KARAULI HINDAUN

City Palace, located in Karauli in Rajasthan, is a 14th century palace that was built by the royal family. The palace is famous for its classic paintings, stone carvings, architecture and lattice works. The Darbaar Hall houses some old pictures of the palace and also displays the 600 year old artwork of those times. The palace served as the official residence of the royal family until 1938. After the construction of the Bhanwar Vilas Palace, the royal family shifted from City Palace to this new residence. Although the original City Palace dates back to 14th century, the present City Palace is an 18th century building with frescoes and elaborated ornamented stucco work.
 

Ramathra Fort, located at Sapotara in the Karauli district of Rajasthan, lies between Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary in Bharatpur and Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve in Sawai Madhopur. Kela Devi Wildlife Sanctuary is the closest wilderness to the fort and is located at a distance of 15 kms. This fort is famous for offering lakeside and countryside views to travellers. The fort, in 1645, was granted as jagir to Thakur Bhoj Pal by his father, who was the Maharaja of Karauli. Thakur Brijendra Raj Pal and his family manage the fort these days. The fort has two temples inside it; one of them is dedicated to Lord Ganesha while the other is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The Shiva temple has a marble idol of Lord Shiva which displays the craftsmanship of the early 18th century. While on a visit to the fort, the tourists can enjoy the beautiful views of the farmlands, rugged scrubs of the Daang Plateau, Kalisil Lake and its irrigation canal. It is a delight to watch a large number of birds at the lake which flock from the nearby Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary.

Bhanwar Vilas Palace was built in 1938 by the then ruler of Karauli, Maharaja Ganesh Pal Deo Bahadur, and served as the royal residence. The palace is designed in a colonial style and furnished with furniture of art de decor period. The palace has now been converted into a heritage hotel and has 45 rooms laden with all the modern day amenities.
 

At a distance of 23 kms from the Karauli city sits pretty the shrine of Kaila Devi smack on the banks of the Kalisil River in the hills of Trikut. The temple of the Goddess attracts millions of pilgrims every year and the annual fair lasting a fortnight is the main attraction. Right in front of the Kaila Devi temple is another minor temple dedicated to Bhairon. Another interesting shrine right in the courtyard is that of Lord Hanuman.
 

Madan Mohanji Temple, located at Karauli Fort in Karauli, was built by Maharaja Gopal Singh. It is dedicated to Madan Mohanji, an incarnation of Lord Krishna. Statues of Lord Krishna and Goddess Radha, 3 ft and 2 ft high respectively, are kept in the temple. People are of the belief that after conquering the city of Daulatabad, Maharaja Gopal Singh dreamt that Lord Krishna wants him to enshrine his idol, brought from Ajmer at a temple in Karauli.
 

Timangarh Fort is located very near to Karauli in the Masalpur sub-tehsil. Historians are of the view that the fort was built in 1100 AD. However, it was destroyed soon by an attack. The fort was reconstructed in 1244 AD by Yaduvanshi Raja Timanpal, the scion of Vijay Pal. People believe that ancient ashtadhatu, stone idols and sculptures are hidden under the temples of the fort complex. The beautiful geometrical and flower patterned carvings on the rooftops and pillars of the temples enthral onlookers. Images of several Gods and Goddesses are also carved on these pillars of the temples. Several records discovered from the site confirm that the fort was occupied by Muhammad Ghori's forces between 1196 and 1244 AD. People believe that there is a Paras stone at the bottom of the Sagar Lake, present at the side of the fort.