(January 2026 - Gwalior Fortress, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh)
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| Me @ Gwalior Fort, Gwalior |
As per legend, Suraj Sen, the mythical king of present day Chambal region was cured of an ailment, thanks to the advice of Sage Gwalipa who asked the ailed King to drink water from a sacred Pond. To this day, the Pond known as Suraj Kund is located inside the fortress, which was commissioned by the cured King, who named it Gwalior, in honor of the Sage. However, inscriptions record the region's name as Gop-Giri i.e, the Cowherd's Hill.
The
imposing citadel of Gwalior Fortress, perched atop the Gopachal Hill-Plateau,
overlooking the city of Gwalior is truly regarded as the “Gibraltor of India”. The
fort is one of the oldest surviving forts in India, and was held successively
by the Guptas, the Hunas, the Gurjara – Pratiharas, the Kachchhapaghatas, the Delhi Sultanate, the Tomars, the Mughals, the Marathas, the Jats & finally the Scindias of
Gwalior.
Surrounded by Siddhachal caves and Gopachal rock cut Jain monuments, the Fortress of Gwalior witnessed many key events of Indian history like the defeat of Mihirakula Huna, the Invasion of Ghaznvids and Ghurids, the resurgence of Man Singh Tomar, the resourcefulness of the Mughals, the opulence and modernity of the Scindias, and the bravery and sacrifice of Rani Laxmi Bai of Jhansi.
The view
from the hill top is captivating. Spread over 3 Sq Kms and connected by six
imposing bastions perched on the edge of the hill, with the walls proudly
displaying blue tile works and dilapidated paintings, some of the iconic
structures in the fort include Man Mandir Palace, Jahangir Palace, Shah Jahan
Palace, Gujari Mahal and the impressive Hathi Pol Entrance.
Another interesting monument to look out for is the Chaturbhuj Temple / Temple of Zero, which has one of the oldest recorded evidences of Zero in inscriptional form, resembling the modern zero (0) in usage (875 CE). Over a period of time, there was large scale damage and iconoclasm in the Fortress, but from these tragic tales which turned out to be false ends, there was resurgence.
In the early 16th Century, the first of the Great Mughals finally set foot on Gwalior. The fort was passed on from the Lodhis. While ordering destruction of the Jain monuments, he stood amazed at the Gwalior Fortress, and murmured, designating it as the “Pearl among the fortresses of the Hind”. Centuries later, Gwalior Fort would be last heroic stand of Rani Laxmi Bai of Jhansi, on whose valor and sacrifice, the opposing Field Marshal Hugh Rose remarked "here lay the woman who was the only man among the rebels".
While one may despise the violent imperial ambition and religious zeal of Babur, his aesthetic eye and artistic appeal in celebrating the Gibraltor of India is worth emulating.
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