Gwalior is a legendary city, with a very interesting and colourful past.
It is a city which remembers its kings, poets, singers and saints with
pride, and preserves every monument of its historical and cultural heritage,
with utmost care. Gwalior was established in 8th century A.D., and has
been named after Saint Gwalipa, a hermit who had cured Suraj Sen, the king
of Gwalior, of leprosy, by offering him water from the Suraj Kund or the
Sun Tank located within the Gwalior fort.
The city of Gwalior is dominated by the hill - top fort , the history
of which goes back over 1000 years. During this period of 1000 years, Gwalior
fort has been annexed by many rulers, including the Tomars, Mughals, Marathas
and the Britishers. In the early 19th century, the fort was passed on to
the Scindias. The fort has been a mute witness to some of the final and
most dramatic events of the Mutiny, in mid 1858. Rani of Jhansi, the heroine
of the Indian independence, was killed here during the final assault on
the fort in 1858.
The Gwalior fort, rising about 100 metres above the ground, sprawls
over a length of about three kilometres. The width of the fort also varies
between one kilometre and 200 metres at different places. The mighty sandstone
walls of the fort encompass about six palaces, three temples, and several
water tanks. The tourist can have a magnificent view from the fort walls,
over the old city of Gwalior.
Best time to visit
The best time to visit is between September and April.
Access
By Air:Airline connections from Gwalior are available to Delhi, Mumbai, Indore
and Bhopal.
By Rail: It is connected to Delhi and Agra by The Taj Express and Shatabdi
Express. It is on the Central Railway's main Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Madras
lines.
By Road:Regular bus service is also available to the cities of Agra, Mathura,
Jaipur, Delhi, Lucknow, Bhopal, Indore, Jhansi and Khajuraho.
Accomodation
The good hotels to stay are :
- Hotel Tansen
- (Tel: +91-761-340370/71)
- Hotel Usha Kiran Palace
- (Tel: 323993, Fax: 321103)
- Hotel Gwalior Regency
- (Tel: 329516)
- Hotel Midway
- (Tel: 320316)
- Hotel Meghdoot
- (Tel: 327374)
- Hotel Fortview
- (Tel: 323409)
- Hotel Grace
- (Tel: 326111)
