Grand Gwalior, - Outstanding Orchha, - Salaam Shivpuri------- All in One.
I owe my thanks to two people, my friend Gora and my husband Asim. Asim was the one who, for a long time was after these three places, we were aware of the rich heritage, culture, history, but it was Asim who insisted Gwalior, Orchha and Shivpuri would be our next destination. The major effort, therefore obviously, the much deserved credit goes to Gora, as a planner to the core and a perfectionist to the T. If I can use the much accustomed cliché A to Z it was Gora’s labor. Travel arrangements, all bookings, routes of travel, the food et al, he took charge.
If these are aligned, your travel is going to be exotic and enjoyable goes without saying.
These sites were a surprise for us in many respects apart from the historic and heritage value, the beauty, the archaeology, the structures, the engineering excellence behind them and the most important, the cleanliness and the maintenance of the places, which made the trip from a sightseeing sojourn to a journey which left us awed and satisfied.
Train journeys have their own charm. But can trains alone by themselves be charming ? Right, with train, more important is 'who is with you, who is your company'. And who can be better company than Sonali , my friend more, and then Gora's better half. One person who is game for every thing be it chai for the third, time or munching peanuts or enjoying the passing scenery or indulging in serious political dialogue. Both our journeys to and fro by train was replete with all those small pleasures which only a train journey can give, the frequent chais, accompanying hustle bustle every time it stopped at a station, the entry of new faces, the passing scenery and the luxury of a small nap whenever you desire. Munching your home cooked food is a luxury which is proved by its quick disappearance. The fact of the matter was the train journey was an excellent beginning for a much awaited holiday.
Kudos to the MPTDC for maintaining their properties so well -----well in every sense. The cleanliness, the manicured lawns, the colorful flower beds, the rooms, the areas ----be it reception or dining. It gave you a feeling of being treated with courtesy and care. Tell me what else is needed. Not to forget the food, deliciously cooked and appetizingly presented. At the end something inside tells you it was a day worth it
The locals say “Shipri” i.e. Shivpuri, Place of Shiv, our first halt.
Shivpuri was famous as a summer retreat of the Scindias. The majestic aura is visible in the decorative marble chartis, forest reserve home to several species of birds and animals, forests visible at a distance, greenery, vast waterbody, the lake, transport you from the present scenario to its past glory and vice versa. From its eloquent past it brings you to the present environment.
Shivpuri has a vast and long history starting from the times of Mahabharata, followed by Mauryas, Nagars, Gurjars, Chandelas and of course the Lodhis and Mughals. But the region mainly remained under the Scindias and Britishers before independence.
The first place of visit was the forest reserve. They call it the ‘Jungle Safari’. Wild animals are rare, infect unseen, they are ensconced in their own hide outs. What you get to see is deers of all shapes, size and colour, spotted and plain, black and brown, males and females. For city breds like us, that itself is a pleasurable sight. Deers, fearless, free, giving us passers by a side glance and going back to their grazing.
You get to see birds, whose names are unknown to us, but when they fly away at the sound of our approaching vehicle they show their brightly coloured plumes, you once again think of God’s artistry in all that he created. Birds with their beauty and colour leave wanting for more. Here in the wilderness, they give you a feeling of abandon in their flight. A glimpse of their colorful beauty leave you enthralled, enthralled because they are sights absent in your concrete jungle and cacophony of city sounds. A ride through the greenery by itself is refreshing.
The national park was made in 1958. It was Madhav Rao Scandia, s property and it served as his hunting ground. There are no villages inside this area. Water holes and stables were present for the horses. Tenue leaves, Katha plants, kasha trees are some trees we heard of but saw it now.
All through we drove alongside the Sakhya Sagar Lake named After Rani Sakhya. It is moon shaped, so it is also known as Chand sagar lake.
Pic
of Chand sagar lake.
At a height of 1560 feet, at the top most point of the forest is the King George castle. It was specially built for King George to enjoy hunting. As he didn’t come, it remained unused. It was built by Jiyajee Rao Scindia. From this castle you can view the scenic beauty of the lake. King George castle proudly shows off Belgian glass used in the ventilators, western toilets, bath tubs, decorated ceilings, columns, multiple arches. It reflects the luxury that ‘was’ way back in that era.
Pic
of King George castle.
Pahari jal mandir speaks of water brought from Sivpuri,36 kms away.
Bhava Kho towers are ‘Machans’used for shikar.
In Shivpuri you can see the Chatris of Scindia dynasty. It gives an insight into their rich history and glorious past. Madhav Rao Scindia I and Maharani Sakhya Raja Scindias Chatris face each other. The architecture shows an amalgamation of Hindu and Islamic style. Hindu Kalash and Mughal dome created side by side, adds both beauty and elegance. Family deities present are regularly offered prayers and taken care of with reverence.
Pic
of Madahav Rao Chatri side view.
Pic
of Chatri from front.
The Madhav Rao Scindia chatri was closed due to an eclipse. The beauty of the filigreed architecture, carved seats, ornamental columns and pillars we could see from outside. That little that we could see was a treat by itself.
Pic of
Shiva linga with in grained Nandi.
Pic of
Rani Sakhya chatri outside front view.
All four of us , Gora, Sonali , Asim and I, have one thing in common , Enthusiasm .We have made trips before , we were always keen on absorbing that came our way .
Visit to the archaeological museum is a must. The ASI looks after its maintenance and display, which is excellent. It exhibits antiquities of diverse nature like prehistoric tools, coins, guns, swords, seals and sculptures. Gallery one is dedicated to the past, Gallery 2 showcases Buddhist architecture and gallery 3 is all about Jain architecture and heritage.
Pic of
Tirthankara.
Pic
of mutilated statue of Tirthankara.
Pic
of Jain religion description.
The boat club is another attraction. It once again gives you a glimpse of past royalty.
The Bhaddaiya kund is a stream which as per locals possesses many healing powers. Also a place for Hindu rituals and rites. In rainy season the waterfall at kund is, it seems superb.
Pic of Bhadyya Kund
SURVAYAGARHI is a gem in midst of village street, huts and houses, where it is least expected. If you ignore it and pass by you have missed a precious part of history.
Pic of
Survaya garhi Monastry from Entrance.
21 Kms away from Shipri (like to use this name for the quaint feeling it gives) holds a special place in history for its remnants of a fort, Hindu temples and baori. All praises to our archaeologists for this difficult preservation of our ancient heritage. The entrance to Survaya garhi is through a village, its streets lined by small houses, shops, cattle sheds and tied cattles. When you reach Survaya garhi, huge wooden gate faces you. Protruding nails look dangerous, main purpose was to resist outside attack specially elephants.
Pic. main Temple
remains.
Till we saw Survaya Garhi we never knew
such a legacy existed. The next
surprise was that ,in spite of its
out of
the way location, left alone
because of our
ignorance of history and
places, the site is
meticulously maintained
,every nook and
corner ,every stone, every building ,clean to
the core waiting for
your visit and appreciation .The ruins
show the teacher’s
rooms ,the student’s rooms , the hostel, most important
the stepwell ,the lifeline
of any place …..the
main water source ,the
study are4a , the meditation
area, the kitchen, open spaces , it
had everything to encourage the
teaching –learning process
,at the
same time giving meditation
also a prime
place to enhance and absorb learning. Away from the main
stream at this distance it was expected that imparting and imbibing of
knowledge will get its most desirable environment.
PIc. Second temple with Underground water tank of Survaya Garhi Fort,
Outstanding
Orchha,
The Legacy of Orchha is captured in stone by the Bundela kings who ruled the region in the 16th and 17thy century. The beautiful exteriors are complimented by interiors showing the prowess of Bundela school of painting. You can see many small temples and shrines and memorials which stand testimony to the rich culture, heritage, history and heroism of the place called Orchha.
Raja Ram Mandir.
Our first visit was to the Ram Raja temple. In this temple Lord Ram is worshipped as Raja, as elsewhere he is worshipped as ‘God’. Madhukar Shah, the King was a worshipper of Lord Krishna, while his wife Ganesh Kunwari was an ardent devotee of Lord Ram. She brought an idol of her favourite God to Orchha from Ayodhya. As the Chaturbhuj temple was yet to be readied Lord Ram’s statue was placed in a palace. But to every one’s surprise once the temple was ready it was impossible to move the statue. The Rani remembered that the Lord’s wish was to remain in the place where it was first installed. Hence the present temple is the one which was constructed to house the Lord. It is known for its palace architecture.
You go up a steep flight of stairs to reach the sanctum sanctorum of the Charbhuja temple, with the statues of Ram, Site and Lakshman.Lotus and other religious symbols can be seen outside but the inside is relatively plain with high vaulted walls.
Pic.Grand Entry to Chaturbhuja Temple.
Pic.Grand Side View of 4 story Charbhuja Temple.
The extraordinary and rich Jahangir Mahal was solely built to welcome emperor Jahangir. Jahangir Mahal took 12 years to be completed. Two elephant structures, one with garland and the other with a bell was constructed as a welcome symbol for Jehangir.
Pic.Jahangir Mahal Grand 5 story entrance gate.
Pic. View of courtyard of Jahangir mahal.
Pic. Views of Beauty of Jahangir mahal.
Pic.Filigree carvings in Jahangir mahal.
From the Jahangir Mahal top, you can Sheesh Mahal, Raja Mahal, Vishnu Temple Ram Raja temple, Lakshmi temple and the cenotaphs by the side of the Betwa river.
The Raja Mahal was built by Madhukar Shah. While the exteriors were plain, the interiors showcased colourful murals on religious themes, keeping in tune with Madhukar Shah’s highly religious inclinations.
Dining room view In Raja mahal.
PIc . Wall painting in Raja mahal. Elephant caught by MagarAnd saving of Elephant by Vishnu.
The king used the DIwan-e-Khas for conference with ministers. The Ranis were allowed to view from the jharokas. One room had beautiful frescos on the ceiling .one sat down to have Food served on ‘Tact’s’.
Six rooms belonged to Madhukar Shah Ji, while he used the center room, the rest were for the Ranis. Don’t think they had any less modern facilities like ours. Changing rooms, eastern type toilets, supply of hot water and the natural cosmetics …. rose petals, sandalwood, honey et al. Not to forget the numerous maids at their beck and call.
Abul Fazal one of the nine gems of Akbar’s court, known for his lucid prose in Akbar Nama was beheaded by Bir Singh on the instruction of Salim as Abul Fazal opposed his coronation to the throne of Delhi.
Raja Mahal is the proud owner of 136 rooms of which 100 are in the basement ,9 angans 8 big domes ,2 Jharokas for musicians, still stand silently to speak of the grandeur of the bygone era. Most of the mind blowing paintings have become dull and faded The architecture is an excellent example of Indo Islamic culture. Stone carved entrances welcome you.
Rai Parveen Mahal was built in honour of Rai Parveen, the beautiful paramour of Raja Indramani. Akbar was so captivated by her voice and beauty that she was summoned to Delhi. She spurred love with the words “……. Binati Rai Parveen Ki, suniye sah sujaan, suchi pathar bhakt he, bari, bayasw, swaan……….” meaning ‘A low caste person, crow and dog eat left over food eaten by someone else.’
Akbar got the message and sent her back with full honors. This place was less frequented by tourists.
Pic.Dancer - Rai Parveen mahal.
The light and sound show: It unfolds the history of Orchha .It narrates the different aspects and facets of Orchha, its discovery and finally its fall. It relates the journey of Raja, his policies, thwarting Akbar’s approach with decency and diplomacy and other stories of bravery love and sacrifice.
Pic.Grand view of Lakshmi Temple.
Pic.Wall Painting On Laxmi temple.
Pic. View of 3 Chatris of Orccha Kings On Bank of Betwa River.
Pic. Chatri of Bir Singh Deo.
The Next thing Sonali and I have in common is our typical Bengali penchant for sweets. Surprise was the two men with us also indulged willingly in this and doubled our enjoyment .Sweets you name it and Viola it is there for you .The problem was ,we two ladies did not know where to stop .We happily indulged in this sinful sin .Anyone in these places by no chance should miss it .
Our intermediate stop-Jhansi Fort.
Entrance to Jhansi Fort.
Jhansi Fort rampart.
The fort was built by Raja Birsingh ji deo atop a hill named bangira, with an area of 10 kms. Banjara was the center of India’s first war of Independence. It was originally known as Bal want nagar.
Raja Birsingh made Jhansi the capital. As we climb, the rampart, military posts and their houses can be seen.
Raja Gangadhar Rao was known for his good nature and administrative abilities. He was a promoter of arts. The same compound has his cenotaph. It was originally known as blatant nagger.
When the Raja lost to the Mughals, all the 8 ranis committed johar. Johari was announced by firing the johar kund cannons.
Entrance to the fort It is a steep climb It has seven gates. The top gate has guns which were used to welcome the British. In 1842 during British times three cannons made of 8 metals were erected. Two machine guns still exist by the gate side. The rest were taken away by the British The third gate was a wooden gate which was destroyed and in its place an iron gate was made.
The Panch Mahal was the living quarters of King Rajaram, who changed rooms every day for security reasons. Raj Sabha was here and the orders for hanging was given here. The last floor was for the servants. Later the Mughals turned it into water storage.
Pic of panch mahal
The courtyard also has the Samadhi of Motibai and Gulam Ghaus and Khuda Baksh. Khuda Baksh is the famous horse rider of Jhansi Rani on whose back Rani jumped from fort.
The two guns were named ‘Kadak Bijli and Bhavani Shankar, they were operated by Ghulam Ghaus and Moti bai respectively.
The cannon balls travelled 3 kms and the people who fired it jumped into the pond next to protect their ears.
Pic. Of Kadak Bijli Cannon.
Standing at the open space we look down where Jhansi Rani jumped down on her horse with her son. The feeling you get is indescribable. A 19 year olds valiance, patriotism, determination, what should we admire? Difficult to believe she was real of flesh and blood. How much ever we salute her bravery it will always be less.
Pic of Jumping spot of Jhansi Rani.
Here we are the four of us .....from left Gora, Asim , me and Sonali .
She had her own trained women’s army. Felt proud, betrayed, sad to see the spot from where rani jumped to escape to Kalpi, then from Kalpi to Gwalior. She was betrayed by Jivaji scindia who betrayed her and joined the British to inform about her where about, who in turn attacked her.
From the same terrace you can see the Lakshmi talao. A church can be sighted, adjacent to it is the building where the Rani shifted after her husband’s death. Down is the Bhairavi temple exclusively run by women. Below it is the Ganesh temple.
At the Shiv temple below ritually puja was offered by the Raja and rani, in the morning and evenings. On the top of the Shiv temple is the temple of the kuldevi, that is goddess Durga. The terraces around had bastions with small windows to allow day light. Small iron windows were used to fire the guns. The Barood khana, to store ammunitions had three gates.
Pic
of Ganesh temple.
There was twenty-four hours’ security. If peace was desired Kings came on horse with red flag and Gangadhar Rao met them personally on Hathi,
Amod Garden as the name suggests was for the pleasure of Ranis. It also had secret underground roads to escape.
Our Next Place of visit was Gwalior.
The city with its different monuments, chatris, palaces proudly exhibits stunning examples of medieval architecture, antiquities, inscriptions, stone pillars coins, decorative lattices.
7 dynasties ruled the state. Starting 16 the century to 18th century 110 Rajas sat on the throne. Also 200 years of Mughal rule. The last dynasty was the Scindias. A brave Gujjar Rani before agreeing for marriage put forward 3 conditions before agreeing for marriage. She demanded for a separate palace for herself, water for her village and no purdah (a bold demand by all means).
Pics of Gwalior fort
It seems Babar wanted Gwalior palace to remain safe and untouched. Babar described Gwalior fort appropriately as the pearl among all forts. It is supposed to be the most impregnable fort.
From information collected Baijiu Bawra was the music teacher taught music in the music room. The filigreed architecture of the music room should see. Gujrat dancers performed the Dandier and garba. The courtyard of the Diwan-e –khas had columns beautifully architectured.
Pics
Of Balconies of Diwan e Khas
The queens could watch from the balconies opposite. There were huge pots to hold oil for lighting. The ranis saw the dancing in mirrors reflected by the oil lamps. There was a makeup room for dancers and the walls were engraved with ghungroos. The Baradari was used for the performance of mujras.
There was lotus carved pillars. the Shrishti chakra Brahmma, Vishnu and Shiv.
Pic of lotus
pillar
There was a mythological figure having the face of an elephant, neck of the tiger and body of a crocodile. The guide showed it to us but he was unable to say what it signified.
The festival flag was a dancing peacock. The Rajas study room’s ceiling had the engraving of Ashok chakra. Mughals destroyed the 30 alcoves in the puja room which displayed the statues for deities.
Dasis with Ghungroos acted as alarms to wake up people at every “Prahar”
There existed underground roads leading to Jhansi and Agra.
The Raja had a summer bedroom.
The jhoola room had eight jhoolas for the eight ranis. Later the same room was converted into the ‘‘Phansy room ‘All ventilation was closed and the room became a jail. Akbar’s son Murad was hung over here.
Vikram Mahal was taken by Aurangzeb and later reestablished by Raja Man Singh.
Also present is the Sufi saint Ghaus Mohammad’s tomb. Its architecture shows touches and influence of Gujarat.
The Tansen tomb hosts annually the Tansen musical festival to honour the most accomplished artist.
Influence of Konarak is seen in the Sun temple.
Sarod Ghar houses the music museum. It also has a natural history section.
Dedicated to the royal family are the royal chatris …. grand and elaborate. Maharani Laxmi Bai chatri commemorates her bravery and recalls her sacrifice.
Mriga nayani was Mansinghs Gurjar queen in whose honour Gurjar Mahal was erected.
Pic
Of Manmandir palace
The Manmandir palace is built on a sand stone hill is a four storeyed palace. It looks over the city with four colossal cylindrical towers. It shows features of Rajput architecture. Surah kund was the water reservoir built to store the miracle waters of spring. It is inside the fort and along with it is the Surya mandir as well as the Hanuman mandir.
Two temples are worth seeing. One is ‘Teli ka mandir’ (built by an oil merchant)
Photo
of Teli ka mandir
And the other is as the name suggests was the ‘saas bahu temple’ built by the king Mahi Pala, was for his mother and wife. Both the temples are a pleasure to the eyes for their architectural beauty.
Pics
of Sas Bahu temple.
Memory of Guru Hargovind Saheb is enshrined in the Gurudwara Data Bandi Chod. where the Guru was imprisoned by Jahangir for two years.
THE SCINDIA PALACE
The Scindias, the Royal family of Gwalior reside in the Jai Vilas palace .35 rooms are converted into the museum privately owned by Jiyaji Rao Scindia.
pics of Scindia palace
The palace like all palaces have a grand entry by which you are awe struck and stunned. Grandeur - your eyes find it difficult to believe, but standing there your intelligence concludes what you are seeing is real, royal and true. I will put down as coherently as possible what I saw, I remember and what impressed me beyond imagination.
The entrance has chandeliers, beautiful and sooooo big that Elephants were weighed against them to make sure that when they were hung on the hooks from ceilings the hooks will hold their weight and not come crashing down.
Pic
of Chandelier
Pic
of Darbar hall
In rooms, corridors, corners, there were dressing tables, mirrors, the wood, the polish, the design left you staring. you will never feel like leaving and moving on. ‘A thing of beauty is joy forever’ where does it come more true than here.
Pic
of bed room of rani.
The bedrooms with their impeccable furniture, the richness of the furniture everything so elegant, so lavish. we may sound repetitive, ‘elegant, beautiful, sheer poetry in wood, rich ‘but that’s how it is and there are no words to describe, your vocabulary falls short of words.
Pic
of raja’s bedroom
The nursery room has it all…. bed, pram, toys, wardrobe, chairs, nanny, s requirements, quilts and curtains, pillows and mattresses, its great luck to see such luxury, beyond description, beyond imagination.
Next is the dining hall. A hall to seat Indian guests, another to seat English guests. The Indian one has patla to sit and another patla in front where the food is served.
Pic of
Indian Dining hall.
The European dining hall is furnished with, tables, chairs and a mini train for the different dishes to go around the table. Table ‘Asia Hai toh khana kaisa hoga?’
Pic
of Dragon replica –a treasure
Artillery room, picture gallery and many more A treasure house of things, what to see and linger on and what to pass by. Ticket is expensive or else two days of visit is ideal. My advice is take your time and savour every bit. Not every day will we visit the place, so take home as much as you can.
Now coming to other things, all the three places the sweets are such to turn every one diabetic because you can’t resist the looks, the variety and the welcome look that they give. You 100 percent cannot ignore the glass cases giving you the come hither look. Sweets beckon you and you fall a prey willingly. Garma garam gulab jamun, malpuas, jalebis leave your gastronomical buds asking for more. Carry home the til chikkis, revdis. Roti sabjis, also typical MP style, have it when authentic, MP cuisine is waiting for you. Mouthwatering chaats …. you dare not miss them. Also available are Morabbas and Aachars to suit your palate.
Shopping in MP is a must. No touring is complete without shopping ……. ask the ladies. Hand printed, block printed fabrics using natural colours. The famous Maheshswari saris and dress materials are all yours to choose from and buy. Cotton fabrics, towels, mats, bed linen, also the carpets and kalins.
Locals, Adivasi’s wait for you to buy their forest and natural products, like honey, soaps, incense sticks. you need not spend much or you may make lavish purchases. I mean there is something for every pocket to take home. Every shop welcomes you whole heartedly to see, touch, feel their ware. The end result is you have bought something and they have sold something and both parties are happy. AUR KYA CHAHIYE.
So pack your bags for these three places, I guarantee you, you will get your worth more than you expected.
Reminder again , Keep in mind the sweets and Chat .
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