Gwalior (
HindiStandard Hindi, also known as High Hindi, Nagari Hindi or Literary Hindi is a standardised register of Hindi. It is one of the 22 languages with official status in India, and is used, along with English, for administration of the central government.Standard Hindi is a sanskritised register derived...
: ग्वालियर ) ( Marathi:ग्वाल्हेर ), is a city in
Madhya PradeshMadhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal. Madhya Pradesh was originally the largest state in India until November 1, 2000 when the state of Chhattisgarh was carved out...
in
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
. It lies 76 miles (122 km) south of
AgraAgra is a city on the banks of the Yamuna River in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It finds mention in the epic Mahābhārata where it was called Agrevaṇa , or 'the border of the forest'. Legend ascribes the founding of the city to Rājā Badal Singh , whose fort, Badalgarh, stood on or...
and has a population of over 1.2 million. Gwalior was the Capital City of Great Maratha Sardar (Knight) & Warrior Maharaja Shrimant Madhavraoji Shinde - Sawstant Gwalior. The Gwalior metropolitan area is the 46th most populated area in the country.
Gwalior occupies a strategic location in the
GirdGird is a region of Madhya Pradesh state in central India. It includes the districts of Bhind, Gwalior, Morena, Sheopur, and Shivpuri. Gwalior is the largest city in the region, and its historic center.The Chambal and Yamuna rivers form the northwestern and northern boundaries of the region...
region of
North IndiaNorth India is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage. The dominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from Tibet and Central Asia...
, and the city and its fortress have served as the center of several of North India's historic kingdoms. At present also its strategic location is marked by the presence of major air base at Maharajpura. Gwalior is the administrative headquarters of
Gwalior districtGwalior District is in Madhya Pradesh state in central India. The historic city of Gwalior is its administrative headquarters. Other cities/ towns in this district are Antari, Bhitarwar, Bilaua, Dabra, Morar Cantonment, Pichhore, and Tekanpur....
and
Gwalior divisionGwalior Division is an administrative subdivision of Madhya Pradesh state in central India. It includes the districts of Ashoknagar, Datia, Guna, Gwalior, and Shivpuri...
.
Origin of name
Gwalior's history is traced back to a legend in 8th century AD when a chieftain known as Suraj Sen or Surya Sen a
KachwahaThe Kuchwaha are a Suryavanshi Rajput clan who ruled a number of kingdoms and princely states in India such as Alwar, Maihar, Talcher, while the largest kingdom was Jaipur...
RajputA Rajput is a member of one of the major Hindu Kshatriya groups of India. They enjoy a reputation as formidable soldiers and it is common to find many of them serving in the Indian Armed Forces. The British Government also accepted them and recruited them heavily into their armies...
was struck by a deadly disease and cured by a hermit-saint GWALIPA. As a gratitude for that incidence, he founded this city by his name.
Demographics
India
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
, 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.
Geography
Gwalior is located at . It has an average elevation of 197 metres (646 feet).
Gwalior is a historical Indian city - is located on the periphery of Madhya Pradesh State, 321 km (199.5 Miles) from Delhi and 100 km (62 Miles) from Jhansi.
Climate
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 47
oC and the lowest was -1
oC.
Summers start in late March, and along with other cities like
NagpurNāgpur is a city in the state of Maharashtra. It is the largest city in central India. It is also the third largest city by population in the state of Maharashtra. Nagpur UA with a population of around 2,420,000; is the 13
th largest urban conglomeration in India and 114
th...
and
DelhiThe climate of Delhi is a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate with high variation between summer and winter temperatures and precipitation...
are among the hottest in
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
and the world. They peak in May and June with average daily temperatures being around 33-35
oC (93-95
oF) , and end in late June with the onset of the
monsoonA pennis is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by seasonal changes in precipitation, but now is used to describe seasonal changes atmospheric circulation and precipitation The major monsoon systems of the world consist of the African and Asia-Australian monsoons...
. 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 380 mm (15 in) of rain. Winter in Gwalior starts in late October, and is generally very mild with daily temperatures averaging in the 14-16
oC (58-62
oF) range, and mostly dry and sunny conditions. January is the coldest month with average lows in the 5-7
oC range (40-45
oF) 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, they should also generally be avoided.
Transportation infrastructure
The city is well connected via rail, road and air transport services.
Air
Air DeccanKingfisher Red, known formerly as Simplifly Deccan and prior to that as Air Deccan, is a low-cost airline run by Kingfisher Airlines. It is headquartered in Bangalore, India....
to and from
DelhiDelhi, known locally as Dilli , and also by the official name National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest metropolis by population in India...
,
IndoreIndore is the largest city and commercial capital of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh . It is also known as The City of Holkars. The city was built by a holkar, Rani Ahilya Bai, one of the famous queens of India. Located in the Narmada river valley in the western part of the state of Madhya...
and
BhopalBhopāl is the capital of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarter of Bhopal District and Bhopal Division. Bhopal is known as the Lake city as its landscape is dotted with a number of natural lakes.Bhopal is also one of the greenest cities of India.Historically, Bhopal...
to Gwalior's airport. Indian Airlines Delhi to Jabalpur line also stops at Gwalior.
Railways
The 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 RailwayThe North Central Railway is one of the sixteen railway zones in India. It is headquartered at Allahabad and comprises three divisions: reorganized Allahabad division of the erstwhile Northern Railway, Jhansi division of the erstwhile Central Railway, and new Agra division.- History :The North...
of
Indian RailwaysIndian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is the state-owned railway company of India, which owns and operates most of the country's rail transport...
, which zonal Head Quarter is centered in
AllahabadAllahabad Allahabad Allahabad , is a city in north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and administrative headquarters of Allahabad District. The ancient name of the city is Aggra (Sanskrit for "place of sacrifice") and is believed to be the spot where Brahma offered his first...
. The station has won awards from Indian Railways for clean infrastructure in 1987, 1988, 1989 and 1992. Express trains such as the Bhopal Express,
Taj ExpressThe Taj Express was started in 1964 to serve tourists traveling from Delhi to Agra. It reduced the traveling time from over three hours to around two and a half hours. Taj Express was started along the lines of Deccan Queen and provided a quick and comfortable journey between Agra and Delhi...
and
Bhopal ShatabdiBhopal Shatabdi is the West Central Railway train running between Bhopal Habibganj railway station of Bhopal City and New Delhi. It is the fastest train in India. The train commenced service in 1988 and was the first Shatabdi train to be introduced...
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
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
.
Gwalior is well connected via train services to all parts of the country including 4 metros. There are direct trains to
MumbaiMumbai, formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. The city proper is the most-populous in the world, with approximately 14 million inhabitants. Along with the neighbouring suburbs of Navi Mumbai and Thane, it forms the world's 4th largest urban agglomeration, with around...
,
DelhiDelhi, known locally as Dilli , and also by the official name National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest metropolis by population in India...
,
Kolkata, formerly , is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located in eastern India on the east bank of the River Hooghly. When referred to as Calcutta, it usually includes the suburbs, and thus its population exceeds 15 million, making it India's third-largest metropolitan area and...
(Howrah),
ChennaiChennai , formerly known as , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the fifth most populous city in India. Located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, Chennai city had a population of 4.34 million in the 2001...
, Trivandrum,
IndoreIndore is the largest city and commercial capital of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh . It is also known as The City of Holkars. The city was built by a holkar, Rani Ahilya Bai, one of the famous queens of India. Located in the Narmada river valley in the western part of the state of Madhya...
,
AhmedabadAhmedabad is a city in India, which is the largest city in the state of Gujarat, with a population of approximately 52 lakhs . Located on the banks of the River Sabarmati, the city is the administrative centre of Ahmedabad district and was the capital of Gujarat from 1960 to 1970; the capital...
,
PunePune , formerly known as Punawadi or Punya-Nagari or Poona, is the eighth largest city in India, and the second largest in the state of Maharashtra, after Mumbai...
,
JammuJammu is one of the three administrative divisions within Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state in India.Jammu city is the largest city in Jammu and the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir...
,
LucknowLucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state of India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division...
,
BhopalBhopāl is the capital of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarter of Bhopal District and Bhopal Division. Bhopal is known as the Lake city as its landscape is dotted with a number of natural lakes.Bhopal is also one of the greenest cities of India.Historically, 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 Birla nagar and 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 and Motijheel. Gwalior lies on the longest functional broad gauge line in India between
DelhiDelhi, known locally as Dilli , and also by the official name National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest metropolis by population in India...
and
MumbaiMumbai, formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. The city proper is the most-populous in the world, with approximately 14 million inhabitants. Along with the neighbouring suburbs of Navi Mumbai and Thane, it forms the world's 4th largest urban agglomeration, with around...
.
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.
The Agra-Bombay Road runs though the city connecting it to Shivpuri on one end and Agra on the other. The city is connected to the
JhansiJhansi is a city of Uttar Pradesh state of northern India. Jhansi is a major road and rail junction, and is the administrative seat of Jhansi District and Jhansi Division...
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. The prominent one being
BhopalBhopāl is the capital of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarter of Bhopal District and Bhopal Division. Bhopal is known as the Lake city as its landscape is dotted with a number of natural lakes.Bhopal is also one of the greenest cities of India.Historically, Bhopal...
,
AgraAgra is a city on the banks of the Yamuna River in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It finds mention in the epic Mahābhārata where it was called Agrevaṇa , or 'the border of the forest'. Legend ascribes the founding of the city to Rājā Badal Singh , whose fort, Badalgarh, stood on or...
,
DelhiDelhi, known locally as Dilli , and also by the official name National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest metropolis by population in India...
,
JabalpurJabalpur, is a city in the state of Madhya Pradesh in India. Jabalpur is the administrative headquarters of Jabalpur district and Jabalpur division. Jabalpur is located in the Mahakaushal region in the geographic center of India. Jabalpur is one of the largest city of Madhya Pradesh. Jabalpur was...
,
JhansiJhansi is a city of Uttar Pradesh state of northern India. Jhansi is a major road and rail junction, and is the administrative seat of Jhansi District and Jhansi Division...
, Bhind, Morena, Datia,
JaipurJaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital of Rajasthan state, India. Jaipur is the former capital of the princely state of Jaipur...
and
IndoreIndore is the largest city and commercial capital of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh . It is also known as The City of Holkars. The city was built by a holkar, Rani Ahilya Bai, one of the famous queens of India. Located in the Narmada river valley in the western part of the state of Madhya...
.
Local transport
Gwalior's public transport system consists of tempos and 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.
History
In the 10th Century it was taken by the Kachwaha Rajputs.
Qutb-ud-din AybakQutb-ud-din Aybak was a Turkic ruler of medieval India, the first Sultan of Delhi and founder of the Slave dynasty . He served as sultan for only four years, from 1206 to 1210...
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
TansenMiyan Tansen or Ramtanu Pandey is considered among the greatest composer-musicians in Hindustani classical music...
. It first fell to the British in 1780, but was one of the cities taken during the Sepoy Rebellion.
Today Gwalior includes the former city of Lashkar. Laskar was the capital of
Gwalior stateGwalior State was an Indian kingdom ruled by the Sindhia dynasty. The state took its name from the old town of Gwalior, which, although never the actual capital, was an important place because of its strategic location and the strength of its fort. The state was founded in the early 18th century...
one of the princely states of India during the
British RajThe British Raj was the British colonial rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; it can also refer to the period of dominion, and even the region under the rule...
. It then served as the capital of
Madhya BharatMadhya Bharat , also known as Malwa Union was a former state in west-central India. Madhya Bharat was created on 28 May, 1948 from 25 former princely states, which were formerly part of the British Raj's Central India Agency and Jivaji Rao Scindia became its Rajpramukh...
from 1950-1956.
Buildings and Architecture
At the heart of Gwalior is its fortress (
Gwalior FortGwalior Fort in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India, stands on an isolated rock and contains a number of historic buildings. The face is perpendicular and where the rock is naturally less precipitous it has been scarped. Its greatest length from north-east to south-west is 1.5 mile , and the greatest...
), built by Raja Man Singh Tomar, of the Tomar dynasty. This formidable structure had the reputation of being one of the most invincible forts of
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
. It occupies an isolated rock outcrop. The hill is steepended 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.
LashkarLashkar, a Persian word for army, may refer to:* A town in Madhya Pradesh that is now part of the Gwalior municipality. It was the capital of historical Madhya Bharat state.* Lashkar-e-Toiba, an Islamist terrorist organization in South Asia...
, formerly a separate town that originated as a military camp, lies to the south, and
MorarMorar is a small village on the west coast of Scotland, south of Mallaig. The name Morar is also applied to the wider district around the village....
, also a formerly separate town, lies to the east . Gwalior, Lashkar and Morar are presently part of Gwalior Municipality.
Massive Gwalior Fort, popularly called Gibraltar of India overlooks the city. The great Mughal Emperor Babur reputedly described it as, "The pearl in the necklace of the forts of Hind". This forts architecture is the only one in India , which shows Chinese influence , as Chinese dragons that have been crafted at the hilt of the pillars. This influence was due to trade between china and India.
In the east of the city are two magnificent examples of early Mughal architecture. One is mausoleum of, 16th century Sufi saint Ghous Mohammed, and another is 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, which according to the local stories says that the maharaj made for his 9th queen, he was married to eight queens, but none were able to produce an heir for him, thus he finally married a milkman’s daughter called “naani”, later she was renamed “mrignayani” (meaning having eyes like deer), since she wasn’t of royal heritage, the maharaj had to make a separate palace for her, which is now called “gujari mahal”.
Close to the heart of the city is splendid Jai Vilas Palace, patterned on the style of the 'Palais de Versailles' in France 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
JainJainism is an ancient dharmic religion from India that prescribes a path of non-violence for all forms of living beings in this world. Its philosophy and practice relies mainly on self-effort in progressing the soul on the spiritual ladder to divine consciousness...
worship; secondly for its example of palace architecture of the best
HinduA Hindu is an adherent of Hinduism, a set of religious, philosophical and cultural systems that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The vast body of Hindu scriptures, divided into Śruti and Smriti , lay the foundation of Hindu beliefs which primarily include dhárma, kárma, ahimsa and saṃsāra...
period (1486-1516); and thirdly as an historic fortress. Many historical places are found near the Dabra-
BhitarwarBhitarwar is a town and a nagar panchayat in Gwalior district in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. The nearest Railway station is Dabra, and the nearest airport is Gwalior. The distance from Gwalior is 72 km. Its a beautiful town surrounded by a river called Parvati.-Geography:Bhitarwar is...
Road. Prior to the founding of Gwalior the region was also known by its ancient name of
Gopasetra. The great Apabhramsha poet Pandit
RaighuRaighu was the last of the great Apabhramsha poets. He also supervised the pratishtha of the many, perhaps most of the Jain idols carved on the hill side in the Gwalior Fort during the rule of Tomar Dungarsingh.He wrote many books during sam...
lived in Gwalior. Gwalior had an institutional seat of the
BhattarakaA Bhattaraka is the head of traditional Jain institution. They are responsible for training of scholars, maintenance of libraries, managing the endowments, presiding over the installation ceremonies and running of Jain institutions....
s of
Kashtha SanghKashtha Sangha was a Digambar Jain monastic order once dominant in several regions of North and Western India. It is considered to be a branch of Mula Sangh itself. It is said to have originated from a town named Kashtha....
and later
Mula SanghMula Sangh is an ancient Jain monastic order . Mula literally means the "root" or the original order.Mula-Sangh has been the main Digambar Jain order. Today the Digambar Jain tradition is synonimous with Mula Sangha. The great Acharya Kundakunda is associated with Mula Sangh...
.
According to history, the original fort of Gwalior was founded by the
Bargujar Kings during the 34th /35th centuary 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
MughalThe Mughal Empire was an Islamic and Persianate imperial power of the Indian subcontinent which began in 1526, invaded and ruled most of Hindustan by the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and ended in the mid-19th century...
emperors
JahangirNur-ud-din Salim Jahangir was the ruler of the Mughal Empire from 1605 until his death...
and
Shah JahanShahab-ud-din Muhammad Shah Jahan I was the ruler of the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent from 1628 until 1658...
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
BaburZahir ud-din Muhammad Jalal ud-din Babur was a Muslim conqueror from Central Asia who, following a series of setbacks, finally succeeded in laying the basis for the Mughal dynasty of India. He was a direct descendant of Timur through his father, and a descendant also of Genghis Khan through his...
, 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 familyA royal family is the extended family of a king or queen regnant. The term "imperial family" more appropriately describes the extended family of an emperor or empress regnant, while the terms "ducal family", "grand ducal family" or "princely family" are more appropriate in reference to the...
.
The Fort area is also home of the
Scindia SchoolThe Scindia School is an Indian boarding school for boys, situated in a beautiful historic fortress known as Gwalior Fort, in the city of Gwalior, India...
, a well regarded institution founded by the late
Maratha Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste or to the Maratha and Kunbi castes together; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people; historically, it describes the Maratha empire...
Maharaja Madhavraoji Shinde of Gwalior in 1897.
A striking part of the Jain remains at Gwalior is a series 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. One curious fact regarding them is that, according to inscriptions, they were all excavated within the short period of about thirty-three years, between 1441 and 1474. One of the colossal figures is 57 ft (17 m) high, which is taller than any other in northern India.
Gwalior fort also has the Gurudwara Data Bandi built in the memory of the sixth
SikhSikh is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism. The term has its origin in the Sanskrit term , meaning "disciple, learner" or , meaning "instruction"....
Guru Har GobindGuru Har Gobind also Sacha Badshah was the sixth of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism and became Guru on 25 May 1606 following in the footsteps of his father Guru Arjan Dev. He was the sixth Guru in Sikhism. He was not, perhaps, more than eleven at his father's execution...
. This Gurudwara is particularly large and grand, built entirely of marble with coloured glass decorating the main building. Recital of the
Guru Granth SahibThe Guru Granth Sahib , or Adi Sri Guru Granth Sahib, is the holy scripture and the final Guru of the Sikhs. It is a voluminous text of 1430 angs , compiled and composed during the period of Sikh Gurus, from 1469 to 1708...
creates a peaceful and sacred atmosphere. Moghul kings used to visit gwalior usually.
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 PanigrahiAasutosh Panigrahi is an artist and a Guinness World Record holder. He presently holds the record for World's Largest Indoor Mural. The award was acknowledged by Guinness World Records in August 2005....
along with five other artist, was acknowledged as World's Largest Indoor Mural by Guinness Book of Records.
Gwalior holds an unparalleled reputation in
SangeetThe term sangeet has several definitions - all of which are derived from its Sanskrit origins. Sangeet, literally, may be translated into English as sung together, or singing with instrumental accompaniment....
Greatest ever classical singer ( Dhrupadiya) was Baijnath Prasad alias
Baiju BawraBaiju Bawra is an award-winning 1952 Bollywood movie. Made in the Hindi language and directed by Vijay Bhatt, it stars Bharat Bhushan and Meena Kumari.The film was both a commercial and critical success and catapulted both its lead actors into stardom...
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.
TansenMiyan Tansen or Ramtanu Pandey is considered among the greatest composer-musicians in Hindustani classical music...
, Born in
BehatBehat is a town and a nagar panchayat in Saharanpur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India.-Demographics: India census, Behat had a population of 17,177. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Behat has an average literacy rate of 51%, lower than the national average of...
, trained in music at
VrindavanVrindavan , or Vraj in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, India is a town on the site of an ancient forest which is the region where Lord Krishna spent his childhood days. It lies in the Braj region...
, Served to Raja Ramchandra Waghela of Bandhawgarh, then went to
AgraAgra is a city on the banks of the Yamuna River in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It finds mention in the epic Mahābhārata where it was called Agrevaṇa , or 'the border of the forest'. Legend ascribes the founding of the city to Rājā Badal Singh , whose fort, Badalgarh, stood on or...
under the patronage of Akbar. After the death of Tansen in
Fatehpur SikriFatehpur Sikri is a city and a municipal board in Agra district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. The historical city was constructed by Mughal emperor Akbar beginning in 1570 and served as the empire's capital from 1571 until 1585, when it was abandoned for reasons that remain unclear...
and crimation 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, RamkrishnaBuwa 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.
SarodThe sarod is a stringed musical instrument, used mainly in Indian classical music. Along with the sitar, it is the most popular and prominent instrument in Hindustani classical music...
Maestro Ustad
Amjad Ali KhanAmjad Ali Khan is an Indian sarod player.-Early life:Khan was born to Hafiz Ali Khan, is the sixth-generation sarod player in his family and his ancestors have developed and shaped the instrument over several hundred years...
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 singer 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.
Culturally Gwalior is the confluence of two rich cultures Bundeli and Braj. Bundelkhand covers Gwalior, Bhind, Morena, Sagar, Shivpuri, Guna, Sheopur and adjoining areas.
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 the descendents of Lord Krishna. Since this site is about Gwalior, here I am giving description of Baredi or Yadav dance of Bundelkhand only. If you wish to know more about dances in other parts of the state you are most welcome to contact me.
Baredi or Yadav dance of Bundelkhand
This dance has been associated with the biggest Hindu festival "Diwali". 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
Mradang, Dholak, Ramtula, Dhapli, Manzira, Jhanz etc. are used in this dance.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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(Alha/udal were in 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.
Main festivals
All national festivals, Diwali, Holi, Makara Sankranti, Eid-ul-Fitr, Rakhi and other local ones like Nag-Panchmi, Ahilya Utsav, Ganesh Utsav, Garba (Navratri Utsav), 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 Sankranit - is a 'Kite Festival' where people fly kites and competitions are held to cut each other's kites in sky on 14 January each year.
Media and Communication
Local media in Gwalior is strong and flourishes. There are a number of newspapers, magazines, local TV stations. Although Dainik Bhaskar is one of the oldest newspaper publication and most widely read newspaper.
Other popular newspapers published in Gwalior are Raj Express,Dainik MadhyaRaj, Nav Bharat, Swadesh, Naidunia, Dainik Jagran.
Evening newspapers is: Sandhya Samachaar
The city has local TV stations from various companies. Major local channels are either by ,Hathway win ,Harsh Networks etc.
coffee cafe day is a cool hangout .
deen dayal city mall has added many stars to the city
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
VersaillesVersailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial center...
. The town has a museum situated in the Gujari Mahal.
Lashkar
Lashkar is derived from the
PersianPersian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is widely spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and to some extent in Iraq and Bahrain, and has a status of official language in the first three countries under different names...
lashkar, meaning army, or camp, as it was originally the camp, and later the permanent capital, of the
ScindiaScindia, anglicized from Shinde, and also spelled as Sindhia, Sindia, is a Maratha family in India which included rulers of the Gwalior State in the 18th and 19th centuries, collaborators of the colonial British government during the 19th and the 20th centuries until India became independent, and...
dynasty of
Gwalior stateGwalior State was an Indian kingdom ruled by the Sindhia dynasty. The state took its name from the old town of Gwalior, which, although never the actual capital, was an important place because of its strategic location and the strength of its fort. The state was founded in the early 18th century...
.
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 Tighra Dam build on Saank river is 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.
Morar
MorarMorar is a small village on the west coast of Scotland, south of Mallaig. The name Morar is also applied to the wider district around the village....
, formerly a separate town, lies three miles (5 km) east of the old city. It was formerly a British military
cantonmentA cantonment is a temporary or semi-permanent military quarters. The word cantonment is derived from the French word canton meaning corner or district. In Southern Asia, the term cantonment also describes permanent military stations. Cantonments can be found in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, South...
. 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. Near it is located one of the schools in Gwalior: The St. Paul's School.
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.
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, Cancer Hospital & Research Institute. Cancer Hospital & Research Institute is nationally acclaimed medical center in Oncology.
See also
- IIITM Gwalior
- Asiatic Lion
The Asiatic Lion or Persian lion or the Indian Lion is a subspecies of the lion which survives today only in the Gir Forest of Gujarat, India...
- Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or group of taxa. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of that species...
- Gir Forest National Park
The Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is a forest and wildlife sanctuary in Gujarat, India...
- Gwalior State
Gwalior State was an Indian kingdom ruled by the Sindhia dynasty. The state took its name from the old town of Gwalior, which, although never the actual capital, was an important place because of its strategic location and the strength of its fort. The state was founded in the early 18th century...
- In-situ conservation
In-situ conservation means "on-site conservation". It is the process of protecting an endangered plant or animal species in its natural habitat, either by protecting or cleaning up the habitat itself, or by defending the species from predators...
- Jiwaji University
Jiwaji University , Hindi: जीवाजी विशवविधालय, is an affiliating university situated in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India. The name comes from that of George Jivajirao Scindia of Gwalior. The university was established on May 23, 1964 and Sarvapelli Radhakrishnan, the President of India, laid the...
- Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary
Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary or Palpur-Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary lies in the Sheopur district of north western Madhya Pradesh, a state in central India. It is about 120 kilometres from Gwalior....
- List Of Colossal Sculpture In Situ
- Muhammad Ghawth
Muhammad Ghawth Gwaliyari was a 16th century Sufi master of the Shattari order and Sufi saint, a musician, and the author of Jawahir-i Khams ....
- Wildlife conservation
- Boston College
External links