Gwalior

   Sightseeing

Gwalior Fort 

The legend goes that 2000 years ago, after being separated from his attendants, a weary and thirsty Rajput King, Suraj Sen stumbled upon the sage 'Gwalipa', who directed him to a pond. As he splashed water over himself, he was cured of his leprosy too. The grateful king, named the pond 'Suraj Kund' and founded the fort which was named Fort Gwalior, after the sage.

Gwalior Fort is one of India's most famous forts. It has withstood the onslaught of many warring dynasties, each of whom have left their traces in various monuments in and around the fort. The sandstone fort, rising 300 ft. on a steep, flat topped hill, stands out in its grand isolation. As aptly described by Emperor Babur, 'the fort of Gwalior is like a pearl in the necklace among the palaces of India. The son-et lumiere show at the fort brings alive the rich historic traditions to the traveler. Indeed, it is one of the most spectacular shows in the country.

The walls and caves inside the Gwalior Fort have intricately carved Jain sculptures. A rich reminence of the Jain influence in this area through the 13^th and 14^th centuries.

Gujari Mahal

Within the Fort are some marvels of medieval architecture. The 15th century Gujari Mahal is a monument to the love of Raja Mansingh Tomar for the intrepid Mrignayani, a  tribal Gujar queen. The outer structure of the Gujari Mahal has survived in an almost total state of preservation; the interior has been converted into an archaeological Museum housing rare antiquities, some of them dating back to the 1st century AD. Amongst the 36 greatest singers of India, 15 are known to have learnt the art of the their music here, including the immortal Tansen.

Jain Sculptures

The long ascent on the southern side climbs up through a ravine to the fort gate. Along the rock faces flanking this road are many Jain sculptures, some impressively big. Originally cut into the cliff faces in the mid-15th century, they were defaced by the forces of Babur in 1527 but were later repaired.

The images are in five main groups and are numbered. In the Arwahi group, image 20 is 17m-high standing sculpture of the first Jain tirthankar (revered teacher or saint), Adinath, while image 22 is a 10m-high seated figure of Nemnath, the 22nd Jain tirthankar. The south-eastern group is the most important and covers nearly 1Km of the cliff face with more than 20 images.

Man Mandir Palace 

Within the fort, the most important structure is Man Mandir, built by Raja Man Singh, the greatest of the Tomar rulers. This graceful palace was noted by Fergusson as 'the most remarkable and interesting example of early Hindu palaces' . The walls are inlaid with enameled tiles of blue, green and yellow decorated with animal motifs. Two courtyards within, lead into rooms which are richly ornamented with jali-work, cornices, mouldings, geometric and flora patterns in a mosaic of tiles.

The palace was once decorated with precious jewels which were removed by plundering Mughals. who later turned the fort into a political prison. The Archaeological Museum housed here, has an excellent collection of carving, images, coins, inscriptions paintings and other antiques, dated as early as the 3rd century BC, till the 13 century AD. 

Teli Ka Mandir

This temple probably dates from the 9th century but has been restored. Its peculiar design incorporates a Dravidian roof with Indo-Aryan decorations (the whole temple is covered with sculptures). A Garuda tops the 10m-high doorway .Here princes and princesses came to be betrothed and received education on the aspects of married life. The walls of the temple slope upward and from a ridge from which the roof rises.

Ghaus Mohammed's Tomb 

the sandstone mausoleum of the Afghan's prince, Ghaus Mohammed, is also designed on early Mughal lines. Particularly exquisite are the screens which use the pierced stone technique as delicate as lace.

Next-->