History of Gwalior

Gwalior has a long and rich history behind the creation and development of the city and district which dates back several centuries. Gwalior located in the central part of India has witnessed different phases of Indian history. From the rule of Tomaras in the 8th century to the Mughals, then the Marathas under the Scindias (1754) it has seen every stage of Indian antiquity. It serves as an important center of the Indian rebellion of 1857. The historical city has witnessed different stages of Indian history. The history and legacy brought by the successive ruling dynasties have contributed a lot in making Gwalior a melting pot of several civilizations and traditions.

HISTORICAL GWALIOR FORT

This rich culture and heritage linked to Gwalior have led to many famous people coming from the city. Several saints, artists, and musicians have their ancestry roots from Gwalior. Today several businessmen and women are also from Gwalior. Gwalior industries have seen a major spike in the past few decades.

The Origin and Establishment of Gwalior City.

JAI VILAS PALACE

Located in the heart of the city, Jai Vilas Palace is one of the grandest buildings of Gwalior. This beautiful palace was established back in the year 1874 by Jayajirao Scindia, the Maharaja of Gwalior. Jai Vilas Palace is well-known around the country for its beautiful architecture. Every part of the palace is intricately designed and decorated which speaks much about the craftsmanship of those times. The palace is truly an architectural marvel as it combines Italian, Tuscan, and Corinthian styles of architecture. A visit to the palace makes one explore the royal times of the Maratha Scindia dynasty. This visit makes anyone flip back the pages of the luxurious lifestyle of the kings and queens of those times. The most popular attraction of the palace is the Durbar hall, which is beautifully decorated with gold furnishings. The hall has one of the largest chandeliers in the world, which is believed to be the heaviest in Asia. 

GUJARI MAHAL

Built-in the 15th century by Raja Mansingh Tomar for his Gujar queen, Mrignayani, Gujari Mahal is a monument of love. According to popular tradition, since none of the eight queens were able to produce an heir for the king, he finally married a milkman’s daughter called “naani”, whom he named “Mrignayani” (meaning beautiful eyes). Mrignayani demanded a separate palace for her with a constant water supply from river Ria and hence, Gujari Mahal in Gwalior in India came up. The palace now has an archaeological museum that has a large collection of Hindu and Jain sculptures, archaeological pieces from the 1st and the 2nd century B.C, copies of Bagh cave frescoes, and Terracotta items.

HATHI POL

The entrance of the Gwalior Fort is better-known as Hathi Pol. This mega-structure can only be accessed after passing through six entrances. This gate was the major defense of the fort against enemies attacking from its front. It once had a life-sized stone structure of an elephant here but now it lies in ruins. Tourists coming here can marvel at this enormous gate. It is said that when the king came back from battle victorious, he would enter from this gate sitting on an elephant back.

MEMORIAL OF TANSEN

The Memorial of Tansen is also referred to as the Tomb of Tansen. Tansen was a much-loved musician in Akbar's court, who had this built-in respect of the great musician. Within this memorial, one will get to see the tomb of Tansen. Tansen's tomb in Gwalior belongs to the famous lawyer of India and the lead singer of Emperor Akbar's court, Tansen, who is one of the nine gems of Akbar's court. It is believed that this famous musician of Gwalior used to shower his magic with music and enchanted animals with his music. Tansen was buried here with his mentor Sufi Saint Muhammad Gauss. Tansen also followed the Sufi culture. The myth about Tansen is that it used to rain when he sang the Megh Malhar raga. Tansen's memorial is a typical example of the Mughal style of architecture. 

MAN MANDIR PALACE

Man Mandir Palace is one of the main two palaces located in Gwalior fort. The Man Mandir Palace or Citadel is located at the northeast end of the fort. It was built by the King of Tomar Dynasty, Maharaja Man Singh in the 14th century and was refurbished in 1648. Man Mandir is a big palace with spectacular architecture. Although the interior of the palace is mostly empty, it has beautifully designed tiles on the outer side. Beautiful artwork is done on its front and some of the interior walls. This palace also has attractive stone walls with beautiful stone carvings. These stone walls are located in vast chambers of the palace. The palace also houses a circular prison and Jauhar pond, the place where Rajput women committed sati.

TELI KA MANDIR

One of the major attractions in Gwalior Fort, ‘Teli-Ka Mandir’ (the oilman’s temple or oil pressers' temple) is the oldest part of the fort. The temple is basically a Brahmanical sanctuary, built in the 8th or 9th century. Teli ka Mandir was refurbished between 1881 and 1883. The temple was originally dedicated to the Lord Vishnu, but later it was converted to the Shiva temple. A unique blend of ancient north and south Indian architectural styles is visible in the architecture of this temple as there is a shrine within the rectangular structure with no pillared pavilions (or mandapas) and a Buddhist barrel-vaulted roof built on a Hindu temple. Buddhist architectural elements can be visibly seen in the Chitya type hall as well as Torana decorations at the entrance of the temple. Diamond and lotus designs are also found on the horizontal band at the top of the arch and such a kind of design in this temple indicates an influence of the Buddhist period.

SAAS BAHU TEMPLE

A major monument present in the fort premises is Saas-Bahu Mandir. Located on the east side of the fort, the temple was built by King Mahipala of the Kachchhapaghata (Kachchhwaha) dynasty in 1092. As per folklore, it is believed that the wife of Kachchhapaghata's king was the devotee of Lord Vishnu and thus this temple was named as Sahastrabahu Temple depicting the Lord Vishnu with a thousand hands. While her daughter-in-law was a devotee of Lord Shiva. Hence, another temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva was also built beside the Vishnu temple. And then these two temples were jointly named 'Saas-Bahu Temple'. Both temples are built of red sandstone with several stories of beams and pillars without arches. There are three entrances in the temple from three different directions. A beautiful example of classic architecture, this temple is completely covered with carvings. Out of these carvings, idols of Brahma, Vishnu and Saraswati carved above its entrance door are mainly fascinating.

VIKRAM MAHAL

Vikram Mahal was built by Vikramaditya Singh, the elder son of Maharaja Man Singh. He was a devotee of Lord Shiva. Thus, this palace is also known as the Vikram Mandir as it once hosted a temple of Lord Shiva. That temple was destroyed during the Mughal period but now has been re-established in the front open space of the Vikram Mahal.

DATA BANDI CHHOR GURUDWARA

This Gurudwara was built in the memory of Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib, the sixth Guru of the Sikhs. It was made when he was imprisoned by Mughal Emperor Jahangir. When he was being released after 2 years, he demanded to also release 52 other Hindu Kings, who were his fellow prisoners. Jahangir was very impressed with this and accepted the Guru’s condition.

SCINDIA MUSEUM

‘Jivaji Rao Scindia’ was just one of the powerful rulers of the Scindia reign. And many structures built by him increase the beauty of this place, and also the tourists. The Scindia Museum, formally known as Jivaji Rao Scindia Museum is situated in the royal Jai Vilas Palace, this Museum was established in the year 1964 and is currently under the control of a private trust. This museum is open on all days except Monday. Scindia Museum has a very big range of articles and objects on display including weapons, miniature paintings, sculptures, manuscripts, bronzes, and historical coins. Many-many other things are displayed here, from all over the world, and are definitely worth having a look at.

SURAJ KUND

Located in the magnificent Gwalior Fort, the Suraj Kund is thought to be the same place where ‘Sage Gwalipa’ had cured the Rajput chieftain, Suraj Sen. The history of this pond has been traced back to the 15th century AD. The legend behind this historical pond is very fascinating. It is said, the long-lasting sickness of Suraj Sen was healed after he tasted this water of Suraj Kund pond. The king as a symbol of his appreciation towards the saint who healed him, got a tank constructed, the city, and also the mighty fort was named after the saint. This pond simply drags the audience towards it and is also a very famous picnic spot.

SAROD GHAR

Sarod Ghar is a tiny diamond out of sight inside the streets of the city of Gwalior. Not many people of this city are even aware that this place exists. Sarod Ghar is the ancestral house of a Hindustani music maestro, Amjad Ali Khan. It has now been converted into a musical museum.

Kala Vithika- This place, as the name suggests, is a musical museum that holds a large variety of ancient and modern-day instruments. Along with that it also has various paintings of the city and state, and also important events. the museum is very well preserved and holds many mementos established by the father of Amjad Ali Khan (Ustad Hafiz Khan). The museum explains how, Afghan harp had converted into today’s instrument, the Sarod. Many ancient instruments are also on display here; these were all achieved by Amjad Ali Khan and his father.

TOMB OF JHANSI KI RANI

Jhansi ki Rani was one of the most influential women of India. She was the leader of the legendary Maratha Empire. She was one of the leading people in the rebellion against the British in the mid-1850’s. Her tomb is located here in Gwalior and is worth having a look at because of its rich history.

This city of Gwalior has a lot to endeavor to everyone and thus the historical fort cities of Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh have been included in the list of UNESCO's world heritage cities under its urban landscape city program, according to the state government. Definitely, till date tourism of Gwalior has overwhelmed the hearts of people all around the world.