VINAY VILAS PALACE (CITY PALACE)

Poorly maintained, the Alwar Palace now houses the District Election Commission. Built by the maharaja of Alwar Pratap Singh at the end of the 18th century, the building still has a charming façade decorated with balconies and chhatris, the small stone bells that adorn many monuments in Rajasthan. The courtyard of honor, paved with marble, opens onto a large reception room with no furniture. It was notably used to receive notables and ministers during the enthronement of a new maharaja. The top floor houses a museum with interesting collections of weapons, trinkets, historical manuscripts and delicate miniatures, an emblematic art of Rajasthan. The nearby terrace offers beautiful views of the region, its hills and the old fortress of Bala which dominates the site (closed to the public). Behind the palace, the cenotaph of maharaja Bakhtawar Singh, made of red sandstone and white marble, has preserved graceful sculptures and paintings. The widow of the ruler practiced sati in 1815 by throwing herself into the funeral pyre of her husband. Devotees still come to lay flowers on the footprints engraved in the ground and commemorating the sacrifice of this model wife.

The banks of the small nearby lake, decorated with numerous chhatri, offer a very serene setting in the late afternoon... But the greenish water does not encourage swimming. Moreover, it is not good to linger there in the evening, because mosquitoes are numerous.