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STATES AND UNION TERRITORIES OF INDIA

RAJASTHAN
Alwar

Alwar, one of the princely states was founded in 1776. It lies 170 kms from Dlehi, 150 kms from Jaipur on the Aravalli hills. The town is full of palaces. The most elegant is the city palace, Vinay Vilas built in the 1840s. This palace is a blend of Hindu & Muslim influences. A portion of this palace now houses a museum. The Sheesh Mahal or the Mirror Room boasts of a Rajput miniatures on the wall.

The Salim Mosque and Salim Mahal, where Akbar's son spent some years lie on the hill. Near the palace is Siliserh Lake, Jaisamand Lake. The Siliserh lake used to serve as the town's source of water. Now, the lake is teeming with fish and water birds. Wild ducks streak across the clear water of the lake in winter. The palace on the lake bed is a more modern building and provides a wonderful view over the surrounding beauty.

The Saiska National Park is a thickly wooded reserve surrounded by hills and is inhabited by a great variety of wild life. It is now a protected area under "Project Tiger". Other animals found here are the cheetal, sambhar, porcupine and wild boar.

Bairath, which lies between Jaipur & Alwar is a location which has significance from the Mahabaratha times. This was then called Virata Nagar, which was the capital of Abhimanyu's (Arjuna's son) father-in-law.