KotaKota is a treasure of history dating back to several centuries

History of the city dates back to the 12th century A.D. when the Hada Chieftain, Rao Deva, conquered the territory and founded Bundi and Hadoti. Later, in the early 17th century AD during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir, the ruler of Bundi -Rao Ratan Singh, gave the smaller principality of Kota to his son, Madho Singh. Since then Kota became a hallmark of the Rajput gallantry and culture.

The south eastern region of Rajasthan known as Hadoti comprises of Bundi, Baran, Jhalawar and Kota is a treasure of history dating back to several centuries. Prehistoriccaves,paintings,formidable forts and the mighty chambal river hurtling from the Vindhyas are dotted in the region. When Jait Singh of Bundi defeated the Bhil Chieftain Koteya in a battle, he raised the first battlement or the 'Garh'(fort) over his severead head. The Independant state of kota became a reality in 1631 when Rao Madho Singh, the second son of Rao Ratan of Bundi was made the ruler, by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. Soon Kota outgrew its parent state to become bigger in area, richer in revenue and more powerful. Maharao Bhim Singh played a pivotal role in Kota's history, having held a 'Mansab' of five thousand and being the first in his dynasty to have the title of Maharao. Kota is situated on the banks of chambal river and is fastly emerging as an important industrial centre. It boasts of Asia's largest fertilizer plant, precision instrument unit and atomic power station nearby. Surprisingly unexplored, the Kota region of Rajasthan has some splendid treasures for the tourist to take home memories of. Its impregnable fortresses, sprawling palaces, exquisitely wrought palaces and lovely waterways act as a magnificient foil to its exotic wildlife and delicate fresco Paintings. .

Situtated on the banks of the Chambal River,at an important juncture of the trade route between Delhi and Gujrat, Kota is Rjasthan's Fifth Largest City. This Bustling,sprawling city is also called the industrial capital of the state. The tentacles of the modern world have the city in its grip with the Chambal Valley Project giving it a major position on the state's industrial map. Chemicals,fertilizers, synthetic fibres, tyrecord and sophisticated instruments, industry's mainstay, have helped in pushing this ancient city into the forefront of modernisation. Yet memories of its ancient links linger strongly. Present Day Kota owes its foundations to a Kotya Bhil warrior who 800 years ago built a small fortification at akelgarh and put up a protective mud-wall around it all the way to Retwali. In 1580, Rao Madho Singh strenghtened both the fortification and the wall. In time to come, Kota acquired the Hallmark of rajput power as well as culture.

Along the eastern bank of the Chambal River lies Kota - an amazing juxtaposition of the majestic medieval age and modern industrialisation temples its untouched wealth of impressive forts, opulent palaces and splendid temples dating back over several centuries retain the past glory, the present day edifices and heavy industries have made it the industrial heart land of Rajasthan.

The commanding fort stands overlooking the modern Chambal Valley Project with its many dams- Kota Barrage,Gandhi Sagar, Rana Pratap Sagar and Jawahar Sagar. An old palace,dating back to the time when Kota was under the control of Hada Chieftaincy-Hadoti faces the Kota Barrage. The Durbar Hall is ornate with beautiful mirror work and has ebony and ivory doors. Exquisite miniatures of the Kota school are housed within the Hall. Other noteworthy edifices of the bygone era are the Brij Raj Bhawan Palace,Jag Mandir-and island Palace, a splendid haveli (mansion) with beautiful frescoes and the royal cenotaphs.

Attractions of Kota

Chambal Garden 
An enchanting lush garden at the Amar Niwas, with surroundings make it a popular tourist spot offering enjoyable boar rides.

Singh Museum
The museum showcases an array of Rajput miniature paintings of the Kota school,exquisite sculptures,frescoes and armoury. The museum also houses a rich repository of artistic items used by the Kota rulers.

The Government Museum
The museum showcases a rich collection of rare coins, manuscripts and a representative selection of Hadoti sculpture.

Jag Mandir
Situated amidst the artificial lake of Kishore Sagar constructed in 1346 AD by Prince Dher Deh of Bundi, stands the enchanting little palace of Jag Mandir.

Kota Barrage

A dam as part of the irrigation canal system on the river Chambal, this is a popular spot especially when the floodgates are let open to allow extra water to flow off

Seven Wonder Park

This park houses the famous wonders of the world in miniature form. Situated in Ballabhbari, bordering Sarovar, Seven Wonders of the world are being raised in a single park in Kota. A single visit to this park will give you a glimpse of the Seven Wonders of the World at one place. Replicas of Seven Wonder in Kota (Rajasthan)

Jawahar Sagar Dam

Situated at a short distance of 29 km upstream and 26 km downstream from the Kota city and Rana Pratap Sagar Dam respectively, Jawahar Sagar Dam produces a total power of 60 MW from the 3 units of 33 MW each. Apart from being a major source of producing power and electricity, Jawahar Sagar Dam releases excess water during times of natural calamities of drought. The excess water is used for agricultural and drinking purposes by the local inhabitants of the city of Kota and the neighbouring areas.

Made up of concrete, Jawahar Sagar Dam has a height of 45 meters and is spread over 393 meters. Jawahar Sagar Dam has a catchment area of 27, 195 km ² and provides relief to the people of the area during times of severe water shortage. The Jawahar Sagar Dam is an important hallmark of the state of Rajasthan which plays various roles.

Apart from serving the local inhabitants with water, Jawahar Sagar Dam draws several visitors who are enchanted and enthralled with the engineering marvel of the modern times. Jawahar  Sagar Dam offers the tourists with unique opportunities to enjoy boating in the fast flowing water of the Dam. The dam is also a major source for Pisciculture.

 Visitors are enthralled and enchanted by the majestic beauty that this structure exhales. It provides boating activities to the visitors who opt to come for a picnic here. The hot and humid conditions of Rajasthan can be aptly dealt with, by planning a picnic trip to this beautiful dam that stands tall atop the mighty Chambal.

How To Get To - Kota

By Air
The nearest airport is at Jaipur (239 kms).

By Rail
Delhi-Mumbai railway line passes through the Kota-junction. The district has 148.83 km railway line on Kota-Ruthia section, 98.72 km on Nagda-Mathura (Mumbai-Delhi) section and 24.26 km on Kota-Chittorgarh section. The broad gauge railway facility between Kota & Jodhpur via Jaipur was inagurated recently.

By Road
The district is well connected with neighbouring districts & with major cities outside the state. National highway no.12 (Jaipur - Jodhpur) passes through the district. The total road length in the district is 1,752 km.

SHOPPING & MALLS

Travel to Mount Abu must include visit to the major shopping areas of this place owing to the versatility of the items and products being displayed. The varied choice of items found in the markets makes shopping in this Rajasthani city very interesting. From dress material to stone products, silver jewellery, ethnic pieces, paintings, handicrafts and more, everything is found in abundance in the shopping areas of Mount Abu. The shopping areas are also famous for stone carved and marble products. Apart from these, traditional items, carpets, fabrics of tie and dye are sold in the shops of Mount Abu. There are a number of shopping areas in Mount Abu which are flocked by both locals and tourists. The variety of shops of Mount Abu is known for dealing with Rajasthani as well as Gujarati items.

Kashmir Cottage Emporium: Kashmir Cottage Emporium is located near Nakki Lake in Mount Abu. It is well known for its wide collection of Shawls & Handicrafts products. Their Handicrafts are mainly exquisite and made with great expertise and hard work. It has established a strong brand symbolizing exquisite quality that instills customer trust in an industry wrought by unethical claims. The emporium displays Carpets, Shawls, Silk and Pashmina Shawls. Handicrafts made of Paper Mache and Embroidered Silk Sarees and beautifully embroidered Cotton Dining Table Covers are also exhibited. It has its factory at Srinagar. Their other showrooms are in Chennai, Ooty, Mysore, and Pondicherry.

Khadi Bazaar Mount Abu: Khadi Bazaar is famous for availability of varied items of textiles that come with khadi work. True to its name, Khadi Bazaar is the paradise for khadi products. The variety of khadi products come at affordable rates. It is indeed the best place if tourists are interested in khadi fabric. Materials of khadi textiles are displayed in majority of shops in Khadi Bazaar. Along with the variety of khadi products, this famous bazaar of Mount Abu also houses sandalwood products and handloom goods. The best buys of Khadi Bazaar are the mirror worked cotton materials, tie and dye products and traditional Rajasthani attires for example, 'ghagra' and 'cholis'.

Maharani Emporium: Maharani Emporium is located opposite to Dhuleshwar Temple near Nakki Lake in Mount Abu. It displays handicrafts from the suburbs of Rajasthan.It provides a vast range of exclusive Rajasthani handicrafts, carpets, shawls, suits, sarees, bed sheets, handmade bags and traditional jewelry.It also specializes in block prints, tie and dye fabrics, and thread and minor work clothing. Handicrafts exhibited reveal the aesthetic element blended with traditional refinements. Their products are designed and crafted by the finest artisans. They provide their customers complete satisfaction.

Central Square Mall

 Biggest mall in Kota.ig brands like United Colors of Benetton, Pantaloons, Lifestyle, Max, Jockey. Visitors can find the regular food court, gaming arena and other multi-cuisine restaurants.

Ahluwalia - Mall of Kota

Good smartphone across all budgets including verified second-hand phones. Apart from mobile shops, they have a few clothing stores, gift shops, an electronics store, a food court, and a couple of restaurants

Cinemall

 it is a perfect modernised mall which we find in metropolitan cities. In the mall, one can also find Pizza Hut, Sports Shop, Foodcourt, Domino's Pizza, Clothes Market, Cafes, Gaming Zone, Multi-Cuisine Restaurants, Electronics Shops, and more...

RESTAURANTS :

Pangea

The ambience of this restaurant has been given a touch of traditional Rajasthani folk style. The food was fantastic and you may have variety of Italian dishes like Pasta, Pizza etc. 

CUISINES: Italian, Indian

Barbeque Nation

Barbeque has all the great element and one can enjoy full whenever they visit here.

CUISINES: Chinese, Indian, Barbecue, Asian, Arabic

Soul at Hotel Lilac

Nice ambience and well decorated.  Nice place to visit for family get together. 

CUISINES:  Indian, Asian

Spice Box Fine Dine

Experience delicious food from traditional Indian dishes to authentic Chinese dishes and other selected favourites from across the world. Spice Box is a pure vegetarian multi-cuisine restaurant.

CUISINES:  Chinese, Indian, Healthy

Barbeque Corner

This place is a new fun & dinning Multi cuisine restaurant in Kota serving barbeque as well as buffet . located very close to the city center

CUISINES: Indian, International, Barbecue, Grill