Alwar is a former princely state at a distance of around 160kms from Delhi. I visited Alwar in December 2013, and it was almost totally void of tourists at that time. This let us have an amazing experience of the place, enjoying all that it had to offer without the hassles of overcrowding. Though I suppose this also has a downside. Since it isn’t a very famous tourist place, the monuments there were not very well kept. I think that was the only downside of the visit.
We decided to visit Alwar on a whim, in the days before Christmas to relax a little, away from the hustle of Delhi. We took a train to Alwar, which was around an hour of travel. We reached in the late evening, and spent the night settling in. The next day we set off to explore the city and the places around it. We saw places like Bala Quila, and Moosi Rani ki Chattri. We spent the day there and got back early to be able to get up early for Sariska Tiger reserve the next day.
Sariska was a long, but beautiful drive. We also had the chance to visit a Shiva temple built in the 9th century which was located somewhere near the reserve. On the way back to the room we were also able to visit the museum, which is a breathtaking experience for anyone interested in history. The extensive collection of weapons, paintings and other artefacts from the period of the Rajas is stunning.
It is a place for people who love history and culture, and to some extent, adventure.
The road to the fort is not very good, but the views from it are amazing. Also, there are no eateries or anything near the fort, so carry your own food and water. But, carrying on, the fort itself is beautiful. the fort was under renovation when we visited, so we weren't able to see the interior, but the outside was enough to wow us. There was a view point behind the fort, accessible through a slight trek. The view of both the fort and the city from here are wroth the trek. Definitely a must visit for anyone going to Alwar.
This is another beautiful, must visit place in Alwar. The red sandstone and and white marble cenotaph is beautiful because of its architecture and carvings. It is a must visit for anyone who loves architecture and history.
The drive to the lake is long and nothing special. The lake itself is overcrowded and, it seems, the only place tourists to Alwar want to visit. There are facilities for boating in the lake, and it has a serene ambiance.
The trip to Sariska and back takes almost a full day, so it is advisable to keep aside a day for this. Also, an effort should be made to go earlier in the day to be able to view the most animals. There is a Hanuman mandir inside the reserve which is also pretty famous.
But the best part of Sariska for me was a 9th century Shiva temple which our driver took us to. The road to the temple was horrible, but it was so worth it. The temple is stunning example of ancient architecture and carvings. I would recommend it to everyone (but i don't know the exact name of the place).
The city palace is home to government offices, as well as the government museum. Because of the offices, the condition of the palace is very bad, but the museum is surprisingly good. There is huge collection of artifacts from the period of the royals, and is worth visiting.
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