Kota Fort:
At the south end of the town, standing beside the Kota barrage, overlooking the river Chambal is the City Palace within the fort. The magnificent complex is inspired from the typical Mughal style design elements. The exterior has the delicate stone work and robust fortifications. The Durbar hall ahs mirror inlay work covering its walls and ceilings. Exquisite miniatures documenting periods of expansion and recording kota’s legends cover the hall.  

Chambal Garden:
 A beautifully landscaped garden at the Amar Niwas. Its lush surroundings make it a popular picnic spot offering enjoyable boat rides.

Jag Mandir:
 Amid the picturesque artificial lake of Kishore Sagar constructed in 1346 AD by Prince Dher Deh of Bundi, stands the enchanting little palace of Jag Mandir. The azure waters around the red-sandstone monument enhance its beauty. Boat-rides can be enjoyed in the lake. The Keshar Bagh famous for its royal cenotaphs lies in the vicinity.

Haveli of Devtaji:
 The beautiful Haveli of Devta Shridharji is located in the middle of the busy market. The haveli is noted for its splendid frescoes and rooms ornate with lovely wall paintings.

Other Places worth visiting:
Kansua temple with a four faced Shiva Lingam, Bhitria Kund, Adhar Shila, Budh Singh Bafna haveli and Yatapat Park.

MUSEUMS & ART GALLERIES:

Government Museum:
 The museum possesses several hundred years old sculptures from different cultural centers of the region. Generally, the sculptures belong to the period form the 8th to the 12th century AD though early specimens of the Gupta period (4th to 5th century AD) can also be seen. Sculptures worth mentioning are Shesh Sayi Vishnu form Badoli (Chittaurgarh), Jain image of Vardhaman from Baran and a dancing pair from Ramgarh. Coins discovered form various sites of Kota region are preserved and displayed in the numismatic section. Most of the coins belong to the Mughal period and a few of them to the Rajput period. Several miniature paintings of Bundi, Kota, Nathdwara and Jaipur schools are preserved in the museum. Paintings of Shrimad Bhagawata of the early 17th century are most attractive form the point of view of workmanship. Arms, several kings of handicrafts, costumes, etc. are also displayed in this section. A panoramic view of the cultural aspects of Kota region is available in this section through photographs, charts, maps etc.

Rao Madho Singh Trust Museum, Garh Palace:
The old 17th century Kota Fort Place is a vast complex of buildings, halls temples and courtyards altered and added from time to time by different rulers. Many of these contain beautiful frescoes and elaborate glass and mirror work. A considerable part of the family treasures have been preserved in the Raj Mahal. These include a fine collection of weapons, miniatures, royal paraphernalia furniture, photographs etc. The upper galleries Laksh Bhandar, Arjun Mahal, Chhatra Mahal and Baka Mahal contain some of the finest mural paintings of Kota school.

EXCURSIONS:

Dararah Wildlife Century:
50 kms from Kota, it was once the hunting preserve for the royal family of Kota. Spread over an area of 250 sq. km. one can view animal like leopards, sloth bear, chinkara and wolf. This is the place which inspired many Rajasthani miniatures of Kota school with hunting scenes.

Sorsan:
About 45 km east of Kota, flanking the main canal of the Chambal and Parvan Rivers, are the Sorsan grasslands. Covering 35sq km, these grasslands are rich in insects during the monsoon and attract a good variety of resident and migratory birds, including the great Indian bustard, a reluctant flier which is more commonly seen stalking through the grasslands on its sturdy legs. Other birds of Sorsan include mynas, orioles, quails, partridges, flycatchers, bulbuls, chats, drongos, shrikes, larks, robins and weavers. 

Baroli Temples:
48 kms south–west of Kota, the temple complex of Baroli is one of the Rajasthan’s finest and oldest one, dating back between 9th-12th century. Many of these temples were destroyed by Muslim invaders but the ruins still attract. Particularly remarkable is the temple of Gahteshwara which features God Shiva in various forms – Shiva slaying the demon Chamunda, dancing Shiva and also the one with deities of Brahma and Vishnu and various other deities of the Hindu mythology.

Bhainsrodgarh Fort:
Just a few kilometers from Baroli, on way back to Kota is the Banisrodgarh Fort. Situated upon a cliff top and protected by the river Chambal on the two sides, this invisible fort is occupied by descendents of the feudal family. Worth a visit but prior permission is required.

Jhalawar
The town of Jhalawar that is rich in its cultural heritage is set in a narrow ravine. Jhalwar is known as the land of Jhalas has a large number of temple, old monuments and Buddhist caves. Earlier it was a portion of the city of Kota and later in 1838 it was separated and became an individual city. The Jhalwar Fort built by Maharaja Madan Singh in 1838 is worth visiting. Jhalawar also houses the Bhawani Natya Shala which is one of the finest opera houses in India. It was established by Maharaja Bhawani Singh in 1921and used to host Parsi plays and music at that time. 

Places of interest:
Jhalawar Fort (Garh Palace):
The impressive fort in the centre of the town presently houses the collectorate and other district office. Some exquisite paintings and mirrors on the walls of ‘ zanana khas’ are of particular interest. Permission to see these painting can be obtained from the offices located here. 

Government Museum:
One of the oldest museums of Rajasthan established in 1915 A.D., it has a fine collection of paintings, rare manuscripts, idols and beautiful statues of Lakshminarayan.Vishnu, Krishna, Ardhanarishvar, Natraj and Trimurti. 

Bhawani Natya Shala:
Close to the fort is the most unusual theatre in India. It was constructed in 1921 A.D. where Parsi theatre was performed initially The building has been recently revived and offers an excellent insight into the theatre art.

Gagron Fort:
The impressive fort, built over several centuries (8th to 14th centuries A.D.) stands witness to many great battles and is surrounded by the tranquil waters of the ahu and kali sindh rivers on the three sides. A beautiful mausoleum of a sufi saint Mitheshah just outside the fort is the venue for an annual colorful fair held during the month of Muharram. 

Buddhist Caves and Stupas:
The ancient Buddhist caves located in the village Kolvi. A colossal figure of buddha and the carved stupas are the most impressive structures in the caves. 

Rain Basera:
A picturesque wooden cottage on the banks of the Kishan Sagar pond, it is as idyllic haunt for picnickers. The cottage was originally built elsewhere and later transported to the present location .Amazingly, it still retains much the original design. 

Chandrabhaga Temples:
On the banks of the magnificent Chandrabhaga river stand some splendid 7th century A.D. temples the intricately carved pillars and arched gateways are fine examples of the temple architecture and craftsmanship. The 11th century A.D. Shantinath jain temple is also noteworthy with fine murals and exquisite sculptures. 

Atishey Jain Temple, Chandkheri :
This 17th century temple is a notable example of temple architecture. It also has religious value having Adinath statue, 6 feet tall, in a sitting position. Accommodation and meals are available at reasonable prices in the temple area. 

Dalhanpur :
The ancient ruins of impressive temples extend over an area of 2 km. Marvelously carved pillars, torans and exquisite sculptures make these temples interesting. Dolhanpur lies on the bank of River Chhappi, where an irrigation dam is being constructed. Dense forests with lush foliage add to the natural beauty of the spot. 

Best Time to Visit: August – March

STD Code: 0744

Airport: Nearest Airport is Jaipur.

Railway Station: Kota Junction, 4 km from the city, connected to all major cities of India.

Road: Kota is well connected with Jaipur (248 km), Delhi (464 km) and other major cities of Rajasthan like Ajmer, Chittaurgarh, Udaipur, etc.

CLIMATE: The climate of the city is of the tropical type due to the proximity to the Tropic of Cancer and is subject to extremes of heat during summer, and has mildly cold winters. The summer season in Kota lasts from April to late October. The average temperature in the daytime hovers around 42.6°C. The average temperature falls in the range of 29.7°C (max) to 9°C (min) during wintertime. The average annual rainfall in the Kota district is 885.6 mm.