Alwar is a captivating town in the state of Rajasthan. It is described as the Gateway of Rajasthan. The place abounds with many interesting and historical monuments. The military cantonment of Itarana lies on the outskirts of Alwar. Milkcake made in Alwar is a famous cuisine all over the country. Alwar is also known as the land of tigers.

Origin of name of Alwar
There are several suggestions on how Alwar has derived its name. Some sources say that the district is known as Alwar as its headquarters are located in the town of Alwar. Cunningham holds that the city derived its name from the Salva tribe and was originally Salwapur, then, Salwar, Halawar and eventually Alwar. As per history, earlier the city was known as "Ulwar". As this placed the city in last position when arranged in alphabetical order, a king renamed it to "Alwar" to bring it to the top.

Culture of Alwar
The festivals celebrated in Alwar are Sawan Teej, Chuhar Sidh, Laldas Maila, Bilali Fair, Sahibji ka Maila, Jagannathji Fair and Bhartrihari. The festivals of Alwar are marked by merry occasions and traditional arts, music and dance.

Alwar Festivals :
Alwar festival is a three-day festival which is being organized by the district administration to promote tourism and emphasize the legacy of rich culture in Alwar. An impressive procession through the streets of the town marks the inauguration of the festival on February 13.

The Alwar Collector and chairman of the festival committee usually organize a `Shilp Gram' (handicraft village) which emphasizes on the display of the hand-made items and promote the manual skills. It also reflects the diversity of the district. Alwar's Alwar Festival mainly focuses on the tourism of Alwar and the rural activities of the local people.

The events organized at the Alwar Festival include elephant polo, fancy dress and sketching competitions for children, flower show, exhibition of rare and antique items of the region and a film show on the culture and social customs of Alwar.

Usually tour operators from different cities of India arrange tours to Alwar during this period to enable the tourists visit the popular tourist places ahead of the festival. Some of the major draws for the tourists visiting Alwar include the Sariska wildlife sanctuary and the historic Kankwadi fort and Pandupol waterfall.

Sariska National Park, located some 37 kms from the district of Alwar, is a great place to spend exhilarating and daring vacations. Lined up by a number of hills of Aravalli, the region is bifurcated into many narrow valleys that join in number of places. Sariska National Park used to be the hunting grounds for the royal family of Alwar. It is mainly visited to catch a glimpse of tigers.

The huge fort of Kankwadi is worth a visit which was built by Aurangzeb. Every detail of these exciting tourist attractions in and around Alwar is available from Alwar festival in Alwar.