HOME | CONTACT | SITEMAP | EMAIL | LINKS

GWALIOR
Hermitage of Saint Gwalipa

Gwalior's colorful history, going back to the 8th century, is a mosaic of the Rajput clans of the Pratihasas, Kachwahas and Tomars, each leaving their marks on the city's magnificent monuments. A trip of Gwalior is incomplete without a visit to the fort, Scindia Palace and the tombs of Ghaus Mohammed and Tansen.

As a modern city, Gwalior is famous for its cloth mills, producing some of the best fabrics in the country. The city is divided into three parts. Gwalior houses the fort complex, Lashkar with the Jai Vilas Palace and Morar are the outskirts. The city serves as an access point for the tourist centres of Orchha and Shivpuri.

	Indian Airlines flights connect Gwalior with Delhi, Agra, Bhopal, Indore and Mumbai.
	Gwalior is on the central railway's main Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Chennai routes. Best connections from Agra and Delhi are provided by Shatabdi and Taj Express in the morning. Both trains make the return journey in the evening.
	Gwalior is connected good roads to Agra, Mathura, Jaipur, Delhi, Lucknow, Bhopal, Indore, Jhansi, Khajuraho and Chandigarh.

Some important road distances from Gwalior

The Gwalior Fort
This hill-top fort overlooks the city. The fort was built by Raja Mansingh Tomar in the 15th century. Its major attraction is the Gujari Mahal - built by Raja Mansingh Tomar for his favourite queen. Today Gujari Mahal has one of the finest museums of sculpture. 

The fort complex houses a marvellous palace. Man Mandir Palace, erected by Raja Mansingh has walls that rise vertically from sheer rock into a six bastioned 300 feet by 800 feet four storeyed structure. It is further complimented by blue ceramic mosaic and petite trellis work.

Other significant structures in the fort complex are : Sas-bahu-ka-mandir, Suraj Kund, Gurudwara Pata Bandi Chhod and a shrine dedicated to the hermit-saint Galipa from whom the city derives its name.

Timings : 1000 - 1700 hrs - Closed on Mondays

Gujari Mahal
Situated in the fort premises, is a 15th century monument built by Raja Mansingh Tomar for his Gujjar queen, Mrignayani. The inner portion has been converted into a museum which houses antiquities going back to the 1st century A.D.

Man Mandir Palace
Built between 1486 and 1517 by Raja Mansingh. The tiles that once adorned its exterior have not survived, but at the entrance, traces bare, stripped of their former glory, testifying to the passing of the centuries. Vast chmbers with fine stone screens were once the music halls, and behind these screens, the royal ladies would learn musci from the great masters of the day. Below, circular dungeons once housed the state prisoners of the Mughals. The emperor Aurangzeb ahd his brother, Murad, imprisioned, and later executed here. Close by is the Jauhar Pond, where in the Rajput tradition, the ranis committed mass sat after their consorts ahd been defeated in battle. A the Man Mandir Palace, a poignant ambience of those days of chivalry and heroism still lingers in the silent chambers. A superbly mounted Son-el-Lumiere here brings it all alive every evening.

Teli ka Mandir & Sas Bahu Ka Mandir
Both are devoted to the Lord Vishnu. the 9th century Teli ka Mandir, towering 100-ft-high, is a Pratihara Vishnu temple with a unique blending of various architectural styles - Dravidian as well as Indo-Aryan.

Jai Vilas Palace  
Remnant of the last rulers of Gwalior - the Scindias - this Mahal is patterned on an Italian Palazzo and was completed in 1872. Today the palace is the resident of the Scindias. Main attraction in this gigantic palace is the Jivaji Rao Scindia Museum.

The Tansen Tomb 
The Tansen Tomb is a memorial to the pillar of Hindustani music, Tansen. The tomb is part of Gwalior's cultural heritage. An annual national music festival is held here in November-December.

The Ghaus Mohammed's Tomb 
The mausoleum of the Afghan Prince, Ghaus Mohammed.

Sun Temple 
Located on the outskirts of the city is a temple dedicated to the Sun God. This new temple built on the pattern of the famous Konark temple is yet another addition to Galior's tourist spots.

Sarod Ghar
Ancestral house of the famous Gwalior gharana of Indian classical music from which hails sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan. It has been opened as a museum of musical instruments.

Suraj Kund 
Built in the 15th century, However, references to this gigantic structure can be traced back to 425 A.D.

Kala Vithika & Municipal Museum
Both are treasure houses of art and memorabilia of the past history of Gwalior.

Datia
68 km on Jhansi Road (8 km from Sonagiri). The main sight in this town is the 7-storeyed palace of Raja Bir Singh Deo built atop a hill. Other sights are a temple with Mughal frescoes, Gopeshwar Temple and the tantric peeth of Pitambara Devi.

Sonagiri
60 km from Gwalior, on Jhansi Road. The 108 Jain temples date back 1,500 years, all arranged on the steps of a hill. The main temple (number 57) on top of the hill is in honour of the 8th Tirthankara. One can walk up on paved pathways to see the temples. Arati is performed in the main temples between 6-9 pm daily.