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| Home - Destinations - Gawalior |
Gawalior |
Gwalior's legendary beginning stems from a meeting between Suraj Sen and the hermit Gwalipa, who lived on the hilltop where the fort stands. The hermit cured Suraj Sen of leprosy with a drink of water from the Suraj Kund, which still remains in the fort. Then he gave him a new name, Suhan Pal, and said his descendants would remain in power so long as they kept the name Pal. His next 83 descendants did just that but number 84 changed his name to Tej Karan and, you guessed it, goodbye kingdom.
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For the next 50 years the fort changed hands on several occasions including being taken twice by the British. It finally passed into the hands of the Scindias although behind the scenes the British retained control. At the time of the Indian Mutiny in 1857 the Maharaja remained loyal to the British but his troops didn't and in mid-1858 the fort was the scene for some of the final, and most dramatic, events of the mutiny. It was near here that the British finally defeated Tantia Topi and it was in the final assault on the fort that the Rani of Jhansi was killed. See Jhansi for more details on this heroine of the mutiny. There is a memorial to her in Gwalior.
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| Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh) India |
| Climate |
| The climate of Gwalior is extreme with hot summers and cold winters. The maximum temperature during the summer months can touch as high as 46°C, while in the winters it can go down to below 5°C. |
| Geographic coordinates |
| 0.0° N 0.0° E |
| Altitude |
| 212 m |
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| SIGHT SEEING: |
Gwalior Fort: The blue-tiled Gwalior Fort dominates the cityscape. It has been the scene of some remarkable action, from romance to battles to jauhars. The northeast path, starting from the Archaeological Museum, follows a wide, winding slope to the doors of the Man Singh Palace. The south-west entrance is a long gradual ascent by road, passing cliff face Jain sculptures on the climb. The fort hill rises 100 metres to less than 200 metres. The fort walls, which continue around almost the entire hilltop, are 10 metres high and imposingly solid.
Jai Vilas Palace: This is the seat of the Scindias; their splendid royal residence. Built like an Italian palazzo, Jai Vilas combines Tuscan and Corinthian styles of architecture. Located in the 'new town', which actually dates from 1809, this was the palace of the Scindia family.
Tomb of Ghous Mohammed: This is a beautifully designed tomb set in a lovely garden. Tansen's Tomb is set in this garden, as the musician desired to.
Other Palaces: There are a number of other palaces clustered within the fort walls at the northern end. None of them are as interesting or as well preserved as the Man Singh Palace. The Karan Palace or Kirti Mandir is a long, narrow, two storey palace on the western side. At the northern end are the Jahangiri and Shah Jahan Palaces with a very large and deep tank. The Jauhar Tank, north-west of the palaces, was named after the jauhar, or ritual Rajput suicide, that took place here in 1232.
Sas-bahu Temples: The 'mother-in-law' and 'daughter-in-law' temples stand close to the eastern wall about mid-way along that side of the fort. The two temples are similar in style and date from the 9th to 11th centuries. The larger temple has an ornately carved base and figures of Vishnu over the entrances.
Teli-ka-mandir/Sun Temple: On the opposite side of the fort, beyond the Suraj Kund tank, this temple probably dates from the 9th century and has a peculiar plan and design. This temple is clearly inspired by the celebrated Konark Sun Temple in Orissa. The roof is Dravidian while the decorations, the whole temple is covered with sculptures, is Indo-Aryan |
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