Temples In Alwar :

The city of Alwar that is renowned the world over for being home to the famous Sariska National Park also attracts visitors to its century old temples. In fact, most of the temples in Alwar are ideally situated within the large area of the national park and are largely visited by tourists en route to Sariska. These ancient temples of Alwar are historically significant and speak of rather fascinating legends.

The most famous and widely visited among all the temples in Alwar is the Hanuman Temple that lies about 11 km from the entrance of Sariska National Park. The temple houses a striking giant idol of Lord Hanuman in a reclined position and dates back to the Mahabharata days. Nearly hundreds of monkeys and langoors can be seen running all over the place near Hanuman Temple (they are usually harmless unless provoked).

Another famous temple in Alwar is the Bhartrihari Temple that is also located in the vicinity of Sariska wildlife sanctuary. Thousands of devotees across the country throng at the temple to receive the divine healing touch of Bhartrihari Baba who is believed to fulfill all unmet desires. The ancient ruins of Neelkanth Temples that date back to as early as 6th century are also worth a visit in Alwar. Particularly striking is the temple of Lord Shiva here.

Some Famous Temples In Alwar :

Bhartrihari Temple in Alwar : 

Bhartrihari Temple in Alwar lies about 30 km from the city and is conveniently situated in close proximity to the world famous Sariska National Park. The temple attracts a large number of devotees from all over the country who come with a staunch faith that all wishes made from a pure heart are fulfilled at the Bhartrihari Temple in Alwar.

The temple is named after Bhartrihari Baba, the ruler of Ujjain who is believed to have left his kingdom in order to become a saint. As the legend goes, several years later, he returned to his wife and pleaded before her for bhiksha or something to eat. The king's wife gave him a fruit that he ate and turned immortal. It is also said that Bhartrihari Baba, with his saintly powers, prayed to the Lord for several years to bring water to the place that suffered from acute scarcity of water in those days. God finally heeded to his plea and soon a stream of water appeared from a rock. The historic legend also suggests that Bhartrihari Baba buried himself alive and that his temple in Alwar today stands above his grave.

Hanuman Temple in Alwar :

Hanuman Temple in Alwar is situated within the expansive area of Sariska National Park, nearly 11 km from its main entry gate. Though the world famous wildlife sanctuary encloses a number of striking temples, the Hanuman Temple is undoubtedly a major attraction for visitors to Alwar.

The prime attraction of Hanuman Temple in Alwar is the striking idol of Lord Hanuman in a resting position that reminds of a fascinating legend going back to the days of the Mahabharata in India. Lord Hanuman once decided to shatter the ego of Bhima, one of the Pandava brothers, who supposedly felt that he was the strongest of all in the world. He chose to do so while the Pandavas were on their way to spending their 13th year of exile. Hanuman assumed the form of an old monkey and lied down on the road waiting for the Pandavas to pass by. As they came, they saw a huge old monkey with an unusually long tail that blocked their way. They asked the monkey to allow them to move ahead but the latter simply said that it was too old to even move an inch. On hearing this, the Pandavas decided to push aside its tail to make their way and asked Bhima to do so. Overconfident as he was, he headed straight towards the old monkey's tail and tried picking it up but was shocked to note that the tail was too heavy to be even picked from the ground!

On seeing this, the Pandavas could sense that it was not a normal monkey and had some divine powers. Lord Hanuman finally returned to his true form and disclosed his intention to teach Bhima a lesson. It is believed that the Hanuman Temple in Alwar was later built by the locals at the same place with the idol of Lord Hanuman placed in the original reclining posture. Hanuman Temple attracts a large number of devotees across the country and even the entry to Sariska National Park is made free on all Tuesdays and Saturdays (auspicious days of Lord Hanuman in Hindu mythology).

Neelkanth Temples in Alwar : 

Neelkanth Temples in Alwar are among the several tourist attractions that lie within the world famous Sariska National Park. Though the ancient temples of Neelkanth today lie in a wrecked state, they remind of the glorious history of the bygone era and are worth a visit during your tour to Alwar city.

Around 32 km from the main entry point of Sariska National Park, one comes across the ancient ruins of Neelkanth Temples. Though no clear evidence is available regarding the construction of Neelkanth Temples in Alwar, history suggests that these temples were built during the period of 6th - 13th century. The most prominent and frequently visited temple among these is an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva (who is also known as Neelkanth in Hindu mythology). The temple continues to attract a large number of devotees across the country even today.