Great Indian Road Journeys - Kipling Tour, Gwalior

Gwalior in the state of Madhya Pradesh is 343 kilometres south of Delhi, a 120 kilometre drive from Agra, occupies a strategic location in the Gird region of India. The historic city and its fortress have been ruled by several northern Indian principalities, from the Tomars in the 13th century, to the Mughals, then the mighty Marathas in 1754. The Scindia dynasty assumed power in the 18th century. Prior to independence, Gwalior remained a princely state  with the Scindias as local rulers. High rocky hills surround the city from all sides and the city actually is situated in the valley. We left Agra around 10 am and reached by 1 pm. The road was in decent condition and the journey uneventful. The drive is via Dholpur in Rajasthan and then across the Chambal river into Madhya Pradesh and through the town of Morena. Despite the winter season these areas can get quite warm in the afternoon sun and on arrival at The Usha Kiran Palace Hotel, where we stayed, we ventured out only by 4 pm.

There are three important things to do if you have only a day to spare. First, a visit to the Jai Vilas Palace Museum (beside the Usha Kiran Palace Hotel), second, the Jain caves on the way to the Fort and finally, a visit to the Fort itself. The three are hard to pack in during an afternoon so we left the fort visit to the following morning. According to legend, Gwalior was founded in 8 AD after a local chieftain, Suraj Sen, was cured of leprosy from a drink given to him by a holy man called Gwalipa. Suraj Sen subsequently set up a town and fort and named them after Gwalipa. Around the 9th century, the Gujara dynasty ruled Gwalior and constructed the Teli Ka temple. In 1021 AD, Gwalior was attacked unsuccessfully by forces led by Mohammed Gazni. In 1231 AD Iltumish, from the Delhi Sultanate, captured Gwalior after an 11-month-long effort and from then till the 13th century it remained under Muslim rule. In 1375, Raja Veer Singh was made the ruler of Gwalior and he founded the rule of the Tomar dynasty. During those years, Gwalior saw its golden period.

The Jain Sculptures at below the Gwalior Fort were built under Tomar rule. Often, the Prime Ministers of various Principalities of Rajputana and of Central India, were Oswal Jains - a community of Rajput converts to Jainism - who would sponsor Jain temples and architecture. That is why most forts in Rajasthan have Jain Shrines and places of worship within them. Man Singh Tomar, constructed his palace - Man Mandir - which is now a tourist attraction at Gwalior Fort. Babur described it as "the pearl in the necklace of forts of India and not even the winds could touch its masts"

Archana and I saw the light and sound show in the Fort, which we would highly recommend. By the 15th century, the city had a noted music school which was attended by Tansen. Later in the 1730s, when the Maratha clan of Scindia captured Gwalior, it remained a princely state during the British Rule. In 1962, Her Highness, the Rajmata Vijayaraje, a remarkable and brave woman, was elected to the Lok Sabha, beginning the family's career in electoral politics. She became an influential member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The current scion of the Scindia dynasty Jyotiraditya is an important politician.

The Jai Vilas Palace museum is a must visit - a splendid portrayal of European architecture. Designed by Sir Michael Filose, the stunning three-storied building exhibits the Tuscan style of architecture in the first floor, a blend of the Italian-Doric style in the second and the Corinthian in the third floor. The edifice covers an area of 1,240,771 sq ft. There are 400 rooms, featuring Italian marble flooring, ornate accessories, lavish Persian carpets and rare antiquities from various parts of the world.

The Durbar Hall is the most magnificent part of the palace, while there is also a massive Banquet Hall with an elongated dining table. A unique attraction of the dining table is the silver train with carriages designed out of cut glass. This train was used as a trolley to serve food, cigars, and brandy to guests seated around the table.

Ideally, you should visit the Palace museum in the afternoon, then the Fort in the evening when the temperatures are cooler. Well maintained, the fort complex includes several temples, palaces and water tanks. The palaces here include the Man Mandir Palace, the Gujari Mahal, the Jahangir Mahal, the Shah Jahan Mahal and the Karan Mahal. The fort lies on an area of three square kilometres and has two entrance gates: the main entrance being the Elephant Gate (Hathi Pol) on the north-east side with a long ramp and the other called the Badalgarh Gate on the south-west side. Man Mandir Palace is on the north-east side.

After the sound & light performance we returned to the hotel by 8 pm. We had asked the chef to prepared a Thali comprising of local food and it was brilliant. The next morning after breakfast we left for Panna - the first stop of a series of National Parks that we visited on this Kipling Tour.