Places of Tourist
Interest
This
city is famous for the Gwalior Fort. The invincible sandstone fortress
dominates the city. With magnificent outer walls and beautiful palaces
inside.
Following
are the main tourist attractions :
Man
Mandir Palace
Built
by Raja Mansingh with vast halls and carved stone screens. A superb son
et lumiere, is held here every evening.
Gujari
Mahal
A
marvel of 15th century architecture, the palace was Raja Mansingh's gift
to his favourite queen Mriganayani.
Sas
Bahu Ka Mandir and Teli Ka Mandir
Two
graceful temples dedicated to lord Vishnu, in a unique blend of architectural
styles.
Jai
Vilas Palace and Museum
The
current residence of the royal Scindia family, the palace is an Italianate
structure with an imposing Durbar Hall. Decorated with tapestries and antique
furniture.
Tansen's
Tomb
Memorial
to the legendary singer who was one of the 'nine jewels' in court of emperor
Akbar.
Some
more places to visit are -
-
Upper
& Lower Lakes
-
Laxmi
Narayan Temple
-
Birla
Museum
-
Kilol
Park
-
Kamla
Park
-
Moti Masjid
-
Sadar
Manzil
-
Taj-ul-Masjid
You can
also drive past Vidhan Sabha, Tagore Memorial and The National Archives.
Bhojpur
was founded by Raja Bhoj and has the ruins of a Shiva Temple. The symbol
of Shiva the Lingam, is a huge monolith. In Bhimbetka about 700 rock shelters
belonging to the neolithic age, have been discovered. Over 500 caves have
paintings of pre-historic man.
Visit
the Kanch Mandir, Jain Shrine worked in glass beads, Lal Bagh Palace and
the New Palace.
The
world famous Khajuraho temples were built by the Chandela kings between
950 AD and 1050 AD. The most important are the Chaunset Yogini Temple dedicated
to Goddess Kali , The Mahadev Temple , Chitragupta or Bharatji Temple with
a lovely image of 11 headed Vishnu,
Vishvanath
and Nandi Temples, Lakshmana Temple,
Visha Temple of Shiva, which is the
largest and most typical of temples. Visit the Eastern group of temples
that consist of the Parasvanath Temple - the only Jain Temple surviving
at Khajuraho and has excellent sculptures on the outer walls of the Sanctum,
the Javeri Temple dedicated to Vishnu. The other temples in this group
are those dedicated to Brahma, Yamuna and Adinath.
The
city of joy is famed for stories of the love of King Baz Bahadur, for his
consort, Rani Rupmati. Originally the capital of the Hindu Parmar Kings
in the 13th century it was later captured by the
Sultans
of Malwa. See the palaces, baths, pavilions, each an architectural gem
in the Afghan style, mosques and tombs of great beauty.
The
Great Stupa: The oldest stone structure in India, the stupa has magnificently
carved gateways or toranas. Amongst the finest examples of Buddhist art.
The four gateways are each worth studying. Ashoka Pillar: Lies near the
southern gateway. One of the finest examples of Ashokan pillars. Gupta
Temple: This 5th century AD temple, is one of the earliest known examples
of temple architecture in India.
68
kms from Bhopal, Sanchi has the distinction of having the finest specimens
of almost all Buddhist architectural forms, Stupa, Chaitya, Temples and
Monasteries dating from 3rd century BC.
156
square kms in area, the Madhav National Park of Shivpuri
is open throughout
the year. With a varied terrain of wooded hills, it offers abundant opportunities
of sighting a variety of wildlife. The predominant species that inhabits
the park is the deer, the commonest of them being the dainty chinkara,
the Indian gazelle and the chital. Other common species are nilgai, sambar,
blackbuck, sloth bear, leopard and the langur.
Ujjain
is one of the holiest and oldest cities of India and was an important place,
during the reign of Ashoka , in spreading Buddhism. Famous for its Jyotirlinga
shrine at Onkareshwar , it is one of the seven sacred cities of India .
Once in 12 years , the mammoth 'Kumbh Mela' festival is held here. The
ancient shrine of Mahakala is among its attraction.
It
was the capital of the Bundela Rajputs between 1531 and 1783.
The palaces and temples built by them retain much of
their
pristine perfection. Some of the palaces were decorated with painted murals
which represent the finest flowering of the
Bundela
school of painting.
Jehangir
Mahal
Within
the fort complex, built in the 17th century to commemorate the visit of
Emperor Jehangir. Its strong lines are
counter - balanced by delicate chhatris and trellis work.
Raj
Mahal
The
interior of the palace is painted with boldly colourful murals on a variety
of religious themes.
Ram Raja Temple
With soaring spires, an unusual temple
that was once a palace. Here Lord Rama is worshipped as king.
Chaturbhuj
Temple
Built
on a massive stone platform, the temple is reached by a steep flight of
stairs.
Laxmi
Narayan Temple
The
interiors contain the most exquisite of Orchha's wall paintings.
Cenotaphs
Fourteen memorials to Orchha rulers by the the banks of the Betwa river.
Rai
Praveen Mahal
Set
in landscaped gardens, a brick palace for the poetess and musician Rai
Praveen, who captivated Raja Indramani in the 17th century. |