Gwalior Fort

Gwalior Fort has been known in the world since the 6th century. The fort acquired its current appearance in the 14th and 15th centuries. An impregnable and powerful fortress in India, rising on a hill, built of yellow-brown sandstone and basalt.

Brief description

The Gwalior fort was placed at the intersection of trade routes. Built on a hill, it was provided with additional natural protection and allowed surveillance of the surrounding area.

Gwalior Fort got its name from a hermit named Gwalip. He once lived in this area and cured the ruler Surai Sen. The name of the city came from the name of the fort.

In 1399, when Tamerlane made a great and cruel campaign against India, the Tomar dynasty ruled the fortress. In 1398, Tamerlane defeated the Indian army that came to the defense of Delhi. After the victory, he ordered the slaughter of almost 200 thousand Indians so as not to drag prisoners along with him. The bloody massacre lasted 5 days. The Great Mogul then continued his terrible campaign. Tamerlane did not pursue the goal of remaining in India. He plundered the country, burned Delhi, took many women and slaves, trying to choose skilled craftsmen, and returned to Samarkand. The Delhi Sultanate, its people and lands, were left in a state of chaos and plague.

A little history

The fortified Gwalior fort was almost untouched by Tamerlane’s bloody campaign. The fortress is located 350 km from Delhi. At this time, Tomar began to build palaces, arranging his residence. During his reign the main buildings were built. In 1486-1517, a palace was built for his wife Mrignayani. Now it houses an archaeological museum.

Later, Tomar built the Man Mandir palace, where concerts were held, and his wives learned the art of music playing. The walls of the palace are decorated with original mosaics with drawings of flowers and animals. In the palace, singer Tan Zen sang for Akbar the Great. After his death, a mausoleum was erected for him in the garden. At the beginning of winter, a music festival is held in the palace. There was a prison in the dungeons of Man Mandir. One of her prisoners was the brother of Emperor Auranzeb.

In 1519, the Muslim Lodi dynasty captured the Gwalior fort. In the 18th century, the Gohad dynasty became the new rulers of the fortress. Until 1948, the fort was part of the Gwalior princely state. Now owned by the state government.

On the territory of the fort there is a monument to Jhansi Rani, a heroically deceased participant in the famous Sepoy uprising against the British.

Features of the attraction

Gwalior Fort occupies an impressive area, it is about 2 km long and about 1 km wide in some areas. Now on the territory of the fort there are 6 palaces and the same number of temples, one mosque, several pools and priceless historical monuments dating back to the 11th century. Huge Jain statues were carved right into the rock near the walls. They have been preserved since the 15th century. The highest is 18 m. According to legend, the statues bestow enlightenment and reason.

The tallest building in the fort is the Teli Ka Mandir temple, built in the 10th century and dedicated to the god Vishnu. Its height is almost 100 m. The Bahu Ka Mandir temple is located nearby. It was built in the 11th century and is also dedicated to Vishnu.

The history of the Gwalior Fort - the pearl of India - is full of dramatic and tragic events, witnessed by the buildings in the fortress. Although they are not very well preserved, they still attract the attention of thousands of tourists.