Alwar

Nestled in the lap of remains of hills of the Aravalli range,

Alwar is home to beautiful palaces and forts. It is the first
major city that comes while travelling from Delhi to
Rajasthan and is uniquely located at 150 km south of Delhi
and 150 km north of Jaipur.

Origin of Name of Alwar city:

There are multiple theories about the derivation of the

name Alwar.

Cunningham holds that the city derived its name from

the Salva tribe and was originally Salwapur, then,
Salwar, Halawar and eventually Alwar.
According to another theory, it was known as
Aravalpur or the city of Aravali.
Some others hold that city is named after Alaval Khan
Mewati.
A research conducted during the reign of Maharaja Jai
Singh of Alwar revealed that Maharaja Alaghraj,
 second son of Maharaja Kakil of Amer (old seat of
Jaipur State) ruled the area in the 11th century and
his territory extended upto 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.

History of Alwar

During ancient period around 1500 BC, Alwar was part of

Matsya region of olden times, whose capital was
Viratnagar. Also known as Matasya Desh, this is said to be
the Pandavas, the mighty heroes of the Mahabharata, spent
the last years of their 13-year exile.

Early medieval times, the area was ruled by Jadaun clan of

Chandravanhi rajputs. In ealy 13th century Nahar Khan of
the same Chandravanshi clan converted to Islam in
thirteenth century during Firuz Shah Tughlak’s regime.
Alawar Khan who was the descendent Nahar Khan,
established the kingdom of Alawar in 1412 A.D.

During Mughal period, Khanzada Hasan Khan Mewati

fought against invader Babar and later on Hasan Khan’s
nephew Jamal Khan gave his two daughters to Humanyun
and Bairam khan in marriage. In the 1550s, Khanzada
Rajput king of Ulwar was overthrown by Akbar’s military
campaign to encircle Mewar Kingdom.
Later on 25th November 1775, Rao Pratap Singh raised his
standard over the Alwar Fort and founded the modern
kingdom of Alwar.

Alwar Location, Area & Administration

Alwar is located in the north-east of Rajasthan between

27°34ʹ & 28°4ʹ north Latitudes and 76°7ʹ & 77°13ʹ east
Longitudes. It is bounded by Mahendragarh (Haryana) in
north-west, Gurgaon (Haryana) in the north and north-east
, by Bharatpur in the east, by Duasa in south and Jaipur in
south-west & west direction.

The district covers an area of 8380 sq. kms. comprising 16

tehsils, namely Alwar, Bansur, Behror, Govindgarh,
Kathumar, Kishangarhbas, Kotkasim, Laxmangarh,
Malakhera, Mundawar, Neemrana, Rajgarh, Ramgarh,
Reni, Thanagazi, Tijara.

Geography of Alwar

Geography of the district comprises of rivers, mountains,

plains and semi-arid areas. he beautiful ranges of the
Aravali Hills surround the city, which act as a natural
barrier for the city, protecting it from the harsh and dry
winds during the summer season. The rocky ranges of the
Aravallis break the undulating plateau into fragments. The
city is adorned with expansive stretches of dense deciduous
forests that are inhabited by rich flora and fauna..
Rivers of Alwar

Five rivers used to flow in the region but due to

deforestation and mining activities dried up the rivers.
Presently due to the special initiative of Tarun Bharat
Sangh, rivers Arvari and Ruparel were revitalized again
by using the traditional water harvesting methods and by
constructing ‘Johads’ or small earthen check dams.

Sahibi or Sabi River

It is the largest river of Alwar District

Two of its stream rises near Bairath & Sewar hills in
Jaipur. The river flows in north-east direction across
Alwar to Najafgarh lake near Patodi in Haryana.

Ruparail River

Ruparail river rises in Thanagazi tehsil from Udaynath

hills.
It is also called as Lasavar river and varah river. The
river flows in south-east direction to flow into
Bharatpur.

Natural Resources

The metallic minerals include copper (Pratapgarh, Kho-

Dariba and Bhagoni), iron and manganese, while non
metallic minerals include batytes, silica sand, quartz,
yellow ochre, pyrophyllite, soapstone, limestone, granite
and marble etc.
Alwar Population

According to 2011 census the population of the district was

36,71,999. It is 3rd largest populated district after Jaipur &
Jodhpur.

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Map
How to Reach:

By Air: The nearest airport is Indira Gandhi

International Aiport, Delhi which is 141 kms away
followed by Jaipur International Airport, about 166
kms away.
By Bus: Buses to the city are available at regular
intervals from Delhi, Jaipur and Bharatpur.
By Train: One can take the Shatabdi Express from
Delhi to Jaipur which halts at the city railway station.