If you want to see examples of the traditional antiques of a royal family, visit Gwalior. Known for its rich cultural heritage, the city of Gwalior has played an integral role in Indian history from ancient times, through the medieval era, and later during the Moghul and British colonial rule. The bustling city atop a hill, is dominated by the Gwalior fort which has been the battleground for many struggles for power. Gwalior with its famous fort held a strategic position in the region of north India. The city was the capital of the ruling kingdom and the principality of the Maharajas of Scinidia. When you arrive in Gwalior, you need to visit Gwalior Fort and the city Palace of Scinidia, which houses traditional antiques of the royal family.
The strategically important fort at Gwalior dominates the city and for centuries it controlled one of the major routes between north and south India. Its history goes back to 2000 years, with rock inscriptions from the 5th century still to be found. From the 12th century control of the fort and surrounding area passed through a succession of Muslim, Tomar Rajput, Afghan, Mughal and finally Maratha rulers. During the 12th century Qutb-ud-din Aibak was the first ruler to hold it but eventually the Tomars took possession. It was under Man Singh who came to power in 1486 that many of the great battlements and interior palaces were built. After a short period of control by Lodhis, the first Mughal emperor took over the fort, and described it as a “Pearl among the fortresses of Hind”. During the collapse of Mughal empire, the Scindia line of Marathas conquered the area in 1754. The British took control of it during the Maratha wars and held it for 30 years after capturing the Rani of Jhansi within its walls in 1858.
Place To See In Gwalior
Gwalior Fort : The city’s most renowned landmark Positioned at a height of 100m above the main town of Gwalior around 3 kms in length, this staggering citadel dominates the skyline of the place and is acknowledged as the most impregnable fort in the whole of Central and Northern India. The fort was built by Raja Man Singh Tomar as a token of love for his wife, in the 15th century,The great Mughal Emperor Babur reputedly quote it as, “The pearl in the necklace of the forts of Hind”. The fort is girdled by sandstone walls and stretches over an area of 3 sq km. It houses three temples, six palaces and a large number of water tanks. Among the temples are the beautifuly adorned ‘Sas Bahu Ka Mandir’, Sikh Gurudwara, Jain Temple which has been also been praised as a mosque and the Teli-ka-Mandir. The massive fortress of the Gwalior fort signifies the manifold dynasties of Mughals, Tomars, Britishers and Scindias.This fort have seen the the life of the Buddhist saint Lord Buddha and anecdotes related to the spread of Buddhism. The Chinese dragons that have been crafted at the hilt of the pillars depicts the mutual trade between China and India.
On your Incredible India Holiday, if you wish to spend some time in royal nawab culture, monuments of architectural of Mughal empire and eat some nawabi style cuisine, with various kinds of biryanis, kebabs and breads, then you must go to holidays to Lucknow , ‘the city of Nawabs’.
Lucknow city is popularly known as the ‘the city of Nawabs’. Situated on the banks of the river Gomti, it dates back to the time of the Suryavanshi dynasty. Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, was founded by Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula. In the olden times, it served as the capital of the nawabs of Awadh and it is one of the reasons why it is also called as the city of the Nawabs. The era of the Nawabs bestowed Lucknow with the courteous culture as well as mouthwatering delicacies for which it is famous today. Travel to Lucknow with us to find more information on this interesting city!
Speciality of Lucknow
The Awadh region has its own distinct Nawabi style cuisine, with various kinds of biryanis, kebabs and breads. The city has a range of fine restaurants catering to all tastes and budgets. Makkhan Malai, ‘Malai Ki Gilori’ of Ram Asrey (an oldest shop of pure ghee sweets, established in 1805) Chowk , the famous Tundey Kebabs, named after the one-armed chef Haji Murad Ali and ‘Kakori kebabs’ are very popular with food lovers. The Chaat in Lucknow is one of the best in the country. There are quite a few places serving outstanding chaat, like Shukla Chaat and Moti Mahal in Hazratganj, Radhey Lal in Aliganj, Chhappan Bhog in Sadar and Neel Kanth in Gomti Nagar. After a delicious dinner, one can have Paan at any of the innumerable Paan vendors
Place to visit in Lucknow
Bara Imambara – The Bada Imambada or Asafi Imambada (Imambada: patriarch’s place) is an important tourist attraction of Lucknow. this is a religious building belonging to the Shia muslim sect. the complex comprises magnificent buildings, including the splendid Imambara, an impressive mosque, and a complicated maze known as Bhulbhulaiya, which is a major attraction of the Imambara complex. The Bara Imambara is said to have been commissioned by Asaf-ud-Daula inn 1784 as part of his famine relief programme.
Rumi Darwaza – Apart from the Bada Imambada, Asaf-ud-Daula also built the great Roomi Darwaza as a relief work during the famine of 1783, this magnificent gateway is one of the most impressive gateways in India. It is one of the major tourist attractions of Lucknow, and features prominently in all guidebooks about Lucknow. Said to be a facsimile of one of the gates of Constantinople, this soaring edifice, which is 60 feet high, can match any similar structure in point of beauty and splendor.
Chota Imambara – The Hussainabad or Chota Imambada is an exquisite building built by Nawab Muhammad Ali Shah in 1839 as a burial place for himself. Chota Imambada has the tombs of Mohammed Ali Shah and his family members, the former being the builder of the structure. . The beautiful Imambada, reflected in the placid water of the tank is one of the prettier sights in Lucknow. On either side of the courtyards stand a miniature version of the Taj Mahal.
The Residency – The red building is today in a dilapidated state and marks of cannon shots can be seen on almost every wall. The Residency was built in 1800 by last Nawabs of the state Nawab Saadat Ali Khan for the British Resident at his court. Originally a very extensive and beautiful building, it received heavy shelling during 1857, when the First War Of Indian Independence took place.The residency saw brutal action during the 1857 revolt, when a lot of lives were lost here.
Sikandar Bagh – this garden was built in early 19th century and later used as the summer palace by Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, the last ruler of Oudh who was deposed by the British East India Company. The garden was also the sight of fierce fighting during the 1857 revolt.
Lucknow has several well-kept parks that attract the citizenry in large numbers on evenings, holidays and weekends. The bigger parks are Ambedkar Memorial and Lohia park in Gomti Nagar, Swarn Jayanti park and Aurobindo Park in Indiranagar, Dilkusha Park, Begum Hazrat Mahal Park, Globe Park, Mukherjee Phuhaar, Haathi Park, Buddha park, and Neebu Park. The sprawling National Botanical Garden at Sikandarbagh on the banks of Gomti river is also worth visiting. The city also has a Reserve Forest, Kukrail Crocodile Park (a picnic spot and Gharial rehabilitation centre). Moosa Bagh and Utretia are other popular picnic spots.
The city is also home to many other interesting structures and gardens, including –
· Chattar Manzil,
· Qaiser Bagh palace,
· La Martiniere College,
· State Museum
· Aurangzeb’s mosque.
Places Around Lucknow
Nawabganj Lake : Located at a distance of 40 kilometers form Lucknow is the Nawabganj Lake. It is a colorful bird sanctuary. There is a motel run by the Tourist Department.
Kukrail : Fifteen kilometers from Lucknow is Kukrail, developed as a picnic spot by the Forest Department. There is a deer farm and a crocodile nursery. A children’s park, cafeteria, and a rest house have also been built to facilitate the visitors here. One can see spotted deer, black buck, sambhar, and a variety of birds in their natural abode.
Chinhat Picnic Pavilion : At a distance of 15 kilometers from Lucknow is the Chinhat Picnic Pavilion. There is a rest house by the side of Kathauta Lake. One can also visit the neighborhood Chinhat pottery units.
Best Time To Visit Lucknow
Lucknow is a wonderful place and can be visited just about anytime through the year. However, the best time to visit Lucknow is usually from October to March. This is usually the peak season for Lucknow travel. The weather in Lucknow varies from time to time and there are some extremities in the climatic conditions also. Although there is no answer as such for describing the ideal time to visit Lucknow, one usually visits Lucknow during the months of October to March
How to reach Lucknow
Air: Air access to Lucknow is very convenient nowadays. A large number of domestic airlines operate regular flights to the Lucknow airport, which is located about 15 kilometers from the city. The airport can be reached easily from the city by availing many modes of transport.
Rail: Lucknow is well connected with the rest of the country by a large number of trains, including some of the best known passenger trains operating in Northern India, including the New Delhi bound superfast Shatabdi Express. Some other trains passing through Lucknow include – the Sadhbhavna Express, Shramajivi Express, Neelachal Express, Awadh Assam Express, and Shaheed Express. There are two major railway juctions in the city, namely the Charbagh, and Lucknow Junctions, which lie side by side.
Bus Services: Road transportation in Lucknow is very well maintained, except in some congested parts of the city. The city can be reached conveniently from the major cities of Uttar Pradesh and Northern India. The national highways, NH 24, 25 and 28 pass through the city. Distances from some of the major cities are given below.
Delhi : 497 km, Agra : 363 km,Allahabad : 238 km, Dehradun : 582 km, Kanpur : 77 km , Varanasi : 300 km.
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