Bala Quila (Alwar fort)
This fort is a witness to many historical events. Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty, spent a few days here and when he left he took away the hidden treasurers for his son Humayun. Akbar’s son, Salim, later emperor Jahangir, lived here in exile for some time. The place where the stayed is called Salim Mahal now in ruins. It was finally conquered by Maharaja Pratap Singh in 1775 AD. The fort is 595 meters above the city and expends about 5 km from north to south and 1.6 km from east to west. It has 15 large and 51 small towers containing 446 openings for musketry. And eight large towers all around defend it.
There are several gates namely Jai Pol, Suraj Pol, Laxman Pol Chand Pol and Andheri Gate. Though most of the structures are now in a sad state, their historical significance is still important. There are the remains of Jai Mahal, nilkumbh Mahal Salim Sagar, Suraj Kund and many temples. The view of the city below, from the watch towers of the battlements, is breathtaking.
City Place or Vinay Vilas Mahal
Today it is more popularly known of the Vinay Vilas Mahal. The architecture of the palace is very traditional. Constructed in late 18th century it has traces of both Rajput and Mughal styles of architecture. The ground floor areas have now been converted into Government offices and district courts. The palace museum is in one upper apartment of the palace.
Government Museum
The museum probably has the richest collection of Mughal and Rajput paintings of the 18th and 19th centuries. There are some rare and precious ancient manuscripts in Persian, Arabic, Urdu and Sanskrit. Notable amongst these are ‘Gulistan’ (the garden of roses), ‘Waqiat-i-Baburi’ (autobiography of the Mughal Emperor Babur) and ‘Boston’ (the garden of spring). It also has a copy of the Mahabharata painted by the artists of the Alwar School. Another special collection hare is the collection of Indian armoury-rare diverse and amazing. Behind the city palace are located other monuments worth a visit. There are a few temples on the bank of ‘Sagar’ the artificial lake built by Maharaja Vinay Singh in 1815 AD. A beautiful chhatri, unique in its style of the unusual Bengali root and arches, also known as the Moosi Maharani Ki Chhatri is situated in this area.
Purjan Vihar (Company Garden)
Originally known as Company Bagh later it was changed to Purjan Vihar by Maharaja Jai Singh. The garden was laid out during the reign of Maharaja Shiv Dan Singh in 1868 AD. It has on enchanting setting known as ‘Simla in 1885 AD. The cool shades and lush greenery of this well laid garden never let the heat of summer step in.
Moosi Maharani Ki Chhatri
This is an impressive cenotaph (Chhatri) on the banks of Sagar, a beautiful lake. The cenotaph reflects the Indo-Islamic style of architecture. The upper portion, which is in marble and has columned pavilions and domed arches with exquisite floral tracery, rests on the pillared red sandstone lower story. Mythological and court scenes in fading gold-leaf pa inting and sculptures adorn the ceiling. The memorial is rated as one of the finest in its class.
