Gwalior Fort

• Location- Gwalior Madhya Pradesh

• Type of Monument- Ancient ruins

• Known for- Sanskrit inscription and towering Jain sculptures

• Dated- 875 A.D.

• Timings- Sunrise to Sunset

• Enternace Fee

For Indian/ SAARC and BIMSTEC countries the entrance fee is Rs 5 per head

For Foreign citizens the entrance fee is Rs 100 per head

Free entry for children upto the age of 15

The Gwalior Fort in its hay days was considered as a pearl among forts in the country. So much so that rulers of the time all wanted possession of the monument so much so that the monument changed hands as many times from the Guptas to the Hunas the Prathiharas, the Kachhwahas, Tomars to the Pathans, Mughals and English to the Schindias who were its last masters till the independence of regh country. Each every ruler tried to leave a mark on this monument. This monument has inspired historian and artisans down the centuries and continues to riddle tourist with curiosity about the building of this fort which is still under wraps and unraveled in history.

There is much ambiguity surrounding the time that it was built. While available records suggest that the monument was built around the 8 century, inscription found in the area suggest that the monument was built in the 5^th century. The main monuments in the premises of this fort include Man Mandir, Teli Ka Mandir, and Sas Bhau Temple, Badal Mahal, Alamari gate, Ganesha gate, Chaturbha Gate, rock cut Jain colossi, Urwasi gate.

This Gwalior fort presents a perfect example of Muslim and Hindu architecture joined together. Among the distinctive features in architecture the Teli ka Mandir in all respects stands out. This imposing superstructure portraying different architectural styles shows a Vallabha Shikara on Nagara base. Another important monument in the complex is the Chaturbhuj Temple. This monolithic rock cut temple dating back to 875 AD is the only such structure of its kind in the entire region. The twin Vaisnava temple known as Sas Bhau Temple made by the Kachchapghattas is the last remnant structure to be made by this cult that was known for the use of extraordinary ornamentation. As mentioned above this monument is also known for the Jain sculptures. Jainism thrived extensively during the reign of the Tomars. The large gigantic Jaina tirthankara images on both sides of the Urwahi road and rock cut Jain colossies including the Ek Pathar ki Baodi. The palace of Raja Man Singh which is one of the later additions was built in the 15^th century. The king was a patron of architecture and this is fittingly this monument incorporates vogue elements of both Hindu and Islamic architecture. This same palace during the time of Aurangzeb was the place where he imprisoned and murdered his own brother Murad. The Juhar Khund which is also a part of the monument marks the place where women of the haram burnt themselves to death after the defeat of the king in 1232. Other significant palaces within the Gwalior fort are named after various rulers who ruled the fort.

The fort of Gwalior has seemed many ups and downs and the course of the last five hundred years the monument has changed hands from leader to the next.