| Alwar | |
| Native Name Lang: | Hindi: अलवर |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Nickname: | Scotland of Rajasthan |
| Image Alt: | Skyline of Alwar city |
| Pushpin Map: | India Rajasthan#India |
| Pushpin Relief: | yes |
| Coordinates: | 27.5498°N 76.6355°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  India |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name1: | Rajasthan |
| Subdivision Name2: | Alwar |
| Established Date: | 1106 |
| Government Type: | Municipal Corporation |
| Governing Body: | Alwar Municipal Corporation |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Total Km2: | 250 |
| Elevation M: | 268 |
| Population Total: | 445,000 |
| Population As Of: | 2024 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Metro: | 483,000 |
| Population Rank: | 8th in Rajasthan |
| Population Demonym: | Alwariya |
| Demographics Type1: | Languages |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Official |
| Timezone1: | IST |
| Utc Offset1: | +5:30 |
| Postal Code Type: | PIN |
| Postal Code: | 301001, 301002 |
| Iso Code: | RJ-IN |
| Registration Plate: | RJ-02 |
| Website: | |
| Demographics1 Info1: | Hindi |
| Demographics1 Title2: | Regional |
| Demographics1 Info2: | Ahirwati Rajasthani, Mewati |
Alwar (Rajasthani Pronunciation: [əlʋəɾ]) is a city located in India's National Capital Region and the administrative headquarters of Alwar District in the state of Rajasthan. It is located 150 km south of Delhi and 150 km north of Jaipur.
There are several theories about the derivation of the name Alwar. Alexander Cunningham, the British Indian archeologist, believed that the city derived its name from the Salva tribe and was originally Salwapur, then Salwar, Halawar and eventually Alwar, According to another school it was known as Aravalpur or the city of Aravali.
Some others hold that city is named after Khanzada Alawal Khan Mewati (the Muslim Khanzada prince who wrested Alwar from Nikumbh Rajputs). A research conducted during the reign of Maharaja Jai Singh of Alwar revealed that Maharaja Alaghraj, second son of Maharaja Kakil of Amber. ruled the area in the eleventh century and his territory extended up to the present city of Alwar. He founded the city of Alpur in 1106 Vikrami Samvat (1049 A.D.) after his own name which eventually became Alwar. It was formerly spelt as Ulwar but in the reign of Jai Singh the spelling was changed to Alwar. Some sources say that the name Alwar comes from the Persian word timber.[1]
The ancient name of Alwar is Salva or Salwa .[2] [3] Alwar was a part of the Matsya Kingdom Ruled by Meenas, one of the 16 ancient Mahājanapadas.[4] In late Vedic texts (such as the Jaiminiya Brahmana), the Salva or Salvi tribe is described as a non-Vedic tribe that occupied Kurukshetra and conquered the Kuru Kingdom
The Salvas settled along the Yamuna river and the Alwar province of Rajasthan after attacking the Kuru kingdom, and they later accepted Vedic culture by the end of the Vedic era as they converged with the remaining Kurus and the Surasena mahajanapada, near Matsya kingdom.[5]
Alwar was ruled by multiple dynasties. Notable dynasties included the Jadauns of Braj, Nikumbh Rajputs, the Khanzada Rajputs, the Badgujar Rajputs, and the Naruka Rajputs who took the control over this area. The Maratha Empire also ruled this region for a short period. Rao Raja Pratap Singh Naruka, captured the Alwar Fort from the Jat kingdom of Bharatpur State, and laid down the foundation for modern day Alwar.
Hemchandra Vikramaditya (Hemu), born in Machari, Rajgarh, a village in Alwar, was a Hindu emperor of North India during the 16th century. This was a period when the Mughals and Afghans were vying for power in the region. Hemu captured Delhi on 7 October 1556 after defeating the Mughal forces in the Battle of Delhi in the Tughlaqabad area in Delhi, and became the de facto emperor. He won twenty-two battles in succession and became the last Hindu emperor of Delhi. In 1556, after his defeat in the Second Battle of Panipat, he was executed and Mughal regime was restored in North India.
See main article: Alwar State.
Alwar State, a princely state established in 1770, was established by a Kachwaha Rajput named Pratap Singh Naruka who was earlier a jagirdar of "Dhai Gaon" (two-and-a-half villages) near Machari. His successor, Bakhtawar Singh Naruka, was defeated after launching an armed incursion into neighbouring Jaipur State (ruled by their Kachwaha seniors, erstwhile overlords of his predecessor) and being forced to accept the consequent treaty mediated by East India Company prohibiting him from political relations with other states without the consent of the colonial British. According to the "Gazetteer of Ulwar" published by the British raj, Alwar State was subdivided into four regions:
Alwar acceded to the dominion of India following the independence of India in 1947. On 18 March 1948, the state merged with three neighbouring princely states (Bharatpur, Dholpur and Karauli) to form the Matsya Union. On 15 May 1949, it was united with neighbouring princely states and the territory of Ajmer to form the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan. Alwar was designated as part of the National Capital Region, resulting in additional development projects including rapid-rail to Delhi and drinking water improvements.[11] The military cantonment of Itarana lies on the outskirts of Alwar.
See main article: Fairy Queen (locomotive). The Fairy Queen, a national treasure (cultural artifact) of India and the world's oldest working locomotive engine (c. 1855 CE), operates as a tourist luxury train between Delhi and Alwar. In 1998 it was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's oldest steam locomotive in regular service. The Fairy Queen runs on the same route as the Palace on Wheels, the tourist train launched in 1982, and was awarded the National Tourism Award in 1999.
Bala Qila (lit. "High Fort"), also known as Alwar Fort, is a fort approximately 300 meters above the city, and founded, originally constructed by Maharaja of Parmar Rajputs in 928 CE, and repaired by the 15th-century Khanzada Rajput ruler Hasan Khan Mewati and built on the foundations of a 10th-century fort.[12] Situated on the Aravalli Range, the fort is 5 kilometres long and about 1.5 kilometres wide with turrets, a large gate, a temple, and a residential area.[13]
The City Palace, also known as Vinay Vilas Mahal, built in 1793 CE by Raja Bakhtawar Singh, blends the Rajputana and Islamic architectural styles and has marble pavilions on lotus-shaped bases in its courtyard. The foundations of the City Palace, was constructed by Maharaja of Parmar Rajputs in 928 CE. The palace houses Government Museum, Alwar with a collection of manuscripts, including one depicting Emperor Babur’s life, Ragamala paintings and miniatures, and historic swords that once belonged to Muhammad Ghori, Emperor Akbar and Aurangzeb; and a golden Durbar hall. This palace that once belonged to the Maharaja (lit. Great Ruler) has now been converted into a District Administrative office also housing the District Court.[14]
See main article: Sariska Tiger Reserve. The Sariska Tiger Reserve, a National Park and Tiger Reserve, is located in the Aravali hills only a few kilometres away from Alwar. Declared a Wildlife reserve in 1955 and a National Park in 1982, it is the first reserve in the world to have successfully relocated tigers. The sanctuary, which became a part of India's Project Tiger in 1978, also preserves other species including rare birds and plants.[15]
See main article: Bhangarh Fort. Bhangarh Fort, branded as the fourth most haunted palace in the world, and the most haunted palace in Asia, is a 17th-century fort built by Bhagwant Das for his younger son Madho Singh I. The fort, a monument protected by the Archaeological Survey of India and is known for its association to legends and paranormal activities,[16] is a tourist attraction for visitors across the world.[17]
See main article: Siliserh Lake. Siliserh Lake is 19th century lake created by Maharaja Vijay Singh of Alwar, situated 8 miles southwest of Alwar.
See main article: Hill Fort Kesroli. Hill Fort Kesroli, a 14th-century fort, has now been converted into and is conserved as a heritage hotel.[18]
As of 2019, the most common modes of medium-distance transport in Alwar are government-owned services such as flights, as well as privately operated lok pariwahan buses, taxis and auto rickshaws. Bus services operate from the Alwar old Bus Station which is 5 km away from the Alwar railway junction. In addition to this it is also planned that a metro rail system from Delhi to Alwar via Behror route will be started. The nearest airports to Alwar are Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi (143 km away), Jaipur International Airport (150 km away), and an airport currently under development in Bhiwadi airport (90 km away). Alwar Junction railway station, on the Delhi–Jaipur line, is connected with Delhi, Jaipur, and Mumbai. Alwar is connected by roads from major cities of Rajasthan and nearby states.[19] [20] [21]
Alwar is located at . It has an average elevation of 271m (889feet). The Ruparail River is a major river near the city. Alwar is fairly rich in mineral wealth; it produces marble, granite, feldspar, dolomite, quartz, limestone, soap stone, barites, copper clay, copper ore and pyrophylite.[22]
Alwar has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSh) with long, extremely hot summers and short, mild to warm winters.The climate here is considered to be a local steppe climate. The average maximum temperature in the summers ranges between to average minimum of . The winter temperature falls in the range average high of of to average low . Alwar experiences a short monsoon. The average annual rainfall is about 67 cm which mostly falls in July & August due to monsoon.[23] The highest temperature ever recorded in Alwar is on 10 May 1956 & lowest is recorded on 12 January 1967. It had record of highest temperature ever recorded of India till 2016, when a town Phalodi in Jodhpur district of Rajasthan recorded on 19 May 2016.
At the time of the 2011 census, the population of Alwar city and Alwar district were 341,422 and 3,674,179 respectively, with Hindus representing 90.7% of the population, Muslims representing 4.3%, Sikhs representing 2.6%, Jains representing 2.1%, and the remaining 1.3% belonging to other religions.[24] [25]
Raj Rishi Bhartrihari Matsya University was established in 2012–13 . Alwar has several schools such as Alwar Public School, Shri Oswal Jain Senior Secondary School, St. Anselm's Senior Secondary School, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Adinath Public School, Knowledge City School, Chinar Public School, Lords International School, Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School, Step By Step Senior Secondary School, Raath International School, National Academy and Silver Oak, and colleges (Raj Rishi college, Siddhi Vinayak College, Presidency College, Government Law College, KCRI College, IET College). The Employee's State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Medical College is constructed with a whooping INR 800 crore budget and started operating from 2017.[26]