Current Time in Alwar, India

Alwar lies in the northeastern corner of the state of Rajasthan in India, set in a valley among the worn hills of the Aravalli range about a hundred and fifty kilometres south of Delhi and a similar distance north of Jaipur. Its position on the edge of the National Capital Region has drawn industry and commuters, while the surrounding hills remain wild enough to shelter tigers. The climate is semi arid, with extremely hot summers, a short monsoon and cold winter nights.

Around three hundred and forty thousand people live in the city, which is the headquarters of Alwar District. Manufacturing has grown strongly in the district, with vehicle assembly, engineering, textiles and electronics in the industrial areas of Bhiwadi and Neemrana, the latter home to a large concentration of Japanese companies, and agriculture, marble quarrying and tourism complete the local economy.

The kingdom of Alwar was founded in the 1770s by Pratap Singh, a Rajput noble of the Kachhwaha clan who seized the hill fort and established an independent state. In 1803 Alwar became the first princely state to conclude a treaty of alliance with the British, and its rulers grew wealthy, building palaces, gardens and one of the finest collections of manuscripts and arms in northern India.

The Bala Quila, or young fort, crowns the ridge above the town. Its walls run for several kilometres along the crest, and although parts are older the fort was much extended by successive rulers; the climb rewards visitors with a view over the whole valley. Below it stands the City Palace, a graceful composition of courtyards, balconies and painted halls that now houses government offices and a museum with miniature paintings, weapons and rare manuscripts. Behind the palace lies the Moosi Maharani ki Chhatri, a cenotaph of white marble raised on a sandstone base beside a tank with ghats and pavilions, widely regarded as one of the most beautiful buildings in Rajasthan. The domed Fateh Jang tomb and the Company Bagh gardens add to the historic centre.

The district's greatest attraction is the Sariska Tiger Reserve, a landscape of dry deciduous forest, rocky ridges and ruined temples that is home to tigers, leopards, sambar, nilgai and a rich birdlife. Tigers became locally extinct in the early 2000s and were successfully reintroduced from Ranthambore, making Sariska an important case study in conservation. Within the reserve stand the Kankwari fort and the ancient Neelkanth temples. Siliserh Lake, with a palace hotel above the water, and the ruined city of Bhangarh, famous in Indian folklore for its reputation as a haunted place, are also popular.

Alwar is known for its sweets, particularly the milk cake known as kalakand, sold in shops that have been trading for generations.

Rail and road links to Delhi and Jaipur are good, with frequent trains and a major highway, and the nearest airports are in both those cities.

Colleges of arts, science, engineering and medicine serve the district.

Alwar is important as a princely capital, an industrial district and a gateway to one of Rajasthan's finest wildlife reserves.