Gwalior
Gwalior (Hindi: ग्वालियर pronunciation (help·info); Marathi: ग्वाल्हेर) is a city in Madhya Pradesh in India. It lies 76 miles (122 km) south of Agra and has a population of over 1.2 million. The Gwalior metropolitan area is the 46th most populated area in the country, and known as the tourist capital of Madhya Pradesh.
Gwalior occupies a strategic location in the Gird region of India, and the city and its fortress have served as the center of several of North India's historic kingdoms. At present its strategic location is also marked by the presence of a major air base at Maharajpura. Gwalior is the administrative headquarters of Gwalior district and Gwalior division.
Contents [hide]
1 Origin of name
2 Demographics
3 Geography
4 Climate
5 Transportation infrastructure
5.1 Air
5.2 Railways
5.3 Roads
5.4 Local transport
5.5 History
6 Art and culture
6.1 Ahiri dance
6.2 Baredi or Yadav dance of Bundelkhand
6.3 Saharia dances
6.3.1 Lur dance of Saharias
6.3.2 Lanhgi dance of Saharias
6.3.3 Dul-Dul Ghori dance
6.4 Folk poets
6.5 Jagnik
7 Main festivals
8 Media and communication
8.1 Electronic media
8.2 Communication services
9 Areas of the city
9.1 The old town
9.2 Lashkar
9.3 Morar
9.4 Thatipur
10 Healthcare
11 Places of interest
12 See also
13 References
14 External links
[edit] Origin of name
According to local history, Gwalior owes its name to a sage of former times. The story goes that Suraj Sen, a prince of the Kachhwaha clan of the 8th century, had lost his way in the jungle. On a secluded hill he met an old man, Sage Gwalipa, whose influence almost took him by surprise. On asking the sage for some drinking water he was led to a pond. The pool waters not only quenched his thirst but cured him of leprosy as well. Out of gratefulness he wished to offer something in return to the sage and the sage asked him to build a wall on the hill in order to protect the other sages from wild animals that often disturbed their yagnas (pujas). Later Suraj Sen built a palace inside the fort. Thus came up the fort named Gwalior, and eventually the city that developed around it got its name.
[edit] Demographics
As of 2001[update] India census,[1] Gwalior had a population of 826,919. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Gwalior has an average literacy rate of 70%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 76%, and female literacy is 63%. In Gwalior, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age. Hindi and Marathi are the main languages spoken in Gwalior. There is a strong Marathi influence because of the Maratha rule.
[edit] Geography
Gwalior is located at 26°13′N 78°11′E / 26.22°N 78.18°E / 26.22; 78.18.[2] It has an average elevation of 197 metres (646 feet). Gwalior is a historic Indian city - is located on the periphery of Madhya Pradesh Stand 100 km (62 Miles) from Jhansi.
[edit] Climate
Gwalior
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D
17 237 8 2710 7 3316 2.6 3922 8.9 4227 78 4130 262 3527 313 3225 146 3324 43 3318 4.2 2912 7.7 247
average max. and min. temperatures in °C
precipitation totals in mm
source: IMD
[show]Imperial conversion
J F M A M J J A S O N D
0.6 7345 0.3 8050 0.3 9160 0.1 10272 0.4 10881 3.1 10585 10 9480 12 9078 5.8 9175 1.7 9265 0.2 8553 0.3 7645
average max. and min. temperatures in °F
precipitation totals in inches
Gwalior has a sub-tropical climate with hot summers from late March to early July, the humid monsoon season from late June to early October and a cool dry winter from early November to late February. The highest recorded temperature was 47oC and the lowest was -1oC.
Summers start in late March, and along with other cities like Nagpur and Delhi are among the hottest in India and the world. They peak in May and June with average daily temperatures being around 33-35oC (93-95oF) , and end in late June with the onset of the monsoon. Gwalior gets 970 mm (39 in) of rain every year, most of which is concentrated in the monsoon months from late June to early October. August is the wettest month with about 310 mm (12 in) of rain. Winter in Gwalior starts in late October, and is generally very mild with daily temperatures averaging in the 14-16oC (58-62oF) range, and mostly dry and sunny conditions. January is the coldest month with average lows in the 5-7oC range (40-45oF) and occasional cold snaps that plummet temperatures to close to freezing.
Gwalior can be visited from late October to early March without much discomfort, but the months from April to June should be avoided due to the extreme heat. The monsoon months see sustained, torrential rainfall and risk of disease, and should also generally be avoided.
[edit] Transportation infrastructure
The city is well connected by rail, road and air transport services.
[edit] Air
Gwalior's airport, about 8 km north-east of the city, is one of the major airports in Madhya Pradesh, equipped with almost all the amenities that are expected in a good airport.
Indian Airlines' regular Delhi-Jabalpur flight stops at Gwalior. Connections to other destinations in India via Delhi.
[edit] Railways
Gwalior Railway stationThe Gwalior Junction GWL is part of the Jhansi Division of the North Central Railways.
Gwalior's main station is one of the major commercial railway stations of the North Central Railway of Indian Railways, whose zonal headquarters is in Allahabad. The station has won awards from Indian Railways for clean infrastructure in 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1992. Express trains such as the Bhopal Express, Taj Express and Bhopal Shatabdi stop at Gwalior.
Gwalior is, perhaps, one of the few places where both narrow gauge and broad gauge railways tracks are still operational. The Gwalior narrow gauge track is the narrowest in India.
Gwalior is well connected by train services to all parts of the country, including 4 metros. There are direct trains to Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata (Howrah), Chennai, Trivandrum, Indore, Ahmedabad, Pune, Jammu, Lucknow, Bhopal and other major towns. Gwalior is the main station serving most of the important and long distance trains. There are two other stations within the city limits, named Gwalior Birla Nagar and Gwalior Sithouli. These stations interconnect to other stations and also serve the short distance trains connecting Gwalior to nearby towns and villages.
There are other narrow gauge stations within the city, named Gwalior Grasim Factory and Motijheel. Gwalior lies on the longest functional broad gauge line in India between Delhi and Mumbai.
[edit] Roads
Gwalior is fairly well connected to other parts of Madhya Pradesh and India with national and state highways. The Agra-Bombay national highway (NH3) passes through Gwalior, connecting it to Shivpuri on one end and Agra on the other. The city is connected to the Jhansi by the National Highway 75, towards the south of the city. In the Northern, the city is connected to the holy city of Mathura via National Highway 3. There are bus services to and from all major and minor cities near Gwalior, including Bhopal, Agra, Delhi, Jabalpur, Jhansi, Bhind, Morena, Datia, Jaipur and Indore.
[edit] Local transport
Road traffic in GwaliorGwalior's public transport system consists of tempos, horse-drawn tongas (which run fixed routes much like a bus system) and auto rickshaw taxis. Recently the municipal corporation has launched Gwalior City Bus covering some routes in the city.
The tempos and auto-rickshaws are often cited as a cause of pollution and road congestion, and the local government has plans to replace the tempos with vans that shall run on Liquefied Petroleum Gas. However, taken in itself, this solution ignores the congestion and pollution caused by private cars, which is far more significant especially considering that the impact of private cars is actually caused for the benefit of a very small section of the city's population.
[edit] History
In the 10th century it was taken by the Kachwaha Rajputs. Qutb-ud-din Aybak captured the city in 1196. Shamsud-din Altamsh took control of the area in 1232. By the 15th century the city had a noted singing school which was attended by Tansen. It first fell to the British in 1780, but was one of the cities taken during the Sepoy Rebellion.[3]
Today Gwalior includes the former city of Lashkar. Laskar was the capital of Gwalior state, one of the princely states of India during the British Raj. It then served as the capital of Madhya Bharat from 1950 to 1956.
At the heart of Gwalior is Gwalior Fort, built by Raja Man Singh Tomar, of the Tomar dynasty. This formidable structure was reputed to be one of the most invincible forts of India. It occupies an isolated rock outcrop. The hill is steepened to make it virtually unscalable and is surrounded by high walls which enclose buildings from several periods. The old town of Gwalior lies at the eastern base of the fortress. Lashkar, formerly a separate town that originated as a military camp, lies to the south, and Morar, also a formerly separate town, lies to the east. Gwalior, Lashkar and Morar are presently part of Gwalior Municipality.[citation needed]
Massive Gwalior Fort, popularly called the Gibraltar of India, overlooks the city. Emperor Babur reputedly described it as "the pearl in the necklace of the forts of Hind." This fort's architecture is unique. It shows Chinese influence on Indian architecture, as Chinese dragons have been crafted at the hilt of the pillars. This influence was because of trade between China and India during that period.
After the death of Sher Shah Suri in 1545, who was ruling the North India at that time, his son Islam Shah shifted his capital from Delhi to Gwalior and constructed 'Sher Shah Mandir' or Palace/Fort in the memory of his father Sher Shah Suri. Islam Shah operated from Gwalior till his death in 1553. Islam Shah had appointed the Hindu warrior 'Hemu' or Hemu Vikramaditya as his Prime Minister in Sher Shah Fort for the first time, who later on became the Vikramaditya king at Delhi and established 'Hindu Raj' in North India, by virtue of winning 22 battles continuously from Punjab to Bengal and defeating Akbar's army in Agra and Delhi on 6 October 1556. He is also known in history as Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya.
In the east of the city are two magnificent examples of early Mughal architecture: the mausoleum of the 16th century Sufi saint Ghous Mohammed and the tomb of Mian Tansen, a great singer and one of the 'Nine Jewels' of Emperor Akbar's court. Right next to them is the Gujari Mahal, built by Gujjar king Man Singh Tomar on demand of his consort Gujar princess "Mrignayani" (meaning having eyes like deer).[4]
Close to the heart of the city is splendid Jai Vilas Palace, patterned on the palace of Versailles; it combines Tuscan, Italian and Corinthian styles of architecture.
Rich in cultural heritage and architectural marvels, Gwalior has the added advantage of its proximity to Agra, the city of Taj Mahal; Khajuraho, the city of great temples; and Delhi, the national capital.
Historically and architecturally, Gwalior is interesting first as a very ancient seat of Jain worship; secondly for its example of palace architecture of the best Hindu period (1486–1516); and thirdly as an historic fortress. Many historical places are found near the Dabra-Bhitarwar Road. Prior to the founding of Gwalior the region was also known by its ancient name of Gopasetra. The great Apabhramsha poet Pandit Raighu lived in Gwalior. Gwalior had an institutional seat of the Bhattarakas of Kashtha Sangh and later Mula Sangh.
View from the summit of the Gwalior Fort showing the palace of the Maharajah of Scindia. circa 1882.According to history, the original fort of Gwalior was founded by the Bargujar Kings during the 34th/35th century of Kali yuga as per puranas available with them. His palace is the most interesting example of early Hindu work of its class in India. Another palace of even greater extent was added to this in 1516. The Mughal emperors Jahangir and Shah Jahan added palaces to these two, the whole making a group of edifices unequalled for picturesqueness and interest by anything of their class in central India. Among the apartments in the palace was the celebrated chamber, named the Baradari, supported on 12 columns, and 45 ft (15 m) square, with a stone roof, forming one of the most beautiful palace-halls in the world. It was, besides, singularly interesting from the expedients to which the Hindu architect was forced to resort to imitate the vaults of the Muslims. Of the buildings, however, which so excited the admiration of the first Mughal emperor Babur, probably little now remains.
Jai Vilas Palace in Lashkar is a marvellous palace museum, part of which is open to the public and gives a glimpse into the life of the royal family. The Fort area is also home of the Scindia School, a well-regarded institution founded by the late Maratha Maharaja Madhavraoji Shinde of Gwalior in 1897.
Teli ka Mandir owes the name from Teli meaning oil dealer at whose expense it was built during the reign of the King Mihira Bhoja of the Pratihara Dynasty. It is the loftiest temple among all the buildings in Gwalior fort with probable height of 30m. The temple consists of a garbagriha, that is sanctum proper for the main deity, and an antarala to enter into the temple. It can be approached by a flight of steps provided on the eastern side. The most striking feature of the temple is the wagon-vaulted roof which is Dravidian in style and rarely found in North India, but the decorative details are similar to Indo-Aryan types of North Indian temples. The exterior walls of the temple are richly decorated with sculptures which were damaged by the Mughals. Faces and especially noses of the sculptures were cut of or damaged. There may be various reasons for this; the Mughals were jealous of the perfectly proportioned sculptures or that their religion was against idol worship. The temple thus shows the amalgamation of the North and South Indian temple architectural features. It does not have any dated history but according to style can be assigned to 9th century A.D. Two Mandapikas (pillared rooms) and an entrance gateway on the eastern side of the temple are later additions of the British period by Major Keith in 1881.
Teli-ka-MandirA striking part of the Jain remains at Gwalior is a series of caves or rock-cut sculptures, excavated in the rock on all sides, and numbering nearly a hundred, great and small. Most of them are mere niches to contain statues, though some are cells that may have been originally intended for residences. According to inscriptions, they were all excavated within a short period of about thirty-three years, between 1441 and 1474. One of the colossal figures is 57 ft (17 m) high, taller than any other in northern India.
Gwalior fort also has the Gurudwara Data Bandi built in the memory of the sixth Sikh Guru Har Gobind. This Gurudwara is particularly large and grand, built entirely of marble with coloured glass decorating the main building. Recital of the Guru Granth Sahib creates a peaceful and sacred atmosphere. Mughal kings used to visit Gwalior regularly.
[edit] Art and culture
Gwalior is a well acknowledged place of art, associated with historic as well as contemporary evidence. In August 2005 a mural created by Aasutosh Panigrahi and five other artists was acknowledged as World's Largest Indoor Mural by the Guinness Book of Records.
Gwalior holds an unparalleled reputation in Sangeet. Greatest ever classical singer (Dhrupadiya) was Baijnath Prasad alias Baiju Bawra, who lived in Gwalior for his whole life under the patronage of Man Singh. Baiju was born in Chanderi and was cremated there only, got the training of music in Brindaban under great Swami Guru Haridas ji. He was Court Musician of Gwalior along with Nayak Charju, Bakshu, and others.
Tansen, born in Behat, trained in music at Vrindavan, served Raja Ramchandra Waghela of Bandhawgarh, then went to Agra under the patronage of Akbar. After the death of Tansen in Fatehpur Sikri and cremation in Agra, the ashes were buried in Gwalior. Tansen Samaroh is held every year in Gwalior.
Ustad Natthu Khan, Hassu Khan, Haddu Khan, Nissar Hussain, Rehmat Khan, Shankarrao Vishnu Pandit, Ramkrishna Buwa Vaze, Rajabhaiyya Poonchhwale, Krishnarao Pandit, lived here and spread the magic of music. Renowned artiste Mrs. Malini Rajurkar, who is keeping the flame of Hindustani music alive today, also belongs to Gwalior.
Sarod Maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan is also from the royal city of Gwalior. His grandfather Ghulam Ali Khan Bangash became a court musician in Gwalior.
Now, one of the great Hindustani classical singers, Dr. Ishwar Chandra Karkare who is fourth generation of artists poets and musician family, lives here and his classical music is full of spiritual joyousness.
Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, the conference on Marathi Literature were held once in Gwalior city. It was presided by President of the Conference writer Kusumavati Deshpande (and wife of Kavi Anil) in 1961. She was the first female president of the annual Sammelan since its inception in 1878.
Culturally Gwalior is the confluence of two rich cultures Bundeli and Braj. Bundelkhand covers Gwalior, Bhind, Morena, Sagar, Shivpuri, Guna, Sheopur and adjoining areas.
[edit] Ahiri dance
This dance is related to people who have traditionally been in the business of cattle herding. In different parts of the state these people are known by different castes such as Ahir, Baredi, Gwal, Rawat, Raut, Gwala etc. These people believe that they are descendants of Krishna.
[edit] Baredi or Yadav dance of Bundelkhand
This dance has been associated with Diwali, the biggest Hindu festival. On the night of Diwali people worship Laxmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and cattle. Next day, on the occasion of "Padva" or "Parva", cattle are sent to jungles or ranches after being decorated with flowers and garlands. They are given special dishes as food. Yadav dance is performed on the same occasion.
Dancers dance in a circular path while singing songs. Sometimes they sit or lie down on earth and suddenly they restart their dance. Rhythm of the song is very low in starting and increases with time. Music instruments are started only when two lines of the song are finished. Primarily these are two line couplets. Sometimes these are in form of questions and answers. This dance continues till Kartik Purnima.
Dress, dancers, instrument beaters and their associates wear a clean turban on head. Some people like to put on Dhoti up to knees (long cloth wore by men enwrapping their waist). Some people specially dancers wear colorful shorts. Dancers also keep bunch of peacock feathers.
Music instruments including mradang, dholak, ramtula, dhapli, manzira, jhanz are used in this dance.
[edit] Saharia dances
Saharias are tribal people who live in jungles. They work in farms and also collect medicinal plants from jungles. There are several dances of Saharias. Some of the important ones are: Lur Dance, Lanhgi Dance, Dul-Dul Ghodi Dance, Raya Dance, Ada-Khada Dance.
[edit] Lur dance of Saharias
This dance is performed on the occasion of marriage starting from the day of ritual of "Haldi" (In this ritual whole body is pasted with turmeric and after sometime it is removed so the body is cleaned) till the arrival of Barat (Bridegroom comes to the house of the bride with his relatives and friends for marriage ceremony).
[edit] Lanhgi dance of Saharias
This dance is also known as Danda (baton) dance because Saharias dance with small batons in their hands with which they strike at each other and perform Lanhgi dance. Only men are allowed in it. This dance is performed on the occasion of Bhujarias, Teja ji puja and Aekadashi etc.
[edit] Dul-Dul Ghori dance
This dance is performed on the occasion of marriage by males. In this dance a hollow case of ghori (mare) is prepared of bamboo sticks. The dancer stands in the hollow place and dances. (depicts various movements of mare) There is also a joker in women clothing. People sing folk songs during the dance.
[edit] Folk poets
[edit] Jagnik
Jagnik was a folk poet of 11th-12th century. At that time some poets used to write biographies of folk warriors. These biographies were called "Raso". Jagnik wrote "Parmal raso" which is based on bravery of Chandel Raja Parmal and "Alha Khan" Which contains the description of 52 battles fought by Bundeli war heroes Alha and Oodal (in the army of chandel king Parmal). The style of singing alha khand has a unique distinction and it is very popular in the region. Dholak, timaki, jhinka, and majira are its musical instruments. People who sing alha are called "Alhet". Lalloo vajpayi is a very famous alhet.
[edit] Main festivals
All national festivals, Diwali, Holi, Makara Sankranti, Eid-ul-Fitr, Rakhi and other local ones like Nag-Panchmi, Ahilya Utsav, Ganesh Utsav, Gudi Padwa (Marathi new year), Navratri, Dussehara, Durga Puja are celebrated with equal enthusiasm. Last decade has seen a rise in celebration of events like Valentine's Day, Rose Day and New Year's Eve.
Gwalior also celebrates Rang Panchami quite differently. This festival is celebrated five days after Dulendi or Holi. This is also celebrated like Dulendi, but colors are mixed with water and then either sprinkled or poured on others.
Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated in a unique way in Gwalior city. People of Gwalior arrange a carnival of floats (known as "Jhanki" in local Hindi language) in various places of city.
Makar Sankrant is a 'Kite Festival' on 14 January each year; people fly kites and compete to cut each other's kites in sky.
[edit] Media and communication
Local media in Gwalior is strong and flourishes. There are a number of newspapers, magazines, local TV stations. Dainik Bhaskar is one of the oldest newspaper publication and most widely read newspaper.
Other popular newspapers published in Gwalior are Raj Express, Dainik Madhya Raj, Nav Bharat, Swadesh, Naidunia, Dainik Jagran, People's Samachar.
Evening newspaper : Sandhya Samachaar
[edit] Electronic media
The radio industry has expanded with a number of private FM channels being introduced. The FM radio channels that broadcast in the city Big FM (92.7 MHz), Radio chaska FM (95 MHz), My FM (94.3 MHz), Raseela (91.9 MHz), fever(104). State-owned Doordarshan transmits two terrestrial television channels. The city has local TV stations from various companies. Major local channels are either by Hathway win, Harsh Networks etc.
[edit] Communication services
Gwalior is covered by a large network of optical fibre cables. There are three fixed telephone line operators in the city: BSNL, Reliance and Airtel. There are six mobile phone companies in which GSM players include BSNL, Reliance, Vodafone, Idea, Airtel, Tata DoCoMo; CDMA services offered by BSNL, Virgin Mobile, Tata Indicom and Reliance.
[edit] Areas of the city
[edit] The old town
The old town of Gwalior, commonly called Hazira, which is of considerable size but irregularly built, lies at the eastern base of the rock. It contains the tomb of the Sufi saint Khwaja Khanoon & Mahommed Ghaus, erected during the early part of Mughal emperor Akbar’s reign, and the tomb of Mian Tansen, a great singer and one of the 'Nine Jewels' of Akbar's court. A town called by his name Ghauspura situated near the tomb of Mohaommed Ghaus.
Close to the heart of the city is splendid Jai Vilas Palace, patterned on the French palace of Versailles. The town has a museum situated in the Gujari Mahal.
[edit] Lashkar
The name of Lashkar is a Persian word meaning 'army' or 'camp', as this was originally the camp, and later the permanent capital, of the Scindia dynasty of Gwalior state. Jayaji Chowk is the central focus of Lashkar, with a large square, a former opera house, banks, tea, coffee and juice stands and a municipal market building. Thriving bazaars surround the chowk.
Many jewellery shops are situated near Jayaji Chowk aka Maharaj bada. A source of water for the city is Tighra Dam, built on Saank river 20 km north of here. The Gajra Raja Medical College, founded in 1946 by the Maharaja Jiwaji Rao Scindia and the Maharani Vijayaraje Scindia, is situated in Lashkar on Palace Road, near Katora Taal, together with a group of many hospitals.
Gwalior Fort[edit] Morar
Morar, formerly a separate town, lies three miles (5 km) east of the old city. It was formerly a British military cantonment. Morar was the scene of the most serious uprising in Central India. By 1900 it had become a centre for local trade and had an important training industry, with a population of 19,179 in 1901.
The second Temple of the Sun in India is situated in Morar at Residency Road after The Konark Sun Temple. This Sun Temple was built by the Aditya Birla Trust.
The cantonment area makes up a large area of Morar which is official residences for the Indian Army. It has many canteens for Army personnel. Saint Paul's School is nearby.
Morar is generally a rural farming town. There is a big Galla Mandi. There are some beautiful places in Morar also and the area is known as the green part of Gwalior because much of the area is still rural. There is a air force area in the region called Pinto Park. It is very peaceful area. A Sai Mandir is there in Pinto park Gayatri Vihar Colony.
[edit] Thatipur
Thatipur is said to have got its name from a state army unit no 34 (thirty four) which used to be here. Gandhi road divides the Thatipur area into two. On going along the road, one enters Morar at one end and Balwant Nagar on the other.
It primarily consists of Darpan Colony, the government blocks and Suresh Nagar. The places of mention are the Dwarikadhish Mandir, bhagwan colony, the Chauhan Pyau, Petrol Pump, Ramkrishna Aashram, Gayatri Vihar, mayur market etc. Jiwaji University also located in this area & City Center and Balwant Nagar most Poss Colonies.
[edit] Healthcare
Gwalior is prominent for its health care facilities with leading hospitals and pharmaceutical companies. The prominent hospitals of Gwalior include Gajraraja Medical College and associated J.A. Hospital, Kamla Raja Hospital, Sahara Hospital, Bidla Hospital, Cancer Hospital & Research Institute and many other good private doctor clinics. Cancer Hospital & Research Institute is nationally acclaimed medical center in Oncology.
[edit] Places of interest
Maharaj Bada is the biggest and most important market of Gwalior. Seven ancient buildings of different architecture like Italian, Russian, Mughal, Rajputi, Chinese etc. can be viewed.
Tomb of Rani Lakshmibai, a famous freedom fighter, at Phoolbag area.
Vivswaan Mandir (Surya mandir), made by Ghanshyam Das Birla in 1986, an excellent example of architecture. This temple is just similar to konark's sun temple.
Jai vilas Palace, close to the heart of the city; patterned on the Palace of Versailles, combining Tuscan, Italian and Corinthian styles of architecture.
Gwalior trade fair was started in 1905 by Maharaj Madho Rao, king of Gwalior. It has become the biggest fair of Madhya Pradesh and, indeed, one of the most colorful fairs of the whole India.
Sun City is one of the biggest family entertainment centres of Madhya Pradesh.
Tansen's tomb: Gwalior is the birthplace of the world-famous musician Tansen. He was one of the nine gems of Akbar.
Gwalior Fort: Babar used to say about this fort that it is pearl among the fortress of India.[citation needed]
Roop Singh Stadium is a cricket ground. The stadium has hosted 10 ODI matches. Of the 10 matches played so far, the first one was that played between India and West Indies on 22 January 1988. Ground has flood lights and has hosted day-night encounters as well. One match of 1996 Cricket World Cup was also played on this ground between India and West Indies. On this ground, Sachin Tendulkar was the first person in Gwalior to achieve 200 runs in ODIs.
Zoo, famous for its unique collection of animals.
DD City Mall, one of the biggest malls of Madhya Pradesh. A multi-storied grand structure, it houses shops and showrooms of many national and international brands and has a number of eateries, and a multiplex Fun Cinemas. There are also some international and world-famous fast food restaurant like Domino's Pizza and McDonald's in DD City Mall.
Gwalior occupies a strategic location in the Gird region of India, and the city and its fortress have served as the center of several of North India's historic kingdoms. At present its strategic location is also marked by the presence of a major air base at Maharajpura. Gwalior is the administrative headquarters of Gwalior district and Gwalior division.
Contents [hide]
1 Origin of name
2 Demographics
3 Geography
4 Climate
5 Transportation infrastructure
5.1 Air
5.2 Railways
5.3 Roads
5.4 Local transport
5.5 History
6 Art and culture
6.1 Ahiri dance
6.2 Baredi or Yadav dance of Bundelkhand
6.3 Saharia dances
6.3.1 Lur dance of Saharias
6.3.2 Lanhgi dance of Saharias
6.3.3 Dul-Dul Ghori dance
6.4 Folk poets
6.5 Jagnik
7 Main festivals
8 Media and communication
8.1 Electronic media
8.2 Communication services
9 Areas of the city
9.1 The old town
9.2 Lashkar
9.3 Morar
9.4 Thatipur
10 Healthcare
11 Places of interest
12 See also
13 References
14 External links
[edit] Origin of name
According to local history, Gwalior owes its name to a sage of former times. The story goes that Suraj Sen, a prince of the Kachhwaha clan of the 8th century, had lost his way in the jungle. On a secluded hill he met an old man, Sage Gwalipa, whose influence almost took him by surprise. On asking the sage for some drinking water he was led to a pond. The pool waters not only quenched his thirst but cured him of leprosy as well. Out of gratefulness he wished to offer something in return to the sage and the sage asked him to build a wall on the hill in order to protect the other sages from wild animals that often disturbed their yagnas (pujas). Later Suraj Sen built a palace inside the fort. Thus came up the fort named Gwalior, and eventually the city that developed around it got its name.
[edit] Demographics
As of 2001[update] India census,[1] Gwalior had a population of 826,919. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Gwalior has an average literacy rate of 70%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 76%, and female literacy is 63%. In Gwalior, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age. Hindi and Marathi are the main languages spoken in Gwalior. There is a strong Marathi influence because of the Maratha rule.
[edit] Geography
Gwalior is located at 26°13′N 78°11′E / 26.22°N 78.18°E / 26.22; 78.18.[2] It has an average elevation of 197 metres (646 feet). Gwalior is a historic Indian city - is located on the periphery of Madhya Pradesh Stand 100 km (62 Miles) from Jhansi.
[edit] Climate
Gwalior
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D
17 237 8 2710 7 3316 2.6 3922 8.9 4227 78 4130 262 3527 313 3225 146 3324 43 3318 4.2 2912 7.7 247
average max. and min. temperatures in °C
precipitation totals in mm
source: IMD
[show]Imperial conversion
J F M A M J J A S O N D
0.6 7345 0.3 8050 0.3 9160 0.1 10272 0.4 10881 3.1 10585 10 9480 12 9078 5.8 9175 1.7 9265 0.2 8553 0.3 7645
average max. and min. temperatures in °F
precipitation totals in inches
Gwalior has a sub-tropical climate with hot summers from late March to early July, the humid monsoon season from late June to early October and a cool dry winter from early November to late February. The highest recorded temperature was 47oC and the lowest was -1oC.
Summers start in late March, and along with other cities like Nagpur and Delhi are among the hottest in India and the world. They peak in May and June with average daily temperatures being around 33-35oC (93-95oF) , and end in late June with the onset of the monsoon. Gwalior gets 970 mm (39 in) of rain every year, most of which is concentrated in the monsoon months from late June to early October. August is the wettest month with about 310 mm (12 in) of rain. Winter in Gwalior starts in late October, and is generally very mild with daily temperatures averaging in the 14-16oC (58-62oF) range, and mostly dry and sunny conditions. January is the coldest month with average lows in the 5-7oC range (40-45oF) and occasional cold snaps that plummet temperatures to close to freezing.
Gwalior can be visited from late October to early March without much discomfort, but the months from April to June should be avoided due to the extreme heat. The monsoon months see sustained, torrential rainfall and risk of disease, and should also generally be avoided.
[edit] Transportation infrastructure
The city is well connected by rail, road and air transport services.
[edit] Air
Gwalior's airport, about 8 km north-east of the city, is one of the major airports in Madhya Pradesh, equipped with almost all the amenities that are expected in a good airport.
Indian Airlines' regular Delhi-Jabalpur flight stops at Gwalior. Connections to other destinations in India via Delhi.
[edit] Railways
Gwalior Railway stationThe Gwalior Junction GWL is part of the Jhansi Division of the North Central Railways.
Gwalior's main station is one of the major commercial railway stations of the North Central Railway of Indian Railways, whose zonal headquarters is in Allahabad. The station has won awards from Indian Railways for clean infrastructure in 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1992. Express trains such as the Bhopal Express, Taj Express and Bhopal Shatabdi stop at Gwalior.
Gwalior is, perhaps, one of the few places where both narrow gauge and broad gauge railways tracks are still operational. The Gwalior narrow gauge track is the narrowest in India.
Gwalior is well connected by train services to all parts of the country, including 4 metros. There are direct trains to Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata (Howrah), Chennai, Trivandrum, Indore, Ahmedabad, Pune, Jammu, Lucknow, Bhopal and other major towns. Gwalior is the main station serving most of the important and long distance trains. There are two other stations within the city limits, named Gwalior Birla Nagar and Gwalior Sithouli. These stations interconnect to other stations and also serve the short distance trains connecting Gwalior to nearby towns and villages.
There are other narrow gauge stations within the city, named Gwalior Grasim Factory and Motijheel. Gwalior lies on the longest functional broad gauge line in India between Delhi and Mumbai.
[edit] Roads
Gwalior is fairly well connected to other parts of Madhya Pradesh and India with national and state highways. The Agra-Bombay national highway (NH3) passes through Gwalior, connecting it to Shivpuri on one end and Agra on the other. The city is connected to the Jhansi by the National Highway 75, towards the south of the city. In the Northern, the city is connected to the holy city of Mathura via National Highway 3. There are bus services to and from all major and minor cities near Gwalior, including Bhopal, Agra, Delhi, Jabalpur, Jhansi, Bhind, Morena, Datia, Jaipur and Indore.
[edit] Local transport
Road traffic in GwaliorGwalior's public transport system consists of tempos, horse-drawn tongas (which run fixed routes much like a bus system) and auto rickshaw taxis. Recently the municipal corporation has launched Gwalior City Bus covering some routes in the city.
The tempos and auto-rickshaws are often cited as a cause of pollution and road congestion, and the local government has plans to replace the tempos with vans that shall run on Liquefied Petroleum Gas. However, taken in itself, this solution ignores the congestion and pollution caused by private cars, which is far more significant especially considering that the impact of private cars is actually caused for the benefit of a very small section of the city's population.
[edit] History
In the 10th century it was taken by the Kachwaha Rajputs. Qutb-ud-din Aybak captured the city in 1196. Shamsud-din Altamsh took control of the area in 1232. By the 15th century the city had a noted singing school which was attended by Tansen. It first fell to the British in 1780, but was one of the cities taken during the Sepoy Rebellion.[3]
Today Gwalior includes the former city of Lashkar. Laskar was the capital of Gwalior state, one of the princely states of India during the British Raj. It then served as the capital of Madhya Bharat from 1950 to 1956.
At the heart of Gwalior is Gwalior Fort, built by Raja Man Singh Tomar, of the Tomar dynasty. This formidable structure was reputed to be one of the most invincible forts of India. It occupies an isolated rock outcrop. The hill is steepened to make it virtually unscalable and is surrounded by high walls which enclose buildings from several periods. The old town of Gwalior lies at the eastern base of the fortress. Lashkar, formerly a separate town that originated as a military camp, lies to the south, and Morar, also a formerly separate town, lies to the east. Gwalior, Lashkar and Morar are presently part of Gwalior Municipality.[citation needed]
Massive Gwalior Fort, popularly called the Gibraltar of India, overlooks the city. Emperor Babur reputedly described it as "the pearl in the necklace of the forts of Hind." This fort's architecture is unique. It shows Chinese influence on Indian architecture, as Chinese dragons have been crafted at the hilt of the pillars. This influence was because of trade between China and India during that period.
After the death of Sher Shah Suri in 1545, who was ruling the North India at that time, his son Islam Shah shifted his capital from Delhi to Gwalior and constructed 'Sher Shah Mandir' or Palace/Fort in the memory of his father Sher Shah Suri. Islam Shah operated from Gwalior till his death in 1553. Islam Shah had appointed the Hindu warrior 'Hemu' or Hemu Vikramaditya as his Prime Minister in Sher Shah Fort for the first time, who later on became the Vikramaditya king at Delhi and established 'Hindu Raj' in North India, by virtue of winning 22 battles continuously from Punjab to Bengal and defeating Akbar's army in Agra and Delhi on 6 October 1556. He is also known in history as Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya.
In the east of the city are two magnificent examples of early Mughal architecture: the mausoleum of the 16th century Sufi saint Ghous Mohammed and the tomb of Mian Tansen, a great singer and one of the 'Nine Jewels' of Emperor Akbar's court. Right next to them is the Gujari Mahal, built by Gujjar king Man Singh Tomar on demand of his consort Gujar princess "Mrignayani" (meaning having eyes like deer).[4]
Close to the heart of the city is splendid Jai Vilas Palace, patterned on the palace of Versailles; it combines Tuscan, Italian and Corinthian styles of architecture.
Rich in cultural heritage and architectural marvels, Gwalior has the added advantage of its proximity to Agra, the city of Taj Mahal; Khajuraho, the city of great temples; and Delhi, the national capital.
Historically and architecturally, Gwalior is interesting first as a very ancient seat of Jain worship; secondly for its example of palace architecture of the best Hindu period (1486–1516); and thirdly as an historic fortress. Many historical places are found near the Dabra-Bhitarwar Road. Prior to the founding of Gwalior the region was also known by its ancient name of Gopasetra. The great Apabhramsha poet Pandit Raighu lived in Gwalior. Gwalior had an institutional seat of the Bhattarakas of Kashtha Sangh and later Mula Sangh.
View from the summit of the Gwalior Fort showing the palace of the Maharajah of Scindia. circa 1882.According to history, the original fort of Gwalior was founded by the Bargujar Kings during the 34th/35th century of Kali yuga as per puranas available with them. His palace is the most interesting example of early Hindu work of its class in India. Another palace of even greater extent was added to this in 1516. The Mughal emperors Jahangir and Shah Jahan added palaces to these two, the whole making a group of edifices unequalled for picturesqueness and interest by anything of their class in central India. Among the apartments in the palace was the celebrated chamber, named the Baradari, supported on 12 columns, and 45 ft (15 m) square, with a stone roof, forming one of the most beautiful palace-halls in the world. It was, besides, singularly interesting from the expedients to which the Hindu architect was forced to resort to imitate the vaults of the Muslims. Of the buildings, however, which so excited the admiration of the first Mughal emperor Babur, probably little now remains.
Jai Vilas Palace in Lashkar is a marvellous palace museum, part of which is open to the public and gives a glimpse into the life of the royal family. The Fort area is also home of the Scindia School, a well-regarded institution founded by the late Maratha Maharaja Madhavraoji Shinde of Gwalior in 1897.
Teli ka Mandir owes the name from Teli meaning oil dealer at whose expense it was built during the reign of the King Mihira Bhoja of the Pratihara Dynasty. It is the loftiest temple among all the buildings in Gwalior fort with probable height of 30m. The temple consists of a garbagriha, that is sanctum proper for the main deity, and an antarala to enter into the temple. It can be approached by a flight of steps provided on the eastern side. The most striking feature of the temple is the wagon-vaulted roof which is Dravidian in style and rarely found in North India, but the decorative details are similar to Indo-Aryan types of North Indian temples. The exterior walls of the temple are richly decorated with sculptures which were damaged by the Mughals. Faces and especially noses of the sculptures were cut of or damaged. There may be various reasons for this; the Mughals were jealous of the perfectly proportioned sculptures or that their religion was against idol worship. The temple thus shows the amalgamation of the North and South Indian temple architectural features. It does not have any dated history but according to style can be assigned to 9th century A.D. Two Mandapikas (pillared rooms) and an entrance gateway on the eastern side of the temple are later additions of the British period by Major Keith in 1881.
Teli-ka-MandirA striking part of the Jain remains at Gwalior is a series of caves or rock-cut sculptures, excavated in the rock on all sides, and numbering nearly a hundred, great and small. Most of them are mere niches to contain statues, though some are cells that may have been originally intended for residences. According to inscriptions, they were all excavated within a short period of about thirty-three years, between 1441 and 1474. One of the colossal figures is 57 ft (17 m) high, taller than any other in northern India.
Gwalior fort also has the Gurudwara Data Bandi built in the memory of the sixth Sikh Guru Har Gobind. This Gurudwara is particularly large and grand, built entirely of marble with coloured glass decorating the main building. Recital of the Guru Granth Sahib creates a peaceful and sacred atmosphere. Mughal kings used to visit Gwalior regularly.
[edit] Art and culture
Gwalior is a well acknowledged place of art, associated with historic as well as contemporary evidence. In August 2005 a mural created by Aasutosh Panigrahi and five other artists was acknowledged as World's Largest Indoor Mural by the Guinness Book of Records.
Gwalior holds an unparalleled reputation in Sangeet. Greatest ever classical singer (Dhrupadiya) was Baijnath Prasad alias Baiju Bawra, who lived in Gwalior for his whole life under the patronage of Man Singh. Baiju was born in Chanderi and was cremated there only, got the training of music in Brindaban under great Swami Guru Haridas ji. He was Court Musician of Gwalior along with Nayak Charju, Bakshu, and others.
Tansen, born in Behat, trained in music at Vrindavan, served Raja Ramchandra Waghela of Bandhawgarh, then went to Agra under the patronage of Akbar. After the death of Tansen in Fatehpur Sikri and cremation in Agra, the ashes were buried in Gwalior. Tansen Samaroh is held every year in Gwalior.
Ustad Natthu Khan, Hassu Khan, Haddu Khan, Nissar Hussain, Rehmat Khan, Shankarrao Vishnu Pandit, Ramkrishna Buwa Vaze, Rajabhaiyya Poonchhwale, Krishnarao Pandit, lived here and spread the magic of music. Renowned artiste Mrs. Malini Rajurkar, who is keeping the flame of Hindustani music alive today, also belongs to Gwalior.
Sarod Maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan is also from the royal city of Gwalior. His grandfather Ghulam Ali Khan Bangash became a court musician in Gwalior.
Now, one of the great Hindustani classical singers, Dr. Ishwar Chandra Karkare who is fourth generation of artists poets and musician family, lives here and his classical music is full of spiritual joyousness.
Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, the conference on Marathi Literature were held once in Gwalior city. It was presided by President of the Conference writer Kusumavati Deshpande (and wife of Kavi Anil) in 1961. She was the first female president of the annual Sammelan since its inception in 1878.
Culturally Gwalior is the confluence of two rich cultures Bundeli and Braj. Bundelkhand covers Gwalior, Bhind, Morena, Sagar, Shivpuri, Guna, Sheopur and adjoining areas.
[edit] Ahiri dance
This dance is related to people who have traditionally been in the business of cattle herding. In different parts of the state these people are known by different castes such as Ahir, Baredi, Gwal, Rawat, Raut, Gwala etc. These people believe that they are descendants of Krishna.
[edit] Baredi or Yadav dance of Bundelkhand
This dance has been associated with Diwali, the biggest Hindu festival. On the night of Diwali people worship Laxmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and cattle. Next day, on the occasion of "Padva" or "Parva", cattle are sent to jungles or ranches after being decorated with flowers and garlands. They are given special dishes as food. Yadav dance is performed on the same occasion.
Dancers dance in a circular path while singing songs. Sometimes they sit or lie down on earth and suddenly they restart their dance. Rhythm of the song is very low in starting and increases with time. Music instruments are started only when two lines of the song are finished. Primarily these are two line couplets. Sometimes these are in form of questions and answers. This dance continues till Kartik Purnima.
Dress, dancers, instrument beaters and their associates wear a clean turban on head. Some people like to put on Dhoti up to knees (long cloth wore by men enwrapping their waist). Some people specially dancers wear colorful shorts. Dancers also keep bunch of peacock feathers.
Music instruments including mradang, dholak, ramtula, dhapli, manzira, jhanz are used in this dance.
[edit] Saharia dances
Saharias are tribal people who live in jungles. They work in farms and also collect medicinal plants from jungles. There are several dances of Saharias. Some of the important ones are: Lur Dance, Lanhgi Dance, Dul-Dul Ghodi Dance, Raya Dance, Ada-Khada Dance.
[edit] Lur dance of Saharias
This dance is performed on the occasion of marriage starting from the day of ritual of "Haldi" (In this ritual whole body is pasted with turmeric and after sometime it is removed so the body is cleaned) till the arrival of Barat (Bridegroom comes to the house of the bride with his relatives and friends for marriage ceremony).
[edit] Lanhgi dance of Saharias
This dance is also known as Danda (baton) dance because Saharias dance with small batons in their hands with which they strike at each other and perform Lanhgi dance. Only men are allowed in it. This dance is performed on the occasion of Bhujarias, Teja ji puja and Aekadashi etc.
[edit] Dul-Dul Ghori dance
This dance is performed on the occasion of marriage by males. In this dance a hollow case of ghori (mare) is prepared of bamboo sticks. The dancer stands in the hollow place and dances. (depicts various movements of mare) There is also a joker in women clothing. People sing folk songs during the dance.
[edit] Folk poets
[edit] Jagnik
Jagnik was a folk poet of 11th-12th century. At that time some poets used to write biographies of folk warriors. These biographies were called "Raso". Jagnik wrote "Parmal raso" which is based on bravery of Chandel Raja Parmal and "Alha Khan" Which contains the description of 52 battles fought by Bundeli war heroes Alha and Oodal (in the army of chandel king Parmal). The style of singing alha khand has a unique distinction and it is very popular in the region. Dholak, timaki, jhinka, and majira are its musical instruments. People who sing alha are called "Alhet". Lalloo vajpayi is a very famous alhet.
[edit] Main festivals
All national festivals, Diwali, Holi, Makara Sankranti, Eid-ul-Fitr, Rakhi and other local ones like Nag-Panchmi, Ahilya Utsav, Ganesh Utsav, Gudi Padwa (Marathi new year), Navratri, Dussehara, Durga Puja are celebrated with equal enthusiasm. Last decade has seen a rise in celebration of events like Valentine's Day, Rose Day and New Year's Eve.
Gwalior also celebrates Rang Panchami quite differently. This festival is celebrated five days after Dulendi or Holi. This is also celebrated like Dulendi, but colors are mixed with water and then either sprinkled or poured on others.
Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated in a unique way in Gwalior city. People of Gwalior arrange a carnival of floats (known as "Jhanki" in local Hindi language) in various places of city.
Makar Sankrant is a 'Kite Festival' on 14 January each year; people fly kites and compete to cut each other's kites in sky.
[edit] Media and communication
Local media in Gwalior is strong and flourishes. There are a number of newspapers, magazines, local TV stations. Dainik Bhaskar is one of the oldest newspaper publication and most widely read newspaper.
Other popular newspapers published in Gwalior are Raj Express, Dainik Madhya Raj, Nav Bharat, Swadesh, Naidunia, Dainik Jagran, People's Samachar.
Evening newspaper : Sandhya Samachaar
[edit] Electronic media
The radio industry has expanded with a number of private FM channels being introduced. The FM radio channels that broadcast in the city Big FM (92.7 MHz), Radio chaska FM (95 MHz), My FM (94.3 MHz), Raseela (91.9 MHz), fever(104). State-owned Doordarshan transmits two terrestrial television channels. The city has local TV stations from various companies. Major local channels are either by Hathway win, Harsh Networks etc.
[edit] Communication services
Gwalior is covered by a large network of optical fibre cables. There are three fixed telephone line operators in the city: BSNL, Reliance and Airtel. There are six mobile phone companies in which GSM players include BSNL, Reliance, Vodafone, Idea, Airtel, Tata DoCoMo; CDMA services offered by BSNL, Virgin Mobile, Tata Indicom and Reliance.
[edit] Areas of the city
[edit] The old town
The old town of Gwalior, commonly called Hazira, which is of considerable size but irregularly built, lies at the eastern base of the rock. It contains the tomb of the Sufi saint Khwaja Khanoon & Mahommed Ghaus, erected during the early part of Mughal emperor Akbar’s reign, and the tomb of Mian Tansen, a great singer and one of the 'Nine Jewels' of Akbar's court. A town called by his name Ghauspura situated near the tomb of Mohaommed Ghaus.
Close to the heart of the city is splendid Jai Vilas Palace, patterned on the French palace of Versailles. The town has a museum situated in the Gujari Mahal.
[edit] Lashkar
The name of Lashkar is a Persian word meaning 'army' or 'camp', as this was originally the camp, and later the permanent capital, of the Scindia dynasty of Gwalior state. Jayaji Chowk is the central focus of Lashkar, with a large square, a former opera house, banks, tea, coffee and juice stands and a municipal market building. Thriving bazaars surround the chowk.
Many jewellery shops are situated near Jayaji Chowk aka Maharaj bada. A source of water for the city is Tighra Dam, built on Saank river 20 km north of here. The Gajra Raja Medical College, founded in 1946 by the Maharaja Jiwaji Rao Scindia and the Maharani Vijayaraje Scindia, is situated in Lashkar on Palace Road, near Katora Taal, together with a group of many hospitals.
Gwalior Fort[edit] Morar
Morar, formerly a separate town, lies three miles (5 km) east of the old city. It was formerly a British military cantonment. Morar was the scene of the most serious uprising in Central India. By 1900 it had become a centre for local trade and had an important training industry, with a population of 19,179 in 1901.
The second Temple of the Sun in India is situated in Morar at Residency Road after The Konark Sun Temple. This Sun Temple was built by the Aditya Birla Trust.
The cantonment area makes up a large area of Morar which is official residences for the Indian Army. It has many canteens for Army personnel. Saint Paul's School is nearby.
Morar is generally a rural farming town. There is a big Galla Mandi. There are some beautiful places in Morar also and the area is known as the green part of Gwalior because much of the area is still rural. There is a air force area in the region called Pinto Park. It is very peaceful area. A Sai Mandir is there in Pinto park Gayatri Vihar Colony.
[edit] Thatipur
Thatipur is said to have got its name from a state army unit no 34 (thirty four) which used to be here. Gandhi road divides the Thatipur area into two. On going along the road, one enters Morar at one end and Balwant Nagar on the other.
It primarily consists of Darpan Colony, the government blocks and Suresh Nagar. The places of mention are the Dwarikadhish Mandir, bhagwan colony, the Chauhan Pyau, Petrol Pump, Ramkrishna Aashram, Gayatri Vihar, mayur market etc. Jiwaji University also located in this area & City Center and Balwant Nagar most Poss Colonies.
[edit] Healthcare
Gwalior is prominent for its health care facilities with leading hospitals and pharmaceutical companies. The prominent hospitals of Gwalior include Gajraraja Medical College and associated J.A. Hospital, Kamla Raja Hospital, Sahara Hospital, Bidla Hospital, Cancer Hospital & Research Institute and many other good private doctor clinics. Cancer Hospital & Research Institute is nationally acclaimed medical center in Oncology.
[edit] Places of interest
Maharaj Bada is the biggest and most important market of Gwalior. Seven ancient buildings of different architecture like Italian, Russian, Mughal, Rajputi, Chinese etc. can be viewed.
Tomb of Rani Lakshmibai, a famous freedom fighter, at Phoolbag area.
Vivswaan Mandir (Surya mandir), made by Ghanshyam Das Birla in 1986, an excellent example of architecture. This temple is just similar to konark's sun temple.
Jai vilas Palace, close to the heart of the city; patterned on the Palace of Versailles, combining Tuscan, Italian and Corinthian styles of architecture.
Gwalior trade fair was started in 1905 by Maharaj Madho Rao, king of Gwalior. It has become the biggest fair of Madhya Pradesh and, indeed, one of the most colorful fairs of the whole India.
Sun City is one of the biggest family entertainment centres of Madhya Pradesh.
Tansen's tomb: Gwalior is the birthplace of the world-famous musician Tansen. He was one of the nine gems of Akbar.
Gwalior Fort: Babar used to say about this fort that it is pearl among the fortress of India.[citation needed]
Roop Singh Stadium is a cricket ground. The stadium has hosted 10 ODI matches. Of the 10 matches played so far, the first one was that played between India and West Indies on 22 January 1988. Ground has flood lights and has hosted day-night encounters as well. One match of 1996 Cricket World Cup was also played on this ground between India and West Indies. On this ground, Sachin Tendulkar was the first person in Gwalior to achieve 200 runs in ODIs.
Zoo, famous for its unique collection of animals.
DD City Mall, one of the biggest malls of Madhya Pradesh. A multi-storied grand structure, it houses shops and showrooms of many national and international brands and has a number of eateries, and a multiplex Fun Cinemas. There are also some international and world-famous fast food restaurant like Domino's Pizza and McDonald's in DD City Mall.