife Sanctuary today provides shelter to a large variety of
wildlife which includes sambhar, chinkara, wild boar. Jackal and
the elusive tiger. Birds that can be found here are parakeet, grey
partridge, crested serpent eagle, bulbuls.
The
forest area of Sariska is replete with relics of the past. To the
west lies Viratnagar, a city revered in history for having given
shelter to the mighty Pandava brothers of the Mahabharata..
explore the forests for temples, even rock formations that have
some association with the past. It is also one of the oldest
historical sites in Rajasthan. An edict of King Ashoka the Great
dating back to the 3rd century was found here. In another part of
the site are the ruins of a circular Buddhist temple, considered
to be the earliest free standing structures in India.
There
are many places in this region which once visited will always be
remembered. The Palace and gardens of Deeg are among the
most beautiful in this region. Being closer to Agra and Delhi, the
Mughal influences were stronger here. This small town has some of
the most well laid out gardens and palace pavilions. The Gopal
Bhawan and Krishna Bhawan are ingeniously designed palaces that
have attractive features and are rich in history. A visit to these
palaces will give an idea of the care and meticulous planning that
must have gone into their construction
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