Gwalior Tourism

Gwalior is 320kms north-west of Khajuraho. Madhya Pradesh is known as heart of India due to its location in the center of country. It has been home to cultural heritage of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. It is also famous for his temples, fort, Palace and monuments. Madhya Pradesh was awarded as the best tourism state of India in 2012. The natural beauty of Madhya Pradesh is equally varied. Consisting largely of a plateau streaked with the mountain ranges of the Vindhyas and the Satpuras, the State has everything. Gwalior was once not only the capital of Scindias but it is also a historically rich and one of the most popular cities of Madhya Pradesh. Gwalior has always been loved and visited by tourists for their stunning forts and intricate palaces. Gwalior was ruled by rulers of different era like the Mughals and in fact even the Tomars. The city was first ruled by them before it was take over by the Scindias. Gwalior are been popularly called as the Fort City and the city stands true to its name. When you visit Gwalior, you will also agree. Gwalior is Located at 122 km from Agra, Gwalior is also flanked by one of the biggest commercial and industrial zones because it is also one of the largest city of Central India. And apart from all this, Gwalior was also one among the five princely states that got the honor of 21 gun salute during the British rule. The fourth largest city of Madhya Pradesh, Gwalior has also known to be an educational hub owing to the Scindia School that is situated right inside the Gwalior fort. This school was built in 1897 and today is considered to be one among the many important boarding schools of India. Initially this school was built only to be used by the nobles and also the princes. It is also known as the city of music, it is said that this city was once visited by Tansen and today it houses one of the oldest and popular gharanas also called school of Hindustani classical music. This place is also Tansen's final resting place apart from one of the nine gems that belong to Emperor Akbar's court. The first ever museum that displays and exhibits musical instruments was built in Gwalior known as the Sarod Ghar. There are many places to visit in Gwalior.

HISTORY

Gwalior is a historic city thus it is important to know Gwalior history to understand it better. Gwalior fort was constructed by Maharaja Suraj Sen It saw many different rulers ruling the city and suburbs around it. The saint Gwalipa gave the king a new name, Suhan Pal and directed him that so long as his descendants would retain the Pal name they would rule uninterruptedly. This lasted for 84 generations. The 85th descendant changed his name to Tej Karan and lost his throne. Gwalior became a famous place for religious practices, cultures and other discipline coming up during that time in the country.

Gwalior came into limelight when Tomar Rajputs took power in 1398. Gwalior rulers became involved in wars with neighbouring kings. Man Singh Tomar who came to power in 1486 was the greatest of the Tomar Kings. He defeated the Lodhis of Delhi. When Sikandar Lodhi attacked again, Man Singh died but his son held the fort for one year. Muslim invaders like Qutb-ud-din-Aibak also ruled Gwalior before it passed into through a succession of Tomar Rajputs, Mughal, Afghan and Marathas. During the Mughal period, Babur was defeated but Man Singh's grandson continued to fight till Akbar became the Emperor. After the Mughals, the Marathas took over Gwalior and they were followed by the British. Maharaja Scindia sided with the British during the Mutiny but his forces did not. Gwalior was the scene of many bloody battles with the British in 1857. During the 1857 Mutiny, the Maharaja remained loyal to the British but his troops, 6500 of them, mutinied on Sunday June 14th. Next year, there was fierce fighting round Gwalior, the rebels being led by Tantia Tope and the Queen of Jhansi. When the fort was taken by the British, the Rani was found dressed in men's clothes among the slain. Although the Maharaja of Gwalior had remained loyal to the British they kept the fort for another thirty years.

The well known famous Jain structures that you see today were built during the Tomar ruling. In fact one of the biggest tourist attractions of this city the Man Mandir Palace was also built in that era when Raja Man Singh used it as his residency. It was his dream palace which now serves as tourist attraction. Ganesh Temple of the Gwalior Fort has the very first occurrence of Zero as a written number in the world. In 15th century Gwalior city founded a noted music school which has attended by Tansen. Finally in 1730s the city of Gwalior was seized and taken over by the Scindia's and during the British rule it remained a grand state. Gwalior by the 15th century also saw many other significant changes and developments. Under the ruling of so many different dynasties and rulers Gwalior turned out to be one of the most beautiful cities of India with a rich historical significance.

SCINDIA DYNASTY

Gwalior and Scindia dynasty is synonymous to each other. Gwalior history is incomplete without description of Scindia. to The Scindias belongs to royal Maratha Kunbi clan in India of Madhya Pradesh. This clan comprised of the rulers of the state of Gwalior during the 18th and 19th centuries that later went on to collaborate with the British Rulers between 19-20th century till the time of independence. The Dynasty was founded by Ranoji Sindhia, who in 1726 was put in charge of the Malwa region by the peshwa (chief minister of the Maratha state). By his death in 1750, Ranoji had established his capital at Ujjain. Only later was the Sindhia capital moved to the rock fortress of Gwalior.

Probably the greatest of Ranoji's successors was Sindhia Mahadaji (reined 1761–94), who created a north Indian empire virtually independent of the peshwa. He emerged from war with the British East India Company (1775–82) as the recognized ruler of northwestern India. With the aid of French officers, he defeated the Rajputs, took the Mughal emperor Shah Alam under his protection, and finally won control of the peshwa by defeating the Maratha Holkar, the peshwa's chief general, in 1793. His grandnephew, Daulat Rao however, suffered serious reverses. He came into conflict with the British in 1803. After being defeated in four battles by General Gerard Lake, he was obliged to disband his French-trained army and sign a treaty; he gave up control of Delhi but retained Rajputana until 1817. The Sindhia became clients of the British in 1818 and survived as a princely house until 1947. Prominent members of the family in more recent times have included the politicians Vasundhara Raje and her older brother, Madhaorao Scindia. At present The Maharaja of Gwalior is Jyotiraditya Rao Scindia.

LOCATION

Gwalior is located at the heart of India in Madhya Pradesh. It is well connected to all major cities and is close to other amazing cities like Bhopal. This map of Gwalior will help you navigate through and around the city. Gwalior is a city found in Madhya Pradesh, India. It is located 26.23 latitude and 78.17 longitudes and it is situated at elevation 220 meters above sea level. Gwalior has a population of 882,458 making it the 4th biggest city in Madhya Pradesh. It operates on the BURT time zone, which means that it follows the same time zone as Indore.

HOW TO REACH

Let us check how to reach Gwalior by various means of transportation. Due to the good location of this city it is very much connected from all of the India, by air, by train and by road too. It is very easy to access Gwalior for some one. Gwalior tour is compatible for a weekend getaway. Gwalior tourism can be combined with Agra, Jhansi and Orchha Tourism.
By Air: Gwalior airport is located at a distance of 8 km from the heart of the city. The Gwalior airport has limited connectivity. Outside the airport private taxis are easily available. You can take from Gwalior to Delhi, Indore, Kolkata and other major cities. Nearest Airport: Gwalior Airport, Gwalior
By Train: Gwalior railway station is well connected to all major cities and towns so people can easily reach Gwalior to explore the rich heritage of the place. It has direct train connectivity from various important tourist destinations and cities like Agra, Mathura, Bharatpur, Varanasi, Jhansi, Khajuraho, Bhopal, Katni, Jabalpur, Mumbai, Haridwar, Puri, Bengaluru, Hyderabad etc. Various private taxis for onward journeys are available for tourists. It is very easy to reach Gwalior by train option.
By Road: Gwalior is well connected with all the major destinations in India by means of well constructed highways. The one who enjoys driving to long distances will love this ride. The roads to Gwalior offer a smooth ride to the visitors. Buses to and from Gwalior are frequented.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

Gwalior climate is hot and it experiences scorching summers from March to June. The highest temperature recorded is about 47°C. The day time is very hot and people generally stay indoors. So it is not comfortable to explore the destinations in these summers. The monsoon season in the city comes after a long wait it starts in the month of July the monsoon brings some relief to the people; the temperature comes down which is quite relaxing and enjoyable but humidity gets higher at the same time. The temperature at the place is about 25°C to 32°C. The nights of the monsoon season are cool. Gwalior winter is very chilling as the sometimes temperature can get down to zero level in peak winters. The average highest temperature at the place in winters is about 27°C in day time. The chilling winters is the best time in Gwalior to explore the major attractions. It also depends upon the visitor's choice why and when he wants to explore the magnificent sights. Gwalior Carnival is a newly introduced festival in 2012. It was organized for 22 days in December. It is planned to organize carnival every year. So it will be also the good time to visit Gwalior.

GWALIOR TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

Gwalior is well-known for its ancient temples, beautiful palaces and alluring monuments, Gwalior is the tourist capital of Madhya Pradesh. It is best known for being the birthplace of the great musician, Tansen. The city is also popular for its rich cultural heritage and glorious history. The city has been called 'pearl in the necklace of the forts of Hind'. Gwalior Fort is the star attraction of the Gwalior tourism, which was the administrative center of many North Indian dynasties. The rich historical past of the city is displayed through its beautiful attractions. The royal charm of Gwalior can be seen through its spectacular architecture. The rule of both the Rajputs and Britishers over Gwalior is reflected in every corner of the city. When we talk about places to see in Gwalior, It has much to offer to all the tourists. Some popular attractions of Gwalior include Phool Bagh, Suraj Kund, Hathi Pool, Man singh Palace and Jai Vilas Palace. The Tansen Mucsic Festival organized every year in Gwalior is also a famous attraction. The culture and tradition of Gwalior make it a popular tourist attraction of India.

ACCOMMODATION

When in Gwalior, to make the most of your stay in this historical town, make sure that you opt for accommodation in the heart of the city so that all the major attractions are situated closely to your hotel. For Gwalior hotels, we have good options in all category. Some of the popular Gwalior luxury hotels are Taj Usha Kiran Palace, Deo Bagh, Gwalior Regency etc. Similarly we can find Gwalior Standard hotels list in which popular ones are Central Point, Clarks Inn, Tansen Residency etc. Similarly Hotel Grace is good in Budget category.

NEXT TO GWALIOR

Gwalior is located in North of Madhya Pradesh in Central India thus their are many popular tourist attractions around it which can be visited after completing Gwalior tour. After completing Gwalior sightseeing we can also step out of city and explore the nearby tourist attractions. In North of Gwalior, we have option to visit Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Bharatpur, Mathura, Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary. If we move towards South, i.e. towards Madhya Pradesh state interior, then we have option to visit Madhya Pradesh tourist attractions like Sonagiri, Datia, Orchha, Jhansi, Khajuraho, Panna national park, Chanderi etc. In South-West we can visit to Shivpuri, Kuno Palpur and in West we can visit to Ranthambore and Sawai Madhopur etc. Thus their are large number of tourist attractions, surrounding to Gwalior.

IMPORTANT LINKS
Gwalior Tourist Attractions