During your holiday in this authentic destination of Gwalior,
exuberant attractions one can traverse are all turfed in its ground.
Here, the eyes can’t help but look at the grand Gwalior Fort, which is
beautifully decorated with turquoise fortifying walls. That’s not all,
in this tourist destination, all the places you can visit are
well-maintained with a collection that is of historic significance.
Also, if time permits, a short drive off Gwalior, visiting the Tighra
Dam couldn’t get any better and a refreshing change of scenario.
Nonetheless, to make your tour in Gwalior simply stupendous, we have
mentioned a few not to miss attractions in our blog here.
Gwalior Fort (of course!)
The fort can be massive with many attractions inside the complex, so we thought of selecting a few interesting must see.
The
star attraction in Gwalior is the fort itself, so massive, you can see
it from all corners of the city. This hilltop fort is a must-see place,
and if you are planning to visit here, better plan a whole day tour
because inside you can find a series of attractions. Ideally, tourists
enter from the Qila Gate (Gwalior Gate) heading straight towards the
fort, and for better exploration you can head north-east and visit the
mahals like Karan, Vikram, Jahangir and Gujari (Gujari Mahal also has an
archaeological museum). Here, another classy place to see is Bheem
Singh Rana Ki Chhatri. Other interesting must see are Chaturbhuj Temple,
Man Singh Palace, Assi Khambon Ki Baori and most importantly Gwalior
Fort Viewpoint, from where on a clear day, expect to get panoramic view
of the city. As you exit from the Urvai Gate located on the south-west,
you can stop and explore cave temples of Siddhachal Jain Temple and
Shree Mata Trishala Atishay Kshetra.
Gujari Mahal Archaeological Museum
An
archaeological museum located inside the fort complex is one of the
must visit places, especially if you are a history buff. This
15th-century Gujari Mahal, though in ruins, offers an interesting
insight into the history of the kingdom in Gwalior, and thus is an ideal
place for educational tours. The primal things to see in this museum
are the sculptures dating back to 1st or 2nd century B.C, archeological
discoveries like Terracotta items and Bagh cave frescoes as well as the
statue of Salabhanjika. During your exploration in Gujari Mahal, you can
also come across a large collection of popular images of Bagh Cave
paintings and also photographs of nearly 75 years old Mandu and Dhar
areas.
Teli Ka Mandir
An
impressive element about this pilgrimage site is perhaps its attractive
and classy architecture and the detailed artwork of the temple; you can
see all that when you visit the Gwalior Fort complex. This Hindu temple
is the tallest in the fort with an architecture amalgamation of the
northern and southern styles. It is said to be as tall as about 100 feet
and it resembles the temple of Pratihara Vishnu, as a matter of fact,
Teli Ka Mandir is a temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. However, the temple
is also adorned with structures of river goddesses, amorous couples,
coiled serpents and the famed vehicle of Lord Vishnu making it an
important place for religious tourism in Gwalior.
As a budget
traveller, we wish to find attractions closeby, so we can see everything
without spending much in transportation, right? Well, here are a few
best places you can visit and make a day of it.
From your hotel, you can make your first pitstop at the Gwalior Zoo
For
those who like wildlife tours, do make a quick stop at the Gwalior Zoo
or Gandhi Zoological Park for you can find some exotic species of
animals here. This zoo is one of the best places to visit in Gwalior to
see white tigers. These beautiful but rather ferocious big cats are the
main crowd pullers but also other animals here that can quickly catch
the attention of the visitors are the golden pheasants, black bucks,
various serpents, hyena, sambhar, bisons and deer. A time spent in this
protected site for animals will offer immense pleasure and perhaps it
can be an ideal destination to visit for kids during family holiday.
After wildlife exploration, make the next door located Moti Mahal your second pitstop
A
900 metre walk pass Italian Gardens can take you to another famous and
grand attraction, Moti Mahal. A 19th-century palace which was once the
secretariat of Madhya Bharat Government, Moti garden flaunts colourful
flowers and an extensive work of fountains. Though in a dilapidated
condition, it is one of the tourism places that still beautifully
displays its tempera coloured walls graced by mosaic mythological
paintings of darbars and processions. In fact, Moti Mahal has close
similarities to that of Pune’s Peshwa Palaces.
At a leisure walking distance, visit the third pitstop at Jai Vilas Palace
The
next place to visit is located at a mere 650 metre walking distance
from Moti Mahal. Jai Vilas Palace is one of the must visit places in
Gwalior and it is here, you can explore its few in-house attractions. As
you reach your destination, en route stop and admire the Rani Mahal
Palace. This palace Jai Vilas Palace also houses H.H. Maharaja Jiwaji
Rao Scindia Museum, which treasures the personal belongings of Scindia
family. Perhaps, this museum is perfect for educational purposes to
study the art, history and culture of the Maratha Dynasty. Besides, the
palace’s European style architecture adorned with the largest
chandeliers found in Asia is worth given time to witness.
Lastly, you can make you fourth pitstop at Amma Maharaj Ki Chathri
About
a kilometre walk from Jai Vilas Palace, you will reach Amma Maharaj Ki
Chathri. It is a pleasant and lovely lush garden with acres of planted
trees and floral ambience, and here you can find a Chhatri (Cenotaph) of
the late Madhavrao Scindia. It is a calm place to for afternoon
exploration. It has to be noted that it was at Amma Maharaj Ki Chhatri
where the people of Gwalior visited to attend late Maharaja’s funeral,
also, Congress president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, and later the Prime
Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee has attended the funeral on October
1st, 2001)
Other interesting places in Gwalior that you can visit in a two days tour are listed below.
Tomb of Mohammad Ghaus
Amongst
the many points of tourist interest to visit, the tomb of the
16th-century Sufi saint, Mohammad Ghaus is another enchanting place to
explore. Mohammad Ghaus was an advisor of King Babur and a music teacher
of Tansen. The tomb reveals an elegant style of Mughal architecture
with hexagonal pavilions and stone carvings which provide an exquisite
and rusty appeal.
Also Read: Most Visited Tourist Attractions in Bhopal
Tansen Tomb
Located
just a few countable footsteps from the resplendent tomb of Mohammad
Ghaus, you can visit another smaller yet charming memorial of Tansen. He
was a renowned Mughal singer and a musician much loved by Akbar, the
Mughal emperor. Here, its serene and quiet ambience is much appreciated
by nature lovers, and the best time to visit is during sunrise and
sunsets, ideally during sundays.
Sun Temple
Sun
Temple or Surya Mandir is definitely one of the top tourist
destinations to visit in the whole of Madhya Pradesh. Constructed in the
year 1988, this structure possesses the style of the famous Sun Temple
of Konark in Odisha. Amongst the many heritage attractions in Gwalior,
this very site is thronged by several pilgrims and tourists. The
temple’s captivating red sandstone exterior adds charm, offering a
picture-perfect image especially during sunrise and sunsets. Here, Lord
Surya’s sculpture can also be seen with white marble interiors and
marvelous work of art. People are often seen admiring its structure and
simply strolling through the temple, certainly a must visit attraction
while in Gwalior.
Sarod Ghar
Besides
fort & palaces, travellers who are music enthusiasts can visit the
Sarod Ghar which is a museum of music, and it treasures all sorts of
musical instruments. However, the best part about the museum is that, it
is set up in the ancestral house of Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan, the legendary
musician. While here, you can see the collection of age-old photographs
as well as ancient musical instruments. Basically, Sarod Ghar’s main
aim is to conserve the classical music and culture and a visit here will
definitely take you back to those soulful times.
Patankar and Sarafa Bazaar
Perhaps
the best things to do after sightseeing tour around the city is street
shopping or exploring hanging out with friends, and for this, Patankar
and Sarafa Bazaar are the places to be at. This market offers a
collection of chic and varieties of locally made products. Here you can
find a collection of exquisite handicraft products, beautiful stone
carvings, traditional handloom products and artifacts. In this
high-arched market structure, you can also come across a mixture of
products such as traditional clothes and shoes, luggage, cloth bags and a
plethora of colourful textiles. Also, when hunger strikes, Patankar and
Sarafa Bazaar has a number of mouthwatering eateries- sweet Imarti
anyone?
For a rather offbeat vacation feel…take a short drive to nearby attraction of Gwalior
Padmavati Pawaya
There
are a melange places to travel to near Gwalior, and one such pilgrimage
destination is Padmavati Pawaya. This historically rich place is filled
with tall mansions and temples filled with several Sanskrit texts. Also
while here, you can see rare antiquities, and among the many found
here, the image of Yaksha Manibhadra is a popular one. Besides that,
another must see thing here is the collection of their terracotta. It
beautifully symbolizes the art of Naga and Gupta, and in order to see
different kinds of terracotta, you can visit the Gujari Mahal in
Padmavati Pawaya, which is located around 60 km from Gwalior and it is
open all day from 7:00am to 6:00pm.
Tighra Dam
Amongst
the top places to visit, Tighra Dam is one riveting site that offers
visitors a sense of freedom and the best place to indulge in a boating
activity. This dam is located 23 km from the city of Gwalior and it has
gained a lot of popularity. While the surrounding of the dam also offers
an excellent place for family picnic trips it also has a boating club
here. You can partake in adventure activities like speed boating, paddle
boating, jalpari boat and water scooty rides. Besides, how can one
resist the serenity and the picturesque sight of the dam and surrounding
area, truly a worth-visiting place off-route Gwalior.
Madhav National Park
Although the city of Gwalior has an inhouse animal refuge called the Gwalior Zoo, you can visit Madhav National Park,
if you are looking for a more realistic and wildlife holiday
experience. This is amongst the best holiday places in Gwalior located
in Shivpuri district, here, you can come find serenity and peace amid
wild species and their dense forested home. The animals you can
encounter while here are blackbuck, nilgai, leopard, chausingha,
chinkara and several others animals. Also, the domestic and migratory
birds you can see flocking are geese pintail, mallard, gadwall, Indian
pond heron, kingfisher and red wattled lapwing. Another interesting
feature of this national park are its stunning monuments that are
associated with Gwalior’s history.
