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GWALIOR FORT, GWALIOR
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.
How to get there
Airline connections from Gwalior are available to Delhi, Mumbai,
Indore and Bhopal. 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. Regular bus service
is also available to the cities of Agra, Mathura, Jaipur,
Delhi, Lucknow, Bhopal, Indore, Jhansi and Khajuraho.
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