 Alwar is one of the oldest cities in Rajasthan. Once a part of Matsya Kingdom, Alwar attracted the Mughals, the Jats from Bharatpur and the Kachhawas of Ajmer owing to its strategic location. Down south from Delhi, Alwar, in a sense, is the gateway to Rajasthan. Bala Quila, City Palace, Moosi Maharani ki Chhatri, Vinay Vilas Palace and Company Garden are some places of interest in the city. Siliserh, Jaisamand and Sariska which lie close to Alwar are worth a visit, too.
Bharatpur was ruled by Jat rulers 17th century onwards. Located near the Uttar Pradesh border, it is signified by the fort Lohagarh, which was constructed in 1733 A.D. by Raja Suraj Mal. The fort took eight years to build. The famous Keoladeo Ghana National Park, is also situated in its vicinity.
Sawai Madhopur is famous for the Ranthambhor fort which is one of the oldest forts in Rajasthan and was once the stronghold of the Yadav Kings in the 8th century and the Chauhan Kings from the 10th century onwards. Sawai Madhopur is also the entry point to the Ranthambhor National Park, famous for its tigar population.
Tonk is situated 96 kms. from Jaipur enroute Sawai Madhopur. A small town, its main attraction is the Sunehri Kothi which is inlaid with exquisite gold work and embedded with previous and semi-previous stone work inside.
An Institute devoted to research in Arabic and Persian is situated here and has some rare manuscripts which attract scholars from home and abroad.
ALWAR
HOW TO GET TO ALWAR:
Air: Delhi, 163 kms., and Jaipur, 141 kms., are the nearest airports.
Rail: Good connections from prominent locations in and around the state are available. Fast and convenient rail connections with Jaipur and Delhi.
Road: Regular service link Alwar with key destinations in Rajasthan and Delhi.
LESSER KNOWN DESTINATIONS AROUND AJMER
AJABGARH
 LOCATION: The village of Ajabgarh is located about 21 kms. south of Thana Ghazi in Alwar district.
HISTORY: Ajabgarh is named after its founder Ajab Singh Rajawat (1635 A.D.). He was the grandson of Madho Singh, ruler of Bhangarh. Later, Jaswant Singh the grandson of Ajab Singh, built a wall across the valley separating Ajabgarh from Bhangarh. He played an important role in fortifying the area. It is said of the place that Akbar stayed here during one of his marches. The place is also to known have been a favorite hunting site for Maharaja Jai Singh of Alwar.
MAIN ATTRACTIONS: This place is well known for a temple called Shri Raghunathji, constructed in samwat 1700 (about 1643 A.D.) by Ajab Singh. The front portion of the temple is built of marble from Jhiri and Makrana. There are 24 pillars without roofing in the open court yard of the temple.
Some other beautiful sites are the Jai Sagar and Jhil Mil Daha. The dense forests of the vicinity are a favorite with nature lovers.
 BHANGARH
Bhangarh, founded by the Maharaja Bhagwan Dasji in 1574 A.D., is an ancient town of archaeological importance. It is situated on the river and is surrounded by huge Aravali hills and dense forests. Bhangarh is a pre-historic site. Different types of tools used by early man have been recovered from this place. Though Bhangarh is in ruins today, it used to be a flourishing town during the medieval period. The famous ruler of Bhangarh was Madho Singh Kachhawah, who was the younger brother of Raja Man Singh I of Amer. Remains of the old palace, beautiful temples and bazars (market) are witness to Bhangarh's prosperity.
VIJAI MANDIR PALACE
 10 kms. from Alwar, this royal residence, built by Maharaja Jai Singh in 1918. overlooks a scenic, rippling lake
A splendid temple of Sita-Ram is visited by devotees especially on the occasion of Ram Navami. However, prior permission from the Secretary is required to visit the place.
JAI SAMAND LAKE
6 kms. by road from Alwar, It is a large artificial lake constructed by Maharaja Jai Singh in 1910. It makes an excellent picnic spot during the rainy season with beautiful greenery all around.
SILISERH LAKE AND PALACE
13 kms. south-west of Alwar, this palace, now a hotel, offers a bewitching scenery. The shimmering lake, covering 10.5 sq. kms. is surrounded by thick wooded hills with beautiful chhatris on the embankment.
Cradled in the hills and overlooking the lake is a magnificent royal hunting lodge/palace. It was built by Maharaja Vinay Singh for his queen, Shila, in 1845. Now it has been converted into a hotel. It is a delightful spot for him makers and water sports enthusiasts (boating and sailing) TIJARA
Tijara is a historic town situated 48 kms. North East of Alwar. Its old name was Trigartpur. Tijara fort situated on the crest of a hill has been famous for the excavation of hidden treasure recently. It was the capital of the Mewat and has a long and glorious history of bravery and sacrifice. There is a popular Jain temple, visited by lakhs of pilgrims every year.
BHARATPUR
 HOW TO GET TO BHARATPUR:
Air: Agra 56 kms. is the nearest airport.
Rail: Regular rail services connect Bharatpur with several cities on Delhi Mumbai trunk route, Jaipur and Agra.
Road: A network of bus services links Bharatpur with several cities within and outside the State. It lies on National Highway No. 11.
LESSER KNOWN DESTINATIONS AROUND BHARATPUR
DEEG
LOCATION: The town of Deeg situated only 38 kms. from Mathura and 34 kms. from Bharatpur.
HISTORY: Deeg, capital of the Jat rulers, came into existence in the 18th century. During the reign of Raja Suraj Mal, certain important and beautiful articles were brought from Delhi and Agra fort which are still intact in the places of Bharatpur and Deeg. The credit for constructing the early palaces at Deeg goes to King Badan Singh.
PLACES OF INTEREST: Deeg is known for its magnificent palaces constructed around the mid 18th century by Raja Suraj Mal, namely Suraj Bhawan, Gopal Bhawan and Kishan Bhawan.
 Gopal Bhawan, overlooking the Gopal Sagar is the most impressive of all the palaces. In front of the palace is a marble swing which is said to have belonged to impress Noor Jahan. The banquet hall is a spacious with a double row of graceful pillars. In one of the rooms on the first floor is a black marble bed on which the corpses of the Maharajas were laid. The dinning hall is built in yellow marble with curved, slopping window arches. The royal chess room with a low arcade of columns and a sunken section in the centre where the huge chess board was laid out, is worth seeing. Gopal Bhawan with all its windows of stone lattice work, is flanked by two pavilions, Sawan and Bhadon with curved roofs and ornamental spires.
To the north and south of the garden are Nand Bhawan and Krishna Bhawan respectively. The focal point of the garden, directly opposite Gopal Bhawan, is the pillared summer pavilion called Keshav Bhawan overlooking Roop Sagar Tank.
Suraj Bhawan built in white marble, is an exquisite palace, with balconies overhanging the water.
An extraordinary feature of the palace complex of Deeg is the fountain system which is fed by water stored on the roof of Keshav Bhawan. The dimensions of the reservoir are 41 metres by 32 metres by 2 metres. The engineering skill which went into the construction of such an enormous roof-top reservoir is unparalleled in India.
Purana Mahal is one of the oldest buildings, It was the chamber of the court ladies. The palace walls display Rajput paintings with a Mughal influence.
Last but not the least is the Deeg fort which stands on a higher level with massive walls and a moat. It has a couple of bastions and one is still mounted with a huge cannon. Within the fort are some locally cast guns and a haveli, but mostly in ruins.
BAYANA
LOCATION: Bayana is located in a small plain, between two hill ranges running more or less parallel to each other near the left bank of the Gambhiri river, in the district of Bharatpur, 36 kms. from Bharatpur.
HISTORY: The ancient name of Bayana was Sripatha or Sriprashtha. It is a curious mixture of Hindu and Mohammad relics. Ruled by stalwarts like Mohammad Ghori, Sikandar Lodhi and Humayun, Bayana held a special place in history. According to Abul Fazal: "this town is the burial place of many illustrious men". it can be adjudged that various important battles were fought here. Ain-e-Akbari mention that in former times Bayana was the capital of a province of which Agra was merely a dependent village.
MAIN ATTRACTIONS: The most visited site in Bayana is the famous Bijaigarh (Vijaygarh) fort which was built by Jadon Raja Bijai Pal in 1040 A.D. The Bijaigarh fort contains several old temples and a red sandstone pillar bearing an inscription of Vishnuverdhan, a feudatory of Samudragupta. the fort was described as one of the most famous forts in India by Babur himself. Besides this there is a monolithic sandstone pillar, a curious combination of Hindu and Mohammedan styles, which bears many inscriptions.
One also gets to see an old Usha temple, which was built during the reign Raja Laxman Sen, by his wife.
TONK
 HOW TO GET TO TONK:
Air: Jaipur 96 kms. is the nearest airport.
Road: A network of bus service links Tonk with several cities. It lies on National Highway No. 12.
LOCATION: It is situated 96 kms. from Jaipur, enroute to Ranthambhor.
HISTORY: Tonk was once the stronghold of the Pathan tribesmen of Afghanistan who came to India. The modern Tonk was founded by Nawab Ameer Khan as a result of a treaty with British in 1818. Tonk is a quaint amalgamation of cross-cultural influences.
MAIN ATTRACTIONS: The place is known for its famous Sunehri Kothi - the golden mansion and the Arabic & Persian Research Institute which houses a superb collection of Arabic & Persian manuscripts, some of them lavishly ornamented with gold, rubies, emeralds and pearls.
TODA RAI SINGH
Surrounded by hills, the picturesque town of Toda Rai Singh is situated in Tonk district. It is an ancient town of archaeological significance. In earlier times it was also known as Takshakagadha or Takshakpur, Todapattan, Ishtikapur, etc. Founded by Nagas in or around 4th century A.D. this town was also ruled by Guhilas of Chatsu and Chauhans of Ajmer. In 15th & 16th centuries it was the capital of Solanki Rajputs. The town got its present name from Rai Singh Sisodia the famous ruler of this place. He was a Mughal mansabdar during the reign of Shahjahan. Toda Rai Singh is blessed with glorious historical past as well as rich cultural heritage. It has a number of places of tourist interest. Prominent among them are - Hadi Rani Ki Baori (Kund), Raja Rai Singh's Mahal, Isar Baori, Bhopat Baori and beautiful temples of Kalyanji, Raghoraiji, Gopinathji, Govinddeoji, etc. Bijolia inscription of V.E. 1226 suggests that Toda Rai Singh was a popular centre of Jainism.
SAWAI MADHOPUR
 HOW TO GET TO SAWAI MADHOPUR:
Air: Jaipur 165 kms. is the nearest airports.
Rail: New Delhi is the best place to start. Ranthambhor National Park is about 12 kms. away from Sawai Madhopur railway station on the Delhi-Mumbai trunk route. Sawai Madhopur can also be approached from Jaipur (121 kms.) by road as well as by road.
Road: A good network of bus services connect Sawai Madhopur with many places around.
LESSER KNOWN DESTINATIONS AROUND AJMER SAWAI MADHOPUR
KAILA DEVI
LOCATION: Kaila Devi is situated on the banks of the Kalisil river in Karauli district.
HISTORY: It is popularly known as Kaila Devi, the name of the place in official papers is Lahura. Kaila Devi is the tutelary deity of the erstwhile princely rulers of the Karauli state.
The place is known for its famous fair fair held during the dark half if 'chaitra' and lasts for a fortnight. The congregation of the fair exceeds one lakh.
KARAULI
 LOCATION: Situated 23 kms. from Kaila Devi, Karauli was an erstwhile princely state in eastern Rajasthan.
HISTORY: Karauli which was earlier called Kalyanpuri, after the local deity Kalyanji, was founded in 1348 A.D. Karauli was strongly fortified by its rulers. The city is surrounded by a wall of red sandstone strengthened by bastions at several places. The peripheral wall, now dilapidated at several places, has six gates and eleven posterns.
MAIN ATTRACTIONS: Karauli offers to the tourists an atmosphere of quiet rural ambience with warmth and hospitality. Places worth visiting include the old city palace, a lake which has boating facilities, temples of Madan Mohanji and Kalyanji.
There is a game sanctuary in the vicinity, a trip to which can be arranged on horse-back or a jeep. During one's stay here, one can enjoy joy rides as varied as those on camel back and bullock carts, to those on vintage cars.
SHRI MAHAVIRJI
  LOCATION: Situated 23 kms. from Kaila Devi, Karauli was an erstwhile princely state in eastern Rajasthan.Shri Mahavirji is located in Sawai Madhopur district, 110 kms. away by rail from the city of Sawai Madhopur.
HISTORY: According to a Jain legend, a few hundred years ago, a cow would return home daily with its udders empty. Perplexed, the cow boy followed the cow and saw it voluntarily shedding its milk at a particular spot. Out of curiosity, he dug up the spot, only to unearth an idol of Lord Mahavira. Thus, Shri Mahavirji was enshrined.
MAIN ATTRACTIONS: The temples combines ancient and modern styles of architeecture. It is raised on a huge platform and is mostly made of white marble. The chhatris (canopies) are made of sand stone.
The temple has grown into a complex of religious shrines. The main attraction here is a statue of Shantinath, a Jain Tirthankar, which measure 32 ft. in height and has a majestic appearance.
A big fair, held in March-April every year attracts a huge number of devotees, irrespective of caste or creed.
 RANTHAMBHOR
About 12 kms. away from Sawai Madhopur, is Ranthambhor which is composed of innumerable pages of history. The famous ruler of Ranthambhor was Rao Hammir Deo Chauhan who fought against Alauddin Khilji in 1301 A.D. Govinda, the grandson of Prithviraj Chauhan took over the reigns of this land in the 13th century. Later, he was succeeded by Vagbhatta who built a stately temple at Jhain and beautified Ranthambhor. Many battles were fought. Many rulers won and lost. In the middle of the 15th century, Rana Kumbha captured the fort and later handed it over to his son. Thereafter, The Hada Rajputs of Bundi and the Mughal emperors, Akbar and Aurangzeb, occupied this magnificent fort. When Aurangzeb died, the fort was taken over by the ruler of Jaipur. Ranthambhor was then over by the ruler of Jaipur. Ranthambhor was then private hunting reserve of the Maharaja of Jaipur. Among the more famous who were part of these hunting parties were Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh.
THE FORT
Dating back to 994 A.D., this imposing fort is perched atop a hill at an altitude of over 200 metres amidst a dense forest. The structure comprises huge walls and colossal gates.
KAKOD & HATHI BHATA
Kakod is just 22 kms. from Sawai Madhopur. It was once the official residence of the Rao Raja's of Uniyara. Kakod is a small village famous for the battle which took place in V.E. 1816 (1759) A.D.) between Jaipur state and Marathas. Though Jaipur was victorious but several nobles were killed.
10 kms. away from Kakod is Hathi Bhata where a life sized elephant has been carved out from a rock. The story of Raja Nal and Damyanti is also inscribed on the same rock. |
Total Visitors
Post a Comment