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GWALIOR ATTRACTIONS |
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| CITY ATTRACTIONS |
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| GWALIOR EXCURSIONS |
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| RELIGIOUS PLACES |
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GWALIOR CITY ATTRACTIONS |
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| Gwalior Fort |
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Standing on a steep mass of sandstone, Gwalior Fort dominates the city and is its most magnificent monument. It has been the scene of momentous events: imprisonments, battles and jauhars. A steep road winds upwards to the fort, flanked by statues of the Jain tirthankaras, carved into the rock face. The magnificent outer walls of the fort still stand, two miles in length and 35 feet high, bearing witness to its reputation for being one of the most invincible forts of India. This imposing structure inspired Emperor Babur to describe it as the pearl amongst the fortresses of Hind. |
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| Tomb of Tansen |
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A pillar of Hindustani Classical music, the great Tansen, one of the jewel amongst Navratnas of Mughal Emperor- Akbar's court, lies buried in Gwalior. More than a monument, the tomb is part of Gwalior's cultural heritage and is the venue of annual music festival.
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| Jai Vilas Palace |
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Jai Vilas Palace is reminiscence of a regal lifestyle, the past comes alive. Palace Jai Vilas is an Italian structure, which combines the Tuscan and Corinthian architectural modes. The imposing Durbar hall has two central Chandeliers weighing a couple of tons and hung only after ten elephants had tested the strength of the roof. Eye-catching treasures includes silver train with cut glass wagon, which served guests as it chugged on the table on miniature rail.
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| Mansingh Palace |
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Built between 1486 and 1517 by Raja Mansingh. Emperor Aurangzeb, had his brother imprisoned and later, executed here. It also has Jauhar Kund, where in Rajput tradition, the Ranis, committed mass sati if their consorts were defeated in battle. |
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| Gwalior Museum |
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Though the present Maharaja still lives in the palace, 35 of its rooms house the Scindia Museum, which displays royal memorabilia.
The Museum boasts of a remarkable collection of artifacts, culled from all over the world. A crystal staircase winds its way up to the spectacular Durbar Hall. The arched ceiling, with stunning gold leaf work, carries two of the world’s largest and most magnificent chandeliers, each weighing over three tons and holding 248 candles. The roof was tested in advance by getting 10 elephants to climb upon it via a two-kilometre ramp.
The chandeliers were gilded with 56 kilograms of gold. Spread out across this very hall is the largest carpet in Asia, made in the Gwalior Jail.
The hall is dotted with all kinds of curios such as Belgian cut glass and crystal furniture – including a rocking chair. Stuffed tiger hides speak of the hunting expeditions of the erstwhile royalty of Gwalior.
However, the most enchanting curiosity is the famous model train that circulates brandy, dry fruit and cigars around the table after dinner. The lifting of a container or bottle would automatically reduce pressure on the track and thus stop the silver train. |
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| Sonagiri |
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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.
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| Khajuraho |
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Khajuraho, derived from the word 'khajur' meaning the date palm, was a quiet, unknown town till a chance discovery made it a popular tourist destination. Forgotten and unvisited until the mid-1960s, the place is now, after the Taj, India's biggest single tourist attraction. Khajuraho has the largest group of medieval temples; each studded with countless sculptures of extraordinary grace and delicacy. The temples of Khajuraho, are indeed, celebrations of the stylized and refined courtly accomplishments of beauty, love and creative arts.
Khajuraho lies about 385 miles (616 kilometers) southeast of Delhi. It was once the religious capital of the Chandela Rajputs, a tribal dynasty who ruled this part of India from the tenth to the twelfth centuries. The Khajuraho temples were built in the short span of a hundred years, from 950-1050 AD in a truly inspired burst of creativity. The whole area was enclosed by a wall with eight gates, each flanked by two golden palm trees. There were originally over 80 temples, of which only 22 now stand in a reasonable state of preservation, scattered over an area of about eight square miles.
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| Shivpuri |
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Shivpuri is a northern district of Madhya Pradesh with beautiful landscape consisting of small hills and deciduous forests. Shivpuri has a total area of 10,298 square kilometers and a population of 14,41,950.
The economy of Shivpuri is agriculture based and 83.38% of the working population is engaged with agricultural works. Wheat, barley, rice, jowar and bajra are the most grown crops of the district.
Shivpuri is a tourists' paradise with its exciting destinations like Madhav National Park, Geroge Catle, Madhav Vilas Palace etc.
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| Agra |
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Agra is the one of the prominent destinations of the World Tourism map with three heritage monuments -The Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri & Red Fort. It is more just a dacadent city of graveyards and stones, but it is a vibrant centre of Culture, Art and Religious philosphies that have enriched mankind and shaped humen thought over centuries. Agra is famous for handicrafts products such as Inley work on Marvel, Leather work,Footwear, Brasswear, Carpets, Jwellery, Zari and Embroidery work. |
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| Pawaya |
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Pawaya is an ancient city, earlier known as Padmawati. It is a city of ruins, located at a distance of 32 km from Shivpuri. Pawaya is 68 km from Gwalior on the Gwalior - Jhansi road.
In the 3rd century Pawaya was the capital of the Naga kings, a fact mentioned in the Vishnupurana. The life size statue of Chaksha Manibhadra dates back to 1 A D. The fort built by the Parmars, and the nearby Dhoomeshwar Mahadev temple are the main attractions.
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RELIGIOUS PLACES IN GWALIOR |
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| Surya Mandir |
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The Surya temple or the Sun temple in Gwalior is built following the design and architecture of the famous Sun Temple at Konarak. It is one of the major tourist attractions in Gwalior. The Sun temple, built by G.D Birla, the famous industrialist was inspired from the well renowned Sun temple at Konarak, in Orissa. The Surya Mandir in Gwalior is located near the Residency in Morar, Gwalior. The airport is 8 km from the main city, linked to all major cities via flights. The railway station is also conveniently located on the main Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Chennai rail line. A good network of roadways connects Gwalior to all major cities of Madhya Pradesh.
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| Saas Bahu Temples |
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The Sas-Bahu Temple is interestingly a misnomer. It is the name given to two adjoining temples of different sizes, the larger one displaying elaborate carvings and sculptures with intricate work. The chhatris with conical spires and heavily carved interiors in typical Bundhelkhandi style are memorial were built to commemorate the former Scindia rulers. The temples are not, as people believe, dedicated to a mother-in-law (Sas) and daughter-in-law (Bahu). |
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| Teli Ka Mandir |
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This magnificent temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Built in 9th century, the temple is one of the oldest temples in Madhya Pradesh. Situated in Gwalior Fort, the temple is more than 100 feet high making it the highest building in the fort. The structure perfectly embodies architectural styles of Dravidians and Indo-Aryans. The roof of the temple is built in Dravidian style whereas the walls and the decorations on it are predominantly Indo-Aryan. Like in other temples built in the same era, there are no mandapams or pillared halls in this temple, which is quite surprising. |
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| Gurudwara Data Bandi Chod |
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Built in the memory of Guru Hargobind sahib, the 6th Sikh Guru, who was imprisoned here by the emperor Jehangir for over two years. |
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| Shanichar Temple |
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The Hindus hold Shani (Saturn), in great awe and respect. In fact, Saturn is the only deity whose benign glance is believed to bestow prosperity, while a fierce look can cause unparalleled misfortune on the object of its attention. Small wonder then, that devotees flock to appease him every Saturday.
The Shanichara Temple made of stone at Aeti is rather special, though it doesn’t appear so from the outside. It houses the original black idol of Shani brought from Lanka (presently Sri Lanka). Legend has it that Shanideva was held prisoner by the demon-king Ravana (king of Lanka), in the Hindu epic Ramayana. The dusty village of Aeti came into being only after the temple was established. Earlier it was just a barren hilltop dotted with a few trees.
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