Gwalior is a remarkable city famous for its palaces, forts, history, and heritage. It is the summer capital of Madhya Pradesh and home to the famous musician Tansen. The Gwalior Fort, sitting atop a hill with winding roads, used to be the seat of several kingdoms that ruled the state. This formidable fort overlooks the city below and gives a panoramic view.
The historic city Gwakior was built by King Suraj Sen. Even after going through several dynasties, the richness of the city is still intact. The flavour of royalty oozes throughout the city in its architecture and other monuments such as rock-cut temples and sandstone mosques, etc. The origin of the name of the city has an interesting story. The King Suraj Sen when lost his way in the jungle, it was Sage Gwalipa who directed him and recommended the Suraj Kund which cured him of his leprosy. The city was named after this sage.
Being the hometown of Tansen, Gwalior is also known as the City of Music. It is also his resting place. The Gwalior city houses several of and oldest kharanas or schools of Hindustani Classical Music. Sarod Ghar, the first-ever museum to show musical instruments was here in Gwalior.
The fourth largest city of Madhya Pradesh, Gwalior is surrounded by hills and green trees. The city is located on the border of the Yamuna-Ganga river basin. The city has hot and humid weather in general. With hot summers and cold winters, the city has a varying climate each year. You can enjoy kachoris and poha, two of the popular dishes in the city. As for the major industries around the city, paper mache items and leather goods are the main industries in the handicraft department.
Famous Places to Visit
- Gwalior Fort is a magnificent fort spreading across 3 km above a hill that overlooks the city. The fort complex has several structures inside it. It used to be formidable and impenetrable for enemies. The fort is visible from all parts of the city. It is located just 2 km from the city and the approaching roads are winding through dry areas.
- Gujari Mahal is one of the most beautiful structures inside the Gwalior Fort. This was built by Raja Man Singh. The mahal now houses an archaeological museum that displays various historical and religious artefacts of Hinduism and Jainism.
- Saas Bahu Temple: Hugely mispronounced, Saas Bahu temple is in fact, Sahastrabahu Temple, referring to Lord Vishnu with several hands. It is a seven-storied temple with stone carvings and excellent ancient architecture. The temple was constructed during the Kacchapaghata Dynasty by King Mahipal. It is located about 4km from the Gwalior bus stand.
- Jai Vilas Mahal is the palace built by Jayaji Rao Scindia, the King of Gwalior. Spread across 75 acres, the palace has some spectacular architecture inside it. The palace is the residence of the current titular king but many parts of it are open to the public. The public can visit these 35 rooms including the museum.
- Man Mandir Palace is a beautiful building built by Man Singh Tomar from the Omar Dynasty. The palace is made in Rajput architecture with stonewalls and other structures. There is a Jauhar Kund where the Rajpur women used to commit suicide to preserve their honour. It is located just 2 km from Gwalior city.
- Phool Bagh is a huge complex consisting of a residential palace, a huge garden, a museum, and a few other buildings. The garden was built by Madho Rao Scindia and inaugurated in 1922 by the then Prince of Wales. Ever since it has become a popular location to hang out in the evening.
- Suraj Kund is 3-4 km off the Gwalior bus stand. It is a large water reservoir. It is believed that the founder of the city Raja Suraj Sen had leprosy. When he happened to drink water from this tank, his leprosy miraculously vanished. Thus Suraj Kund is believed to have healing powers and has heightened its tourism prospects. The serene environment and clean water is a must-visit.
Best Time to Visit
Gwalior has a humid climate with extreme weather conditions, depending on the season. Due to the humidity, the monsoon season can be a bit tricky. Visiting in summer is not recommended since the temperature can soar high and the sun can be unbearable, especially since you have a lot of ground to cover. The best time to visit Gwalior city is the winter season from October to March. The temperature during this time will be comfortable during the day. The night temperature can be too cold but you will be able to tolerate it much better than in the hot season.
Buses and Railway Connectivity
Gwalior has a direct connection through railways from various cities in India, not just from the neighbouring states. You can find direct trains from Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Dehradun, Hyderabad, Jammu, Kanyakumari, Kolkata, Mumbai, Nagpur,
Patna, Thiruvananthapuram, Vishakhapatnam, etc.
By road, the connection to Gwalior is from all the neighbouring states as well as from Delhi. You can reach here from Agra, Bhopal, Lucknow, Jaipur, Indore, Jhansi etc. Several interstate buses operated by the government RTC and other private buses, city buses etc are available in Gwalior for easy transportation.
Famous Bus Routes from Gwalior
- Gwalior to Bhopal
- Gwalior to Delhi
- Gwalior to Indore
- Gwalior to Jaipur
- Gwalior to Kota
- Gwalior to Shivpuri
Famous Bus Routes to Gwalior
- Bhopal to Gwalior
- Guna to Gwalior
- Indore to Gwalior
- Jaipur to Gwalior
- Kota to Gwalior
- Shivpuri to Gwalior
Conclusion
Gwalior has come a long way from the dynastic rule to become an industrially important city of Madhya Pradesh and an educational hub. The upgraded bus transport system connects the city to other parts. You can now do the Gwalior online bus booking with redBus for cheaper tickets. You can choose from different options and get the most economical Gwalior bus tickets to visit the city. There are no hassles in this process and you can manage the tickets later if you need.
