The Hill Fort, Gwalior Fort is in Madhya Pradesh, India. Gwalior is a major city in Madhya Pradesh, located about 340 kilometers south of Delhi.
The Gwalior Fort
The exact period of Gwalior Fort’s construction is not certain. The existence of the Gwalior Fort is estimated to be at least since 10th century. But there are some inscriptions and monuments found within the fort campus which suggest its existence as early as the beginning of 6th century.
Gujari Mahal and Man Mandir are two main palaces in the fort. It consists of a defensive structure. These palaces were built by Man Singh Tomar who reigned between 1486 and 1516 CE. Gujari Mahal is now an archaeological museum, which was built for the Queen Mrignayani.
Structure and Monuments
The Fort covers an area of about 3 square kilometers and has a maximum height of 11 meters. The protective barrier is built around the edge of a hill which is connected by six bastions or towers. There are a number of palaces, temples and water tanks within the fort premises.
Major Monuments are…
- Jain Temples
- Teli ka mandir
- Garuda Monument
- Sahasrabahu (Sas-Bahu) Temple
- Gurdwara Data Bandi Chhor
There are eleven Jain Temples inside the Fort dedicated to the Jain Tirthankaras. During the Mughal invasion in 1527, the Gwalior Fort was attacked by Babar and his army which defaced some of the statues in the temples.
Different Palaces within the Fort are…
- Man Mandir Palace
- Hathi Pol
- Karn Mahal
- Vikram Mahal
- Chhatri of Bhim Singh Rana
Gujri Mahal is now a museum. There are several other monuments built inside the fort including Scindia School founded by Madhao Rao Scindia in 1897.
