Bala Qila, Alwar

Bala Qila, a name usually rendered as Young Fort, crowns a hill more than 1,000 feet high on the Aravalli range above Alwar. The fortress dates from about 1200 CE and was strengthened by Hasan Khan Mewati in 1550. It runs some 5 km in length and 1.5 km in width, and over the centuries it passed through the hands of the Mughals, the Marathas and the Jats, among others.

The walls carry 15 large and 51 small towers, with 446 loopholes for long-barrelled muskets, and eight towers were built for defence. Its six gates include Suraj Pol and Laxman Pol, Chand Pol, Krishan Pol and the Andheri Gate. Inside are palaces, temples and water reservoirs, among them the Suraj Kund, Jal Mahal and Nikumbh Mahal, with marble columns and finely patterned balconies. Apart from minor repairs it is little changed, and the ramparts look out over the whole city.