The Alwar Fort or Bala Quila

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Location: Near Nikumbha Mahal Palace, Alwar, Rajasthan

Opening hours: From sunrise till sunset (10 AM- 6PM)

Entry Fee: Not Applicable

Built in: 1551 AB by Hasan Khan Mewati

Dimensions: 5Km long & 1.5 Km wide

INTRODUCTION

Situated on a steep hill & about 300 m above the city, the Alwar Fort forms a great landmark of Alwar. Having a great historical significance it was built in the 16th century before the rule of Mughals in India. Therefore, it is a large fort or can be counted among the largest forts in Rajasthan which is also widely known as Bala Quila, meaning ‘young fort’ that faces the city of Alwar.

HISTORY

Built in the year 1156 AD by Hasan Khan Mewati, the gigantic fort was then ruled by the Mughals, the Marathas & the Jats respectively. In 1775 AD, Kachhwaha Rajput Pratap Singh seized the fort & laid the foundation of Alwar city near it. In addition, it is well believed that once Babur came here in order to bluff his enemies. The founder of Mughal Empire, Babur has spent a night whereas Jahangir spent his 3 years inside the fort during his exile period. At that time, the fort was then named as ‘Salim Mahal’ by him.

 FAMOUS ATTRACTIONS

The Alwar Fort or Bala Quila
Various architectural features like the housing of 15 large & 51 small towers with 446 openings for musketry add to the charming beauty of the fort. One can spend leisure time while star gazing at sophisticated & outstanding architectural features of the fort. Built with great massiveness, the fort stretches/ covers an area of 5Km from North to South & 1.6 Km from East to West. This majestic fort offers a panoramic & spectacular wide view of the city Alwar. Moreover, there is no entrance fee so one can fully enjoy the offbeat beauty of the fort by clicking photographs as cameras are also allowed inside.

  • There are 6 historical gateways to the fort namely Suraj Pal (which is named after Raja Suraj Mal of Bharatpur), Chand Pol, Andheri Gae, Kishan Pol, Laxman Pol & Jai Pol.
  • Besides the beautiful carvings, there are numerous temples & many notable buildings that home inside the fort which include Nikumbha Mahal Palace, Jal Mahal, Suraj Kud & Salim Nagar Pond.
How to reach the fort

By Air: The closest airport is Jaipur Airport at about 157 Km & IGI Delhi Airport at a small distance of about 147 Km. From here, regular domestic flights to Mumbai & Delhi run.

By Rail: Nearest rail junction is Alwar Railway station which is well-connected to the major cities like Delhi, Pali, Bikaner, Mumbai, Jaipur, Chennai, Ahmadabad, and Agra.

By Road: The fort is located on Bala Quila road at only 5 Km far from where you can reach easily by hiring rickshaws or by walking simply.