Kota

Kota, the industrial capital of the North Indian state of Rajasthan, is situated in the Kota district. Perched on the banks of the river Chambal, Kota is a unique blend of the ancient and the modern worlds. Magnificent palaces and fortresses of a bygone era co-exist with the modern day factories.

The City palace and Fort beside the Kota Barrage is not only the main tourist centre but also the largest fort complex in Rajasthan. The entrance to the fort is the Hathi Pol or the Elephant Gate. It houses the Rao Madho Singh Museum which boasts of a large collection of weapons, antique garments and toys. It also has a rich collection of murals from the Kota School of Paintings. A rare collection of coins and Sanskrit manuscripts can be found in the Government Museum, housed in the Brijvilas Palace, which also has thousands of stone sculptures.

Rising out of the Kishore Sagar, an artificial lake is the Jag Mandir, a beautiful red sand stone palace built by one of the Kota Maharanis.

Among the other impressive monuments in Kota is the Haveli of Devtaji famous for its frescoes and wall paintings. The Nahargarh Fort, a red sand stone structure and the temple complex of Badoli are other ancient monuments which can be visited from Kota. The river Chambal has blessed Kota with a number of beautiful lakes and gardens among which the most charming is the Chambal Gardens in Amar Niwas which has many good picnic spots. Antelopes, bears, sambars, leopards and wild boar find a home in the Wildlife sanctuary Of Darrah, 50 km from Kota.

A visit to Kota is complete only with a trip to the looms of Khaitoon, a small village about 12 km from the city, where the famous Kotadoria sarees are woven. Kota is a travel destination of Rajasthan, India that’s waiting to be explored.