About Gwalior Fort
The Gwalior fort, situated at Gopachal, almost 100m above the town of
Gwalior, was built by Raja Man Singh Tomar in the 15th century. It's width
is not more than 1km and the walls, encircling the fort, are solid and about
10m high. It covers an area of 3 sq. kms and consists three temples, six
palaces and a number of water tanks. It is considered as North and Central
India’s most secure fort. Babur, the great Mughal emperor described the
fort as, "The pearl amongst fortresses in India". The fort also
has an unlimited water supply, as there are many water tanks on the plateau.
This fort was owned by many rulers like the Tomars, Mughals, Marathas and
British, who finally handed it over to the Scindias. The southern path of
the Gwalior fort is delimited by rock faces with intricate carvings of the
Jain Tirthankars. Some of the temples in the Gwalior Fort are the
Teli-ka-Mandir- a 9th century Dravidian-style shrine which is notable for
its profusely sculpted exterior standing next to it are the Saas-Bahu
Temples and the Chaturbhuj Mandir, a Vaishnavite shrine dating back to the
9th century.
The fort’s most eminent palaces are the amazingly ornate Man Singh
Palace, built by Man Singh in the 15th century. Then there's the Jauhar
Kund, which marks the spot where the women of the harem burnt themselves to
death after the defeat of the king of Gwalior in 1232.
Other palaces within the Gwalior Fort which are worth seeing include the
Karan Palace, the Jahangir Mahal, the Shahjahan Mahal and the Gujri Mahal
(the latter was built by Man Singh for his favourite queen, Mrignayani).
Other Attractions Near the Gwalior Fort
Jai Vilas Palace
This Palace was built in 1809 and is located in new city of Gwalior. The
present Maharaja of Gwalior resides heres.
Mausoleum of Ghaus Mohammed
Ghaus Mohammed's sand stone mausoleum is laid in the old town of Hazira. He
was an Afghan Prince who turned sufi saint and he had helped Babur to win
the Gwalior fort. His mausoleum is designed according to ancient Mughal
architecture. Particularly exquisite are the screens using pierced stone
technique. The carvings on these screens are as delicate as lace.
Sun Temple
Located near the residency at Morar. The architecture of this temple is
based on the lines of the Konark temple.
Tomb of Tansen
Tansen, the Father of Indian classical music and one of the nine Gems in
Akbar's court is buried in Gwalior. This great singer's memorial carry's a
very simple tone in itself and is surrounded by gardens on its sides. This
monument is a part of Gwalior's cultural heritage. Every year a music
festival is organised here. The festival is held in November / December and
attracts singers and musicians from all over India.
Getting There
Air: Indian Airlines operates a flight to Gwalior from Delhi.
Bus : There are regular bus services from Gwalior to Agra, Jhansi,
Shivpuri, Indore, Bhopal and Jabalpur.
Train: Gwalior is on the main Delhi to Mumbai railway line. The
superfast Shatabdi express links it with Delhi.
Accommodation
Gwalior offers accommodation that to suits all kinds of budget and
requirements. To save some bucks look for an accommodation near the railway
station.
