Sun temple Gwalior
The Surya Mandir or Sun Temple is one of the most spectacular shrines as well as an architectural wonder that adorns the city of Gwalior. As the name suggests, the temple is dedicated to the holy Sun God and was constructed in the year 1988 by the famous industrialist G.D. Birla. Built on the lines of legendary Sun Temple at Konark, Orissa, the Sun Temple of Gwalior is a magnificent amalgam of exquisite architecture in red sandstone and pearly white marble.
The Tomb of Mohammad Ghaus
Ghaus Mohammed was an Afghan Prince who later converted into a Sufi saint. According to legend, Mohammad Ghaus assisted Babur when he was conquered the fort of Gwalior in 1526 CE. The Sufi saint who belongs to 16th century occupies an important position in the history of Mughal India and is said to have had great influence over Mughal emperors like Babur and Humayun.Tomb of Ghaus Mohammed is a prominent pilgrimage center of both Muslims and Hindus.
Tomb of Tansen, is located in the vicinity of Muhammad Ghaus Tomb. Tansen was the famous musician and one among the nine jewels of Akbar’s court. He is among the most influential personalities in North Indian tradition of Hindustani classical music. Tansen is remembered for his epic Dhrupad compositions, creating several new ragas, as well as for writing two classic books on music Sri Ganesh Stotra and Sangita Sara. He was buried near to his guru and this burial site is beautiful piece of architecture.
Gwalior Fort
Gwalior Fort has an amazing story from its inception till the present date. Exact date of its construction is unknown. The legend has it that a local king named SurajSen ruled this region in 3 CE. The king developed leprosy, a deadly disease which couldn’t be cured in those days. When the king had lost all hopes, a sage named Gwalipa came to the king’s rescue and he miraculously cured the disease by asking the king to drink water from a sacred pond (it is believed that the present pond inside the fort is the same pond that helped the king). When the king was cured, he decided to build a fort to honor the sage and also named the city after the sage, which came to be known as Gwalior. The sage conferred the king with the title ‘Pal,’ meaning protector, and promised him that his descendants would rule over the fort as long as they bear the title ‘Pal’. After this incident, many descendants of SurajSen Pal ruled over the fort but his 84th successor, Tej Karan, lost the possession of the fort.
There are no historical records or evidences to prove the fort’s real age. Though inscriptions within the fort indicate that the fort must have been standing here from the 6th Century, but there is no solid proof to prove the same. However, there are certain evidences that suggest the existence of the fort from the late 9th Century. One such evidence is the existence of the ‘TelikaMandir’, a Hindu temple said to be built by the Gurjara-Pratiharas. From 10th Century onwards, the fort was ruled over by the kings of the Kachchhapaghata dynasty.
Around the 10th Century, many Muslim rulers tried their best to capture the fort. Mahmud of Ghazni besieged the fort in 1022 CE, but he lifted the siege when presented with 35 elephants. Qutb al-Din Aibak, the first Sultan of the Delhi Sultanate, captured the fort in 1196, only to lose it a few years later. However, Iltumish, the third ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, recaptured the fort in 1232 CE. Around 1398, the fort was captured by the Tomars and it remained with them for a long time. Raja Maan Singh Tomar
constructed several structures within the fort, changing its appearance forever. Meanwhile, rulers of the Delhi Sultanate were constantly trying to recapture the fort.
One such attempt by Sikander Lodi failed in 1505, but his son Ibrahim Lodi managed to capture the fort in 1516, which resulted in the death of Raja Maan Singh Tomar. The fort was, however, soon taken by Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty. However, the Mughals lost it to the Sur ruler Sher Shah Suri, in 1542. In 1558, Mughal Emperor Akbar recaptured the fort and turned it into a prison, where he executed his prisoners and rivals.Post the reign of Aurangzeb, the Mughal Empire weakened, resulting in the loss of the fort, which was now captured by the Rana chieftains of Gohad. MahadajiShinde of the Scindia dynasty captured it from GohadRanaChhatar Singh, but eventually lost the fort to the British. In 1780, the British gave away the fort to the Ranas, in exchange for their support during the Sepoy Mutiny in the 18th Century. The Marathas then captured it again from the Ranas, but lost it to the British during the Second Anglo-Maratha War. The British then largely controlled the fort and sometimes even gave up its ownership to the Scindia family for political reasons. In 1886, after capturing the whole of India, the British gave the fort to the Scindias, as the fort was of little importance to them at that time. The Scindias then ruled over the fort and even came up with their own structures within the fort, until it was finally taken by the government of India post-independence.
