170km south of Delhi is Alwar, which became a princely state in 1771. Today it is a growing industrial district and one Delhi's satellite towns. Alwar has ancient temples, medieval forts, palaces and gardens and a wildlife sanctuary, Sariska, just 42km way. Bala Quila (fort) is on a 300-metre steep cliff and provides a breathtaking view of the city below. However, the fort is desolate since not many people visit it. It claim to fame is that the first Mughal emperor Babur spent a night here. Below the fort is the City Palace. Though government offices have occupied the courtyard and several rooms of the Palace, it is still worth a visit. A lot of Alwar's legendary treasures are kept in the Museum here. Just outside the Palace is a tank lined with several temples on one side and a cenotaph on the other, of a royal mistress who committed 'sati', the ancient practice of a wife immolating herself on her husband's funeral pyre.
Alwar
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