Forts In Gwalior: List Of 8 Forts And Historical Monuments In Gwalior

December 26, 2018

Gwalior is a major city located in the northernmost part of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Gwalior has been the cradle of several dynasties that ruled it for years. The historical influence is clearly seen in the various royal structures that dominate the cityscape. Gwalior continues to retain an aura of medieval majesty even today.

The city has retained the ancient Indian traditions along with the wealth of music over the years. The Gwalior Gharana is one of the oldest Khayal Gharanas. Legendary musicians like Tansen and Baiju Bawara belonged to Gwalior. It also has a significant history in sports because the wizard of Hockey, Dhyan Chand, hailed from this city.

Why Go There? History Exploration | Majestic Architecture | Culture & Tradition

Ideal For: Family Trips | Spiritual Enlightenment | Educational Tours | Religious Trips

Trivia: Gwalior is named as ‘Tourism Capital of Madhya Pradesh’ because of its rich tourist attractions.

Things To Bring Back: Chanderi Sarees, dolls and hand-woven carpets, Papier Mache items, jewelry and handloom items.

Forts in Gwalior: Historical Monuments In Gwalior: 2018 List

Monuments in Gwalior	Region
The Gwalior Fort	Gwalior District
Jai Vilas Palace Museum	Lashkar
Tansen’s Mausoleum	Tansen Nagar
Man Singh Palace	Gwalior Fort, Gwalior district
The Sun Temple	Morar
The Sas Bahu Temple	Fort campus
Gujari Mahal	Lohamandi
Teli Ka Mandir	Fort campus

Forts In Gwalior: Complete Guide To Historical Places In Gwalior

1. Gwalior Fort

The Gwalior Fort is one of the most popular historical monuments. The inscriptions and monuments found within what is now the fort complex indicate that it may have existed as early as the beginning of the 6th century. The fort stands on a steep, unscalable rock overlooking the city and is also known as ‘The Gibralter Of India’.

Distance From City Centre: 6 Km

Entry fee: Indian- Rs 75; Foreigner- Rs 250

Things To Do In Gwalior Fort:

Explore the monument
Enrich yourself with the heritage
Enjoy the sound and light show (Hindi version- 7:30 pm, English version- 8:30 pm).

2. Jai Vilas Palace Museum

If you have an interest in history and architecture, then you must visit the Jai Vilas Palace. It was designed by Michael Filose and built by Maharaja Jayaji Rao Scindia in 1874. This fort in Gwalior is an astounding example of fine European architecture in India. This palace serves as a museum now. From chandeliers to carpets, everything about this palace expresses elegance and regality.

Distance From City Centre: 3.4 Km

Entry Fee: Indian- Rs 120; Foreigner- Rs 800

Timings: 10 AM to 4:45 PM (April- September); 10 AM to 4:30 PM (October- March)

Best Way To Get There: Any public transport can take you to the Palace.

Things To Do At Jai Vilas Palace Museum:

Feed your mind with the many historical marvels.
Enhance your knowledge with the exhibit of the world’s largest pair of chandeliers, Malabar furniture, oil paintings, silver train, and much more.
See the excellent collection of artifacts belonging to the 19th and 20th-century.

3. Tansen’s Mausoleum

Tansen’s Mausoleum is one of the greatest sites that Gwalior possesses. It is a prominent historical site of Madhya Pradesh. Tansen was one of the nine jewels of Akbar’s court and is a legendary Hindustani classical music figure. His tomb is located inside the mausoleum complex of his Sufi Master, Muhammad Ghaus, in Gwalior. The tomb displays simple Mughal architecture and is a major tourist attraction in Gwalior. This fort in Gwalior is not like a traditional fort, however it is beautiful enough to make this list.

Distance From City Centre: 4.9 Km

Timings: 9 AM to 6 PM

Things To Do At Tansen’s Mausoleum:

Experience the rich culture
Music lovers and history buffs must visit this place, attend the annual festival called ‘Tansen Samaroh’ which is organized here.

4. Man Singh Palace

Man Singh Palace is located within the Gwalior Fort and is a superb example of Hindu architecture of the 14th and 15th century. This Gwalior fort is spread over an area of 3 km and comprises of six such palaces. The Man Singh Palace was made under the rule of Tomar ruler Raja Man Singh. Construction of the palace was done between 1486 and 1516.

Distance From City Centre: 6 Km

Things To Do At Man Singh Palace:

Look at the enriching historical significance.
Look at the artifacts and infrastructure.

5. Sun Temple

The Surya Mandir or Sun Temple is one of the most mesmerizing shrines as well as an architectural wonder of Gwalior. It is built on the lines of the Sun Temple at Konark, Orissa, and is dedicated to the holy Sun God. It was constructed in the year 1988 by the famous industrialist G.D. Birla. The temple is a magnificent amalgam of exquisite architecture in red sandstone and pearly white marble. This serves as an example of modern forts in Gwalior.

Distance From City Centre: 6.4 Km

Things To Do At The Sun Temple:

Visit the Suraj Kund temple
Visit the tomb of Ghaus Mohammad
Photography
Sight-seeing

6. Sasbahu Temple

The Sasbahu Temple is a twin temple in Gwalior built in the 11^th century. It is near the Gwalior Fort and dedicated to Vishnu in his Padmanabha form. Just like most Hindu and Jain temples in this region, it is mostly in ruins and was damaged due to several invasions and Hindu-Muslim wars in the region. According to an inscription found in the larger part of the twin temple, it was built in 1093 by King Mahipala of the Kachchhapaghata dynasty.

Distance From City Centre: 6 Km

Things To Do At The Sasbahu Temple:

Visit the Dargah Khwaja Kanoon Sahib
Explore the amazing architecture
Sight-seeing
Photography

7. Gujari Mahal

The palace of Gujari Mahal was built by Raja Man Singh Tomar for his wife, Mrignayani. The palace has been converted into an archaeological museum now. Rare artifacts at the museum include Hindu and Jain sculptures that date back to the 1st and 2nd centuries BC. There is a miniature statue of Salabhanjika, terracotta items and replicas of frescoes that can be seen in the Bagh Caves. While the name literally translates to Gujari Palace, we felt this was an important monument to include in our list of these forts in Gwalior.

Distance From City Centre: 6 Km

Things To Do At The Gujari Mahal:

Marvel at the stone idols, statues, stone inscriptions, etc.
Take an educational tour
Photography
Enhance your historical knowledge

8. Teli Ka Mandir

Teli Ka Mandir is a temple dedicated to Vishnu, Shiva and Matrikas. The period of its construction is not documented and is said to be between the early 8th and early 9th century. It is an unusual Hindu temple with a rectangular sanctum instead of the typical square one. It integrates the architectural elements of the Nagara style and the Valabhi Prasada that look like the Dravidian wagon-vault topped gopuram superstructure. The temple is based on a Pratihara-Gopagiri style North Indian architecture.

Distance From City Centre: 8.4 Km

Things to do at the Teli Ka Mandir: