Kota Tourism | Places to Visit | Things To Do

Famous as a Trade center of Rajasthan and more famous for its Kota stone that brings beauty to the interiors of so many houses, Kota is located 240 Km from the capital city of Delhi on the Banks of Chambal river. It is not just the Kota stone that brings repute to the city. It has lots of small scale and large scale industries. It is a business hub for chemicals, Kota Dorai Sarees, agricultural products as well as metal crafts. A few years back, Kota has been gaining popularity for its coaching classes for our IT and engineering aspirants. With so much said about the economy of Kota it must be sounding very drab. But the story goes otherwise. Kota has magnificent forts to explore, royal palaces to cherish, temples and wild life sanctuary to offer to all religious and wild life enthusiasts respectively.

The first and foremost places to visit while one decides on a day’s itinerary would be the Kota fort which is on the banks of Chambal River. While you are in this fort, witness its magnanimity as well as the other palaces in the vicinity. Also, visit the museum to learn about the indigenous history. Check out the artifacts, weapons and galleries dedicated to wildlife, mirror paintings and fresco paintings of Bada Mahal, Chhatra Mahal and the Laxmi goddess Darbar. Other than the museum at the Kota fort, there is another museum to explore and that is the Government museum. This government museum is located at the Brij Vilas palace and has possession of sculptures as vintage as the 8^th century. It also has weapons, manuscript and paintings to offer to all visitors. How is this museum different from the Rao Madho Singh Trust museum at the fort? Well, both the museums have a unique collection of memorabilia to offer and are an experience in itself. But while at the fort museum do admire the section that has a beautiful mirror work in Durbar Hall with ebony and ivory carved doors.

After the tiring exploration of the fort it is recommended to unwind yourself at the Kishore Sagar man-made lake. In the middle of the lake is the Jag Mandir monument. It is best to enjoy the serenity of the lake with Jag Mandir behind by boating around the calm lake.

After the invigorating day of exploring the forts, museums and parks of Kota, it is best to enjoy the Rajasthani cuisine at either at a local dhabha or a restaurant. Each of these eating joints takes the tradition and royalty to a whole new platform.

Best season to travel to Kota would be September to October becuase it is during this time that the city is humming to the festive fervor and the weather is apt for roaming around. Dusshera festival is the major activity in the town which should not be missed.

Before one starts to pack their bags after seeing the city’s rich heritage, it is very important to visit Kethum, 15 km from Kota. A weaver’s village where these Kota saris are woven and a few can be handpicked for collection. Kota has plenty of attractions to visit around. Just a few km away from Kota are the Darrah wildlife sanctuary, rock paintings of Alania and the Chambal valley project dams like Kota barrage, Gandhi Sagar dam, Rana Pratap Sagar dam and Jwahar Sagar dam. Stroll around the peaceful trails at the barrage to culminate your rendezvous with the city of Kota.