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The splendor of this royal city is living since sixth century. Once upon a time the patron saint of the shepherds and cowherds, Gwallipa, cured a king a of leprosy and thus the city got its name Gwalior on the saint.
With the decline of Muslim power in Delhi, Gwalior fell under the sway the Marathas- Scindias assumed sovereign power. The Scindias, counted among the most glamorous of Indian princes, became famous of their wealth and were popular with successive viceroys because of their generous hospitality and capacity to organize thrilling tiger shoots for visiting dignitaries.
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Gwalior Fort
|  A glazed frieze in Gwalior Fort. |
Rock cut icons of Bahubali at the fort. |
Towering 100 meters above the town in splendid isolation on a solid rock of sandstone, the fort is reckoned the most imposing citadel in India and the Palace houses a priceless collection of rare objects de art.
Then there are huge rock cut icons of Bahubali, a Jain Master which the visitor of the giant Buddhas found in Bamiyan in Afghanistan. Executed in the 15th century the tallest figure is almost17 meters high is made on the rock over which the fort is situated.
The main entrance on the eastern side affords a breathtaking view of the ever-extending plains of the Indian heartland. Six gates built in a distinct Hindu or Muslim style lead the way up to the summit. There are six Palaces encircled by the massive ramparts of this fort- these again show a beautiful blending of the Hindu and Muslim styles and testify the catholic taste and tolerance of the ruling dynasty.
There are many water tanks in the fort. The most prominent are the Johar Kund, where the Rajput women immolated themselves to save their honour when defeat and disgrace were imminent, and the Suraj Kund, where the family deity of the Scindias,the sun god, was worshipped. It is an impressive mustachioed Surya that blazons forth from the royal emblem of Gwalior.
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Jas Vilas Palace |
Jai Vilas Palace
Jai Vilas is unmatched in scale and splendour The durbar hall for formal audience measures 15 meters by 85 meters with the roof over 12 meters high. The ceiling is painted in pale green and gold and the floor is covered with perhaps the largest one-piece carpet woven in situ by the carpet makers in the world. This is the room about which lady Dufferin the Vicereine exclaimed in 1884, " The magnificent room in which we lost ourselves last night". The two crystal chandeliers are reputed to be the largest in the world with the possible exception of one on display in the Tsar’s winter palace outside Moscow. When the huge chandeliers were about to be installed, doubts were expressed whether the ceiling would bear the combined weight of about six tons. The ruler of Gwalior could indulge in such expensive fancies because he was one of the richest men of his tome. Griffith, a British author, has provided a glimpse of the treasure he had amassed.
"In addition to coins, there was an inestimable quantity of Jewels which rivaled Alladin’s store. Thos collection… was the largest in the world He ( Jayajirao Scindia) had in his vaults, silver coins that could be counted in millions, manigicent pearls and diamonds by the ten thousands, rubies, emeralds and other gems by the thousands and wrought and melted gold by the maund". ( A maund, it is useful to recall, is Indian measure of weight used for wholesale purchase of grains and equals 35 kilos approximately.)
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