During the period of the Indian Mutiny the Gwalior Fort came under assault by Rani lakshmi Bai of Jhansi who died on the battlefield fighting heroically till the end.

Within the embrace of the Fort are a cavalcade of palaces and temples, amongst them the stunning Man Mandhir Palace, the Shahjehan Mahal and the Jehangir Mahal. The ceramic mosaics, the lattice work and the sandstone carvings of the facades and the opulent apartments of this four tired structure coverted Man Mandir Palace into a rich and royal setting. One of the finest Hindu palaces of ancient times it has a great hall where Raja Man Singh would arrange lively musical evenings for his guests. The labyrithine corridors take you through various under-ground rooms.

The royal baths for the harem ladies can be found in these cooling depths. And the room where the ladies had their siesta was the site of the blinding and murder of Murad by his brother the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. The Jauhar Kund is a poignant reminder of ritual suicide committed by the ladies in the face of defeat during war. The Gujari Mahal, built by Raja Man Singh for Mrignayani, his favourite queen, is now a small museum where amongst other bits of sculpture and paintings, a beautiful carved figurine of Salabhanjika (India's Mona Lisa) found in the ruins of a temple at Gyaraspur on display

Amongst the clutch of temples scattered within the fortress lies the 9th century 30m high Teli-Ka-Mandhir, embellished with erotic sculptures, is dedicated to Vishnu. The twin Sas - Bahu-Ka- Mandir (the mother-in-law / daughter-in-law) is also dedicated to Vishnu.

In the light of setting sun filters gently upon the 16th century Tomb of Gahus Mohammad (The Afghan involved in Mughal emperor Babur's acquistion of Gwalior Fort) through its beautiful jali screen. A short distance away lies the last resting place of the singer/ musician Tansen, one of the 'nine jewels' of Akbar's court. The Tomb of Tansen is the venue of an annual music festival. The excellent nightly sound and Light show (Hindi and English) at the Fort could not have had a more impressive setting.

South of Gwalior Fort lies the Italianate Jai Vilas Palace, lavish home of the Scindia royals, built in 1875. Two wings of this royal residency have been converted into a museum. On display are royal costumes weaponary, manuscripts, paintings, Sundry artifacts, Persian rugs and furniture. A piquant feature of the display is the electric silver train which ferried brandy and cigars around the vast banquet table.

The piece-de-resistance is the fabulous Durbar Hall glided by a Belgian glass staircase from the entrance hallway. Several elephants were placed upon the roof to ensure that the gllided ceiling could bear weight of two massive chandeliers which would illuminate this stunning stateroom. South of Gwalior Fort lies the Italianate Jai Vilas Palace, lavish home of the Scindia royals, built in 1875. Two wings of this royal residency have been converted into a museum. On display are royal costumes weaponary, manuscripts, paintings, Sundry artifacts, Persian rugs and furniture.

A piquant feature of the display is the electric silver train which ferried brandy and cigars around the vast banquet table. The piece-de-resistance is the fabulous Durbar Hall glided by a Belgian glass staircase from the entrance hallway. Several elephants were placed upon the roof to ensure that the gllided ceiling could bear weight of two massive chandeliers which would illuminate this stunning stateroom.