Moosi Maharani Ki Chhatri Alwar

Outside the city palace in Alwar there nestles a ornamental impressive Moosi Maharani ki Chhatri (cenotaph) built by Vinay Singh. It was built in the memory of Maharaja Bakhtawar Singh and his queen, Rani Moosi, who committed sati (self immolation of a widow on her husband’s funeral pyre).

This double-storeyed cenotaph stands on a platform of pillared red sandstone. The upper storey is in marble and has some splendid arches and unusually rounded roofs. The interiors have some great carvings, though most of the frescoes on the ceilings are not visible any more. and if you're lucky, you'll get a real visual treat – that of hundreds of peacocks and other colourful birds flapping around the place. Against the backdrop of the Aravallis, the entire complex looks grand.

Near the Chhatri's is a huge water kund (tank). It was created in 1815 by Vinay Singh and is lined with steps on three sides like a baoli (stepwell). The desert kingdom of Rajasthan has many such tanks which served as community centres, and constructing them was considered an act of great generosity and benevolence. On the bank of the kund are several temples.