Gwalior Visit

The historical city of Gwalior is famous for holding the Gibaraltar of India, the massive Gwalior Fort. Situated in the state of Madhya Pradesh, this Indian city is a delight for travelers who love to get lost in history and get fascinated by monuments which are centuries old. Legend has it that the city got its name from the sage Gwalipa, who miraculously cured the ruling kings life threatening disease. Situated in the centre of India, Gwalior always held a position of importance because of its location and as a result the ruling powers also kept changing. The city only gained from that and became a melting pot or amalgamation of different cultures and styles. Archeological excavations disclose that the city ages back to the middle Stone ages and Iron Age. The current city is also very old and is said to have been founded back in the 8th A.D. by Suraj Sen, the head of the Kachwaha clan.

The city is only 110 kms from the other historic wonder, Agra and hence travelers often like to do the triangle tour which comprises of Delhi, Agra and Gwalior.
The biggest tourist attraction of this city is undoubtedly the Gwalior Fort built in the 15th century by Raja Man Singh Tomar. Towering the city of Gwalior, this magnificent fortress is almost three kms in length with walls running almost 35 feet high! It is no wonder that this fort is considered to be one of the most secure forts of India. The fort is home to three temples, six palaces and a number of water tanks. Amongst the temples, the most well known is the Teli Ka Mandir which has a South Indian Dravadian architectural influence on the roof, while the facade is Indo-Ayran. Then the other temples here include the Saas-Bahu Temples, standing side-by-side, one larger than the other. All the temples located in the fort have intricate sculptures and intricate carvings. The southern path of the Gwalior fort has some beautiful carvings of the Jain Tirthankars.
Amongst the palaces, the most prominent is the Man Mandir Palace. An amazingly ornate palace decorated with animal and floral patterns, this was the palace of the king who built the fort and has four levels. The lowest level houses the dungeons in which slaves were imprisoned. It may be interesting for readers to note that it is in this palace only the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb murdered his brother Murad. Another interesting spot which cannot be missed is the Jauhar Kund. The area marks the spot where the women of the harem would burn themselves to death if the king was defeated in battle to avoid being caught by the enemy.

Then the Jai Vilas Palace which is the current residence of the Scindia family has some unbelievable treasures to boast of. The treasures include a silver train which had a number of wagons on which different food items was kept. The train would then move around the huge table which could seat a vast number of people and the diners could help themselves. Then there are Persian carpets, swords which were owned by Aurangzeb and many other collectibles.
Other attractions include the Tomb if Tansen, the Sun Temple, the Masoleum of Ghaus Mohammed etc.