Located in the north-eastern part of Rajasthan, Alwar lies 170 kms south of Delhi and nearly 150 kms. away from Jaipur. Alwar is referred as the gateway to the historic and colourful state of Rajasthan.
The origin of Alwar city goes back to the time of Mahabharata. It was a part of the Matsya kingdom and the Pandavas have supposed to spend some part of their exile here. The ancient state of Alwar perhaps was the oldest kingdom in Rajasthan. It is said that the city was founded by a member of Kachh family hailing from town of Amber. The local Rajput rulers had a sweet and sour relationship with the rulers of Delhi in the early medieval period and there was a constant struggle to take control of Alwar. Considering the strategic location of Alwar, the Mughals annexed and used it to mount military campaigns against the erstwhile Rajput royalties. The decline of the Mughal empire saw a brief struggle between the Jats and the Rajputs. Later Pratap Singh restored peace in 1775. The descendants of Pratap Singh were great patrons of art and culture, thus converting Alwar into an important cultural centre under their rule. Later the rulers forged an alliance with the British which never sustained as soon the British took over Alwar.
