Below the scarred battlements of the fort, at the base of the hill across which it sprawls, is the City Palace with its spacious apartments. An exquisite pond called Sagar is situated behind the City Palace. The City Palace is an eighteenth century palace which displays a harmonious blend of Rajput and Mughal styles of architecture. Its construction was started in 1793 by Rajah Bakhtawar Singh. The Palace consists of a varied group of buildings of different styles facing a large ornamental tank. Fifteen imposing towers and 51 smaller towers overlook the mountain slopes. Moreover, the palace has 446 openings for musketry. There is a central courtyard which has a lotus flower base constructed in marble. It is said to have been occupied by great Mughal Emperors like Babur and Jahangir at different points in time. The interior is notable for the Mirror Room, which overlooks the tank, the Library, which contains a fine collection of Oriental manuscripts, including a copy of a beautifully illustrated 'Gulistan' manuscript from 1848, and the Armoury, with a rich collection of bejewelled sabres, swords and weapons. One of the most famous artefacts found here is an emerald cup whose value is priceless. The New Court dates from circa 1850. The Palace is now functioning as the office of the district collectorate. The Vijay Mandir Palace is a beautiful architectural work. It was built by Maharajah Jai Singh in 1918 AD. There is a fabulous Sita Ram temple contained in the Palace attracts a number of devotees, especially during Ramnavami. A lake overlooking the palace provides a rather picturesque sight. Currently, the ground floor of the palace has been converted into government offices and district courts, while the upper floor houses a museum. The Neemrana fort was a stronghold of the Chauhan dynasty, and is situated in a horseshoe shaped cleft in the Aravalli hills. The fort was built and renovated over different periods of time in history. It has recently been restored and is now a heritage hotel. The Cenotaph of Maharaja Bakhtawar Singh lies to the Southside of the Sagar. It has been marble enriched with Bengali arches on a red sandstone podium. The monument is surrounded by hundreds of peacocks and colourful birds. To the right of the main entrance of the palace is the house of the elephant carriage, which contains a two-storey processional car built to carry over fifty people drawn by four elephants. The Moosi Rani ki Chhatri is a magnificent construction. It was built in memory of the wife of Maharajah Bakhtwar Singh. It is a double storied structure with intricate marble carvings which took nine years to complete. The Government museum at the top floor of the City Palace complex has a unique collection of exhibits of the Maharajahs of Alwar and other historic personalities. These include royal vestments in beautiful brocades, Kashmiri lacquer work, stuffed animals, stone sculptures, such as an 11th century sculpture of Lord Vishnu and even some historic swords belonging to the likes of emperors Akbar and Aurangzeb of the Mughal dynasty and Sultan Muhammad Ghori. |
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