The history of the city of Gwalior, located in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, dates back to the 8th century. According to legend, it was founded by the local ruler Suray Sen, who was healed of leprosy by the holy hermit Gwalipa. In memory of this event, Suray Sen founded a city on a high mountain and named it after the hermit - Gwalior.
History of Fort Gwalior
Today's Gwalior "slid" from the top of the mountain a long time ago and settled down at its foot. The only monument to the early history of the city is the famous fort crowning a steep 100-meter-high hill dominating the surrounding area.
The famous Mughal conqueror Babur called the Gwalior Fort "the pearl of India."
Gwalior is one of the most powerful Indian fortresses. The length of its walls, composed of large blocks of sandstone, is about 3 kilometers, the height is up to 10 m. Following all the windings of the edge of the hill, the walls of the fortress form an irregular curvilinear figure in plan, the maximum width of which is a kilometer, and the minimum width is 200 m.
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Fort Gwalior is a witness to many tumultuous events in Indian history. Under its walls, bloody battles were repeatedly played out from hand to hand.
In 1398 the rulers of the Tomar dynasty made Gwalior their residence. The construction of several magnificent palaces outside the walls of the fort belongs to this period.
In 1518 the fort was taken by the Muslim army led by Ibrahim Lodi, and a few years later - by Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty.
In 1754 the fort passed into the hands of the Maratha princes, and at the beginning of the 19th century. - to the rajas from the Skindian dynasty, which nominally continues to belong to this day.
During the Sipai uprising of 1857-1858. Fort Gwalior was one of the main centers of resistance to the British and in the summer of 1858 was taken by storm by British troops. During this assault, the heroine of the uprising, Jhansi Rani, was killed, in memory of whom a memorial was erected in Gwalior.
Fort Gwalior architecture
The ensemble of Fort Gwalior is unmatched in the architecture of India. In addition to the fortress, it includes three temples and six palaces, most of which are in ruins.
These ancient walls remember great conquerors and rulers, famous poets, singers and saints. This outstanding monument of the historical and cultural heritage of India is now under protection, and its destroyed buildings are gradually being restored.
One of the features of Fort Gwalior is the diversity of time and style of its buildings, which nevertheless form an unusually picturesque and enchanting ensemble. A winding road, climbing the hillside, leads to the gate of the citadel. Already on this path, the first encounter with the wonders of Gwalior awaits: this is a complex of monumental Jain sculptures created in the 15th century. and depicting Bahubali - one of the revered teachers in Jainism.
The statues are carved from monolithic stone blocks, some are carved directly from rock ledges. The largest of the sculptures is 17 meters high.
Temples of Gwalior are among the oldest buildings on the territory of the fortress.
The Teli Ka Mandir temple dedicated to Vishnu dates back to the 10th century. This is the tallest structure in Gwalior, its height is 95 m. The temple is distinguished by a bizarre interweaving of various architectural traditions: weddings are more characteristic of ancient Dravidian temples, while the sculptures decorating the walls bear the features of Indo-Iranian art. A huge sculptural image of the sacred bird Garuda soared up above the central portal.
Another temple, Sas Bahu Ka Mandir, also dedicated to Vishnu, was built by the ruler Mahipala at the beginning of the 11th century.
Sights of Fort Gwalior
The main buildings of the fort are associated with the name of Raja Man Singh from the Tomar dynasty, who came to the throne in 1486.
Taking as his wife the Gujarati princess Mrignayani ("Deer-eyed"), he specially built for her in 1486-1517. luxurious Gujari palace - Mahal. Today, this palace, which has already lost its former splendor of decoration, but has retained its beautiful architecture, houses the Archaeological Museum, where, in particular, a huge number of Hindu and Jain sculptures are exhibited.
At the beginning of the XV century. Man Singh built another palace for his beloved wife - Man Mandir, which was originally a music pavilion. Here the Rajah's wives were taught music lessons, concerts and festivities were held here. The outer walls of the palace are unusually lavishly decorated with mosaics of bright blue, green and yellow glazed tiles depicting flowers, animals and birds.
The interiors of the palace, unfortunately, have practically lost their design, only in some places filigree carvings have survived, decorating architectural details and testifying to the former beauty of the palace halls. Once upon a time, under their arches sounded the enchanting voice of the legendary Tang Xena - the favorite singer and musician of Shah Akbar the Great, who called Tang Xena one of the nine precious stones of his reign.
The magnificent garden, which houses the tomb of the great musician, is today the venue for a music festival that takes place annually in Gwalior in November-December.
As cheerful and cheerful the Man Mandir palace looked, so dark and bloody were its dungeons, which were used as a prison. Here the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb threw his brother Murad, who was later killed in the underground dungeon of Gwalior.
Several reservoirs for water and springs have survived on the territory of the fort, one of which is called the "Solar Key". According to legend, it was his water that healed Suray Sen, the founder of the city, who was sick with leprosy.
Another historical monument - the mausoleum of Gauya Muhammad - reminds of the times of Islamic conquests: according to legend, it was Gauya Muhammad, the Afghan prince who became a Sufi, who helped Babur capture Gwalior.
Rarely is there another such place in India where legends, history and art of the most diverse peoples, religions and eras would be intertwined in one motley ball.
This is probably why Gwalior is one of the most visited cities in India today.