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Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh,
India
(Info: 1,
2)
Gwalior is justly famous for at least three things: its imposing fort, Mian Tansen, and the first epigraphic evidence of zero. According to legend, Gwalior began from a meeting between Suraj Sen and the
hermit Gwalipa, who lived on the hilltop where the fort stands. The hermit cured
Suraj Sen of leprosy with a drink of water from the Suraj Kund, which still
remains in the fort. He then gave him a new name, Suhan Pal, and said his
descendants would remain in power so long as they kept the name Pal. His next 83
descendants did just that, but number 84 changed his name to Tej Karan and --
you guessed it -- goodbye kingdom.
In
1398 the Tomar dynasty came to power in Gwalior and, over the next few
centuries, Gwalior Fort was the scene of continual intrigue and clashes with
neighboring powers. In 1516 the fort was besieged and taken by Ibrahim Lodi
after a long struggle. Later the Mughals, under Babur, took the fort and held it
until 1754, when the Marathas captured it. For the next 50 years the fort
changed hands many times, including twice to the British, until it finally
passed into the hands of the Scindias, whose royal descendants still live in
Gwalior.
During the Indian Uprising in 1857 the maharaja remained loyal to the British
but his troops didn't, and in the mid-1858 the fort was the scene of some of the
final, and most dramatic, events of the whole Uprising. It was near here that
the British finally defeated Tantia Topi and it was in the final assault on the
fort that the rani of Jhansi was killed. Gwalior's most famous son of recent
times is the former prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. [-
Adapted from Lonely Planet India, 2003; Aug 05]
Tomb of Tansen
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Tomb of Tansen
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Tomb of Mohammad Ghaus (in)
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Kid studying
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Old town from fort
(1, 2,
3)
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Baada,
Lashkar (more)
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Old town from fort
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Town hall, Bād ā,
Lashkar
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El tempo
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Rides in Gwalior mela
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Bombay variety show
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Rani of Jhansi
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Gwalior Fort |
Pedestrian
entrance
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Fort entrance
ramp
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Man Singh Palace
(1, 2,
3)
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Strongest fort in India?
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Diwan-e-khas
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Palace
courtyard
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Music room
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Royal bedroom
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Swimming room
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Bat infested
ceiling
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Jauhar kund
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Palace pillars
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Jehangir palace
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Teli ka Mandir
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Teli ka Mandir sculpture
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Teli ka Mandir sculpture
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Daata bandi
chor sikh temple
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Inside the sikh
temple
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Saas-Bahu temple (more)
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Saas-Bahu temple
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Saas-Bahu temple art
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Saas-Bahu temple art
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Saas-Bahu temple art
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Saas-Bahu temple art
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Agni
10th cent. CE, Sihonia, Morena
Fort Museum, Gwalior
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Saptmatrikas
10th cent. CE, Surwaya, Shivpuri
Fort Museum, Gwalior
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Parvati
11th cent. CE, Sihonia, Morena
Fort Museum, Gwalior
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Indra and
Agni
10th cent. CE, Surwaya, Shivpuri
Fort Museum, Gwalior
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State Archaeology Museum (inside Gujjari Mahal), Jai
Vilas Palace, and Scindia Museum |
Dancing
Ganesha
10th cent. CE, Padhawal, Morena
State Archaeology Museum
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Mother and
child
10th cent. CE, Bagh-Dhar
State Archaeology Museum
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Vaman,
10th cent. CE, Narwar, Shivpuri
State Archaeology Museum
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Nayika
10th cent. CE, Sihonia, Morena
State Archaeology Museum
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Agni
10th cent. CE, Sihonia, Morena
State Archaeology Museum
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Nayika
10th cent. CE, Sihonia, Morena
State Archaeology Museum
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Mother and
child
7th cent. CE, Badoh, Vidisha
State Archaeology Museum
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Dancing
Ganesha
10th cent. CE, Padhawal, Morena
State Archaeology Museum
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Gujjari mahal, a.k.a ...
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... State
Archaeology museum
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Jai Vilas
palace (of the Scindias)
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Behind the
facade
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Durbar hall
Scindia museum, Gwalior
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Leda and the
swan
Scindia museum, Gwalior
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Where the
tigers are
Scindia museum, Gwalior
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Average room
Scindia museum, Gwalior
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