The Mughal emperor Babar referred to the Gwalior Fort as “the pearl amongst fortresses in India” and although you may beg to differ, you will probably agree that this, the dominating feature of Gwalior’s skyline, is definitely a citadel worth seeing. With a turbulent and pretty eventful past, the Gwalior Fort spreads out over an area of 3 square km, bounded by solid walls of sandstone, which enclose three temples, six palaces and a number of water tanks. Regarded as North and Central India’s most impregnable fortress, the Gwalior Fort was built by Raja Man Singh Tomar in the 15th century.

In the five hundred years since then, the fort has changed hands many times- it has been held by the Tomars, Mughals, Marathas and British, who finally handed it over to the Scindias. Today it’s a must-see sight on any Gwalior itinerary, and just the ride up to the fort gives you a taste of what’s coming: the southern path is bounded by rock faces with intricate carvings of the Jain tirthankars. As you enter the fort, you’ll see lots more to impress and interest you: palaces and temples, impressive gates and historic water tanks.

Of the temples in the Gwalior Fort, the most famous are the Teli-ka-Mandir- a 9th century Dravidian-style shrine which is notable for its profusely sculpted exterior; the Saas-Bahu Temples- two pillared temples which stand next to each other, one larger than the other; and the Chaturbhuj Mandir, a Vaishnavite shrine dating back to the 9th century.

Among the fort’s most prominent palaces is the amazingly ornate Man Singh Palace, built by Man Singh in the 15th century. Embellished with a vivid pattern in tile and paint, the palace spreads over four levels, and despite its picture-pretty appearance, has a somewhat gory history: Mughal emperor Aurangzeb imprisoned and later murdered his brother Murad here. Equally grisly is the Jauhar Kund, which marks the spot where the women of the harem burnt themselves to death after the defeat of the king of Gwalior in 1232.

Other palaces within the Gwalior Fort which are worth seeing include the Karan Palace, the Jahangir Mahal, the Shahjahan Mahal and the Gujri Mahal (the latter built by Man Singh for his favourite queen, Mrignayani).

Best time to go
The best time to visit Gwalior is the winter, from the end of October to early March. The last weeks of December and early January are the coldest time of the year here, and can be a good time to visit Gwalior. Summers should be avoided, if possible, as it gets extremely hot. For those who are musically inclined, the annual Tansen Festival- a celebration of Indian classical music- is held in Gwalior every November, and is worth attending.

Getting there and around
If you’re short on time, Gwalior is best reached by plane- the domestic airport has connections to Delhi, Mumbai, Bhopal and Indore. A wider range of options are offered by the railways, with regular trains to and from many of India’s larger cities. A number of trains on the main rail routes between Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Chennai halt at Gwalior, and for people arriving from Delhi, there are daily superfast services on the Taj Express and the Shatabdi Express: both enable convenient day-trips from Delhi to Gwalior. There are, in addition, frequent connections to other cities in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, including Bhopal, Indore, Agra, Mathura, Jaipur and Bikaner.

A good network of roads link Gwalior to the rest of the country, and a bus service operates between Gwalior and other major cities, such as Delhi, Bhopal and Agra.

Within Gwalior, the options for public transport are many, from metered taxis, private cabs, auto rickshaws, cycle rickshaws, tongas (horse drawn carts) and city buses to rattletrap three wheeled tempos. For those who’d prefer more comfortable means of transport, hired chauffeur-driven cars are available.

Accommodation
There is a fairly wide variety of hotel accommodation to choose from in Gwalior – at the top end are posh properties with bars, coffee shops and swimming pools; at the other end of the spectrum are budget hotels. Gwalior also has a couple of heritage hotels, converted from former palaces of the royal family; and there are modestly priced but comfortable guesthouses and hotels run by the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (the MPTDC).