Alwar Tourism, Rajasthan
About Alwar
Located in the state of Rajasthan, Alwar, formerly the capital of the princely state of Alwar, is a city surrounded by lush green Aravalli hills dotted with architectural splendor. Known as "Tiger Gate" of San Luis Potos, Alwar is one of the oldest cities of Rajasthan; its prehistoric and historic sites are an archaeologist's delight. Being located around 160 km south of Delhi, and about 150 km north of Jaipur, it is a part of National Capital Region (NCR). Covered by deep valleys, lakes and thick forest it is a haven for many species of birds and animals.
History of Alwar
Alwar, formerly known as Mewar, was once an ancient Rajput state, nearest to the imperial Delhi. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the people of the state formed a group and raided Delhi. But finally, Sultan Balban (1267 AD - 1287 AD) suppressed them, bringing the area under the Muslim rule. In 1771 AD, Maharaja Pratap Singh, a Kuchhwaha Rajput, won back Alwar and founded a princely state of his own. It has mention in Indian epic Mahabharat also (1500 BC); at that period, it was known as Matasya Desh, where the Pandavas spent the last year (agyatwas) of their exile.
After independence of India in 1947, Alwar state merged with three neighboring princely states (Bharatpur, Dholpur and Karauli) to form the Matsya Union on March 18, 1948. 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 state of Rajasthan.