Heritage landmarks of Central India

Heritage landmarks of Central India

 

Awesome Gwalior Fort

 

Gwalior Fort

 

For those who are in love with heritage monuments and are planning a trip soon, why not visit Gwalior Fort, the most reachable destination in Central India. The historic city has witnessed the reign of great Indian dynasties ranging from Pratiharas to Kachwahas and Tomars to Scindias. The massive fort dominates the city skyline and it was our premier visiting destination in the city.

 

Rising at a height of 35 feet and being the most unconquerable fort in the country, the glorious fort stands witness to landmark historical events. We negotiated through a steep winding road at the entrance and sighted the Gujari Mahal that showcases impressive architecture from the medieval times. 

 

The 15^th century monument was built in loving memory of the Gujjar queen, Mrignayani and there are rare antiques displayed at the Archaeological Museum in the monument.

 

Man Mandir Palace in Gwalior Fort

 

We proceeded uphill and came across Man Mandir Palace that was established by Raja Mansingh of Tomar dynasty. The palace is a fabulous example of Hindu architecture and its ambience echoes with the chivalry of Rajput rulers. The fort has other prominent attractions like Teli ka Mandir and Sas-Bahu ka Mandir. 

 

Teli ka Mandir- a 19^th century monument soaring at a height of 100 ft presents an exotic blend of Dravidian and Indo-Aryan art. Tourists should not miss on Scindia School in the fort complex.

 

For those intending to take a peek into the royal lifestyle of Scindias, a visit to Jai Vilas Museum that forms the present residence of the royal Scindia clan is the right thing to do.

 

Maharaja Jiwaji Rao Scindia Museum

 

A portion of the place has been transformed into Maharaja Sir Jiwaji Rao Scindia Museum way back in 1964. Built in 1874, the palace is an Italian structure with the life-size statue of Sir Jiwaji Rao Scindia at the entrance. 

 

The icons of Scindia dynasty starting from the founder of the family-Maharaja Mahadji Scindia to the present member- Jyotiraditya Scindia are all framed in portraits. The museum has a host of galleries including coins gallery, carpet gallery, textile gallery, manuscript gallery, Nepal and Kashmir Art gallery, Malabar furniture, French furniture, Jacobean furniture gallery and Belgian cut glass gallery. Tourists should take a peek at Gwalior Sangeet Gharana that shows off an array of stringed instruments. The most astonishing item was a silver train chugging on miniature rails at the grand Durbar Hall.

Heroic flavours of Jhansi

 

Around 98 km from Gwalior is the fabled town of Jhansi in the heart of Bundelkhand region and the destination that is synonymous with the valiant deeds of Rani Lakshmi Bai that continues to reverberate in the hearts of millions. Jhansi has diverse attractions with forts, palaces and shrines and is rarely visited by tourists.

Amod Garden, Jhansi Fort

 

At Jhansi, we dropped in at Rani Mahal, the former residence of Lakshmi Bai. The 18^th century palace was the brainchild of Raghunath II of Nawalkar dynasty that was converted into one of the residences of Lakshmi Bai. The palace has a flat roof with double storied structure on all three sides except the western side and there is a quadrangular courtyard. 

 

Rani Mahal has many rooms, six halls and parallel corridors with multi-fold arches that are done up in red colours flaunting floral and faunal designs. There are curios displayed on the ground floor comprising sculptural works collected from Barwasagar, Madanpur and Chandanpur of Jhansi and Lalitpur districts.

 

Our major attraction was Jhansi Fort snuggled on Bangra Hill, built by Bundela chief, Bir Singh Ju Deo dating back to 1613 AD. The famed fort sprawling over 16 acres of land has 10 gates and was once under the domain of Mughals, Marathas and British for a considerable period of time. It was under the stronghold of Rani Lakshmi Bai who had thrown the gauntlet against the Raj rule during Sepoy Mutiny in 1857. 

 

We checked into the major attractions of the fort like Kadak Bijli Canon and Panch Mahal- the three-tier storied building that formed the residence of Rani Lakshmi Bai and her husband, Raja Gangadhar Rao. There is Kal Kothri, the prison built by the Marathas and the well-known Jumping Spot that marked the escape point for the great queen from the hands of the British.

 

Bhopal- the heart of Malwa

 

Bhopal was founded by the legendary Paramar ruler of Dhar, Raja Bhojadeva sometime back in 11^th century A D while the princely state and the present day city of Bhopal has been the discovery of Afghan ruler- Dost Mohammad way back in 1723. During the rise of British rule in India, Bhopal was the second largest Muslim state and remained a separate state till in 1949 when it joined with Independent India.

 

On our premier visit to the city back in 2000, we travelled to Bhojpur that lies around 28 km from the city. The quaint little hamlet of Bhojpur is well-known for 12^th century Bhojeshwar temple that honours Lord Shiva. 

 

The shrine is a protected monument and is popular as “Somnath of the East.” It attracts devotees in droves and is set on a raised stone ramp with its ornate dome supported by four huge pillars with tapering ends representing an amazing structure. 

 

The giant lingam in the sanctum rests on a huge square-shaped platform measuring 21.5 feet and is composed of three limestone blocks. It is the rare architectural gem that makes the lingam light and solid. The interiors of the shrine comprise a large ornate ceiling with concentric rings that have impressive mythical figures engraved.

 

From Bhojpur, we returned to the walled city that wears a traditional look with the bustling Chowk and vibrant markets.

 

Taj-ul-Masjid

 

We had a glimpse of Taj-ul-Masjid, the largest mosque in India that was established by Shah Jehan Begum, the queen of Bhopal. The towering mosque is characterized by inter-arched roof, broad façade and a large courtyard that makes it stand apart from other Indian mosques. Some of the other popular monuments belonging to medieval period are Jama Masjid with gold spikes adorning the minarets, Moti Masjid, and Sadar Manzil.

World-famous Stupas of Sanchi

 

Quite close to Bhopal is the Buddhist landmark of Sanchi that is nearly 10 km from Vidisha in Raisen district on the Itarsi-Jhansi section of Central Railways. Sanchi is a picturesque, tranquil getaway that has many global tourists. It was the Mauryan Emperor, Ashoka, the great Buddhist patron who laid the foundation of a Buddhist bastion on Sanchi hill or Vedisagiri in search of peace and tranquillity with a view to lead an austere life.

 

Listed as UNESCO’s World Heritage Site, Sanchi is renowned the world over for its magnificent stupas, monasteries, temples and uniquely carved pillars that are open from sunrise to sunset. The centuries-old stupas came up between 3^rd century BC to 12^th century AD and stand witness to glorious Buddhist era.

 

Sanchi Stupa No 1

 

We first headed to Stupa No.1; a brilliant piece of architecture set up by Emperor Ashoka as early as 2^nd century BC and has been carved from Chunar sandstone. Being the oldest stone structure in India, the stupa has a huge plastered dome in the form of a hemisphere crowned by a triple umbrella. There are the renowned Four Gateways- Eastern, Western, Northern and Southern gateway that provide unforgettable glimpses of Buddha’s journey of life towards enlightenment in the form of exquisite carvings.

 

The best thing about going to the Great Stupa 1 at Sanchi is that one can get to view the Four Gateways. We gazed at the lofty gateways that portray the Jataka Tales that have been finely chiselled with rich motifs and serve as best examples of early classical art.

 

Near the Southern Gateway is Stupa No3 that is decorated by an umbrella. We also sighted the 5^th century Gupta Temple lying in ruins that represent one of the earliest examples of Indian temple art. The lion capital of the Ashokan Pillar is preserved in the museum run by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).