Alwar is a city of Alwar District in the state of Rajasthan, India. It is a part of National Capital Region (NCR) and is located around 160 km south of Delhi, and about 150 km north of Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan.
Alwar was formerly the capital of the princely state of Alwar. It was formerly spelt as "Ulwar" in British India. This placed it in last position in alphabetically ordered lists, so a king changed the spelling to "Alwar" to bring it to the top.
Historically, the territory of modern Alwar state was under the sway of the Gurjars with capital at rajyapura (Razor). A Gurjar king named Mathandeva were ruling here aroumd 11th century. Hemu also known as Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya, a Hindu Emperor of India, was born in this district at village 'Maccheri Devat' in the year 1501. y. Hemu had won 22 battles against Afghan rebels during 1553-56 spanning entire North India from Punjab to Bengal and had acceeded to the throne of Delhi on 7 October 1556 after defeating Akbar's forces at Agra and Delhi. Hemu had his Rajyabhishake at Purana Quila in Delhi. Hemu Vikramaditya had established 'Hindu Raj' in North India after a foreign rule of 350 years by Islamic invaders and rulers. He had sacrificed his life fighting Mughals in the Second battle of Panipat.
The princely state of Alwar was founded by Pratap Singh, a Rajput of the Kachwaha lineage, in the second half of the 18th century. His adopted son, Bakhtawar Singh, aided the British against the Marathas. After the battle of Laswari (1803), Alwar became the first state of Rajputana to sign a treaty of 'Offensive and Defensive Alliance' with the British East India Company. A few years later, Bakhtawar Singh ventured an armed incursion into neighbouring Jaipur, the senior Kachwaha state, and the erstwhile overlord of his predecessor. Bakhtawar Singh was defeated; a fresh engagement was made with him by the HEIC, prohibiting him from political intercourse with other states without British consent. During the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, Raoraja Bane Singh sent a force consisting mainly of Muslims and Rajputs, to relieve the British garrison in Agra. The Muslims deserted and the rest were defeated by the rebels. Pran Sukh Yadav, who fought beside Rao Tula Ram of Rewari in 1857, settled along with the kinsmen of dead soldiers at Village Nihalpura,Behror Tehsil, of Alwar District. Following the independence of India in 1947, Alwar acceded unto the dominion of India. On March 18, 1948, the state merged with three neighbouring princely states (Bharatpur, Dholpur and Karauli) to form the Matsya Union. This union in turn merged unto the Union of India. On May 15, 1949, it was united with certain other princely states and the territory of Ajmer to form the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan.
Places to see:
City Palace Complex
Below the Fort is the large, imposing City Palace Complex, its massive gates and its tank lined by a beautifully symmetrical chain of ghats with four pavilions on each side and two at each end. Today, most of the complex is occupied by government offices, but there is a museum housed in the former City Palace.
Company Garden
A picturesque garden, laid out during the reign of Maharaja Shiv Dan Singh in 1868 A.D. The garden has an enchanting setting called 'Shimla' which was built by Maharaja Mangal Singh in 1885 A.D. The lush surrounding and the cool shades make it the idyllic visiting spot during summers.
Alwar Fort
This huge fort, with 5 Km. of its ramparts from north to south and 1.6 Km from east to west , is perched on the ridge top, 340 m above the city and 595 m above the sea-level. Predating the time of Maharana Pratap Singh , it is one of the very few forts in Rajasthan constructed before the rise of Mughals.
Government Museum
This government museum is on the top floor of the City Palace complex, up a ramp from the main courtyard. Exhibits include royal vestments in beautiful brocades; stuffed animals, including an enormous bear; Kashmiri lacquer work; and stone sculptures, such as an 11th century sculpture of Vishnu.
Jai Samand Lake
6-km from the city, Jaisamand Lake makes a beautiful artificial lake constructed by Maharaja Jai Singh in 1910 AD; a popular spot for outings and picnics. During monsoons, sprawling greenery all around makes it a visual treat.
Sagar
Behind the City Palace is an artificial lake built in 1815 A.D. by Maharaja Vinay Singh with few temples along its banks. A marvellous chhatri with unusual Bengali roof and arches, also known as the Moosi Maharani ki chhatri, is situated in this are Purjan.
Siliserh Lake
Located 13 kms from the city of Alwar, the enchanting Siliserh Lake was built in 1845 AD by Maharaja Vinay Singh for his Queen Shila . The lake was built by constructing an earthen dam between two hills to store the water of a small tributary of river Ruparel.
Vijay Mandir Palace
Situated 10-km away from the city this palace is a splendid palace, built by Maharaja Jai Singh in 1918 AD. A picturesque lake overlooking the palace makes it a fascinating sight. A fabulous Sita Ram Temple in the palace attracts number of devotees, especially during Ramnavami.
Sariska Tiger Reserve
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