The fertile area east of Jaipur , interspersed with the forested slopes of the Aravalli Hills, holds an inviting mixture of historic towns and wildlife sanctuaries. The fortified town of Alwar to the northeast, fought over for centuries before its incorporation into Rajasthan in 1949, served as refuge for the exiled Pandava brothers of the Mahabharata during their thirteenth year of hiding, before Krishna helped them in the fierce battle against their cousins, the Kauravas, chronicled in the Bhagavad Gita .

 

Not far from Alwar, Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary is renowned for its tigers, while further east are the former princely capitals of Deeg and Bharatpur , and India's finest bird sanctuary, Keoladeo National Park . The wildlife sanctuary at Ranthambore , southeast of Jaipur, offers the best chance of spotting wild tigers in India, against a backdrop of idyllic scenery.