Gwalior is a major city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh; It is known as the City of Music of India having oldest musical gharana in existence. It is a major sports, cultural, industrial, and political centre in Madhya Pradesh. Gwalior is among the seven cities selected for new startup centres under India's growing innovation ecosystem. It lies in northern part of Madhya Pradesh and is one of the Counter-magnet cities. Located 313 kilometres (194 mi) south of New Delhi, the capital city of India and 446 kilometres (277 mi) from Bhopal, the state capital, Gwalior occupies a strategic location in the Gwalior Chambal region of India. The historic city and its fortress have been ruled by several Indian kingdoms. From the Alchon Huns in the 5th century AD to Gurjara Pratihara dynasty in the 8th century AD. It was passed on to Kachchhapaghatas in the 10th century AD. Later It fell into the hands of the Delhi Sultanate in 12th century AD, it was then passed on to the Tomars in the 13th century AD who were the vassal rulers of the Delhi Sultanate. The Mughal Empire conquered the city and its fortress in the 16th century AD. When the Mughal Empire was declining, it fell into the hands of Jat rulers, then to the English in 1730, and last it was passed on to the Scindia Dynasty of Maratha Empire in early 18th century.
Agra is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about 230 kilometres (140 mi) south-east of the national capital Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra is the fourth-most populous city in Uttar Pradesh and twenty-third most populous city in India.
Chhatri are semi-open, elevated, dome-shaped pavilions used as an element in Indo-Islamic architecture and Indian architecture. They are most commonly square, octagonal, and round.
The Taj Mahal Palace is a heritage, five-star, luxury hotel in the Colaba area of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, situated next to the Gateway of India. Built in the Indo-Saracenic style, it opened in 1903 as the Taj Mahal Hotel and has historically often been known simply as "The Taj". The hotel is named after the Taj Mahal, which is located in the city of Agra approximately 1,050 kilometres (650 mi) from Mumbai. It has been considered one of the finest hotels in the East since the time of the British Raj. The hotel was one of the main targets in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
The Lakshmi Vilas Palace in Vadodara, Gujarat, India, was constructed in 1890 by the Gaekwad family, a prominent Maratha family, who ruled the Baroda State. Major Charles Mant was credited to be the main architect of the palace.
Sheopur is a city in Madhya Pradesh state of central India. It is the administrative headquarters of Sheopur District. Sheopur is linked by narrow gauge rail to Gwalior(No longer in operation). The town is traditionally famous for its wood carving. Chambal River is just 25 km, which forms the boundary between Rajasthan and MP states.
Jayajirao Scindia GCB, GCSI, CIE of the Scindia dynasty of Maratha Confederacy was the last independent ruling Maharaja of Gwalior State during the British rule from 1843 to 1886.
Taj Hotels is a chain of luxury hotels and a subsidiary of the Indian Hotels Company Limited, headquartered in Mumbai, India. Incorporated by Jamsetji Tata in 1902, the company is a part of the Tata Group. The company employed over 20,000 people in the year 2010.
The Fort of Gwalior or the Gwalior Fort is a defence hill fort in Gwalior, India. Mughal Emperor Babur called it the "pearl amongst the fortresses of Hind" because of its impregnability and magnificence and it has also been nicknamed the Gibraltar of India. The history of the fort goes back to the 5th century or perhaps to a period still earlier. The old name of the hill as recorded in ancient Sanskrit inscriptions is Gopgiri. The current structure of the fort has existed at least since the 8th century, and the inscriptions and monuments found within what is now the fort campus indicate that it may have existed as early as the beginning of the 6th century, making it one of India's oldest defence fort still in existence. The modern-day fort, embodying a defensive structure and two palaces was built by the Tomar Rajput ruler Man Singh Tomar. It has witnessed the varying fortunes of the Guptas, the Hunas, the Pratiharas, the Kachhwahas, the Tomaras, the Pathans, the Surs, the Mughals, the English, the Jats, and the Marathas represented by the powerful Scindia dynasty who have left their landmarks in the various monuments which are still preserved.
The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) is an Indian hospitality company that manages a portfolio of hotels, resorts, jungle safaris, palaces, spas and in-flight catering services. The company is part of India's Tata Group. IHCL was founded in 1902 by Jamsetji Tata and is headquartered in Mumbai where its flagship hotel Taj Mahal Palace Hotel is also located. The company's hotel chains include Taj, SeleQtions, Vivanta, and Ginger.
A jali or jaali is the term for a perforated stone or latticed screen, usually with an ornamental pattern constructed through the use of calligraphy, geometry or natural patterns. This form of architectural decoration is common in Indo-Islamic architecture and more generally in Indian architecture. It is closely related to mashrabiya in Islamic architecture.
Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia is an Indian politician who is the 43rd Union Minister of Communications and the 10th Minister of Development of North Eastern Region since 2024. He was a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha representing the state of Madhya Pradesh from 2020 till his win in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He is a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha, representing the Guna constituency in Madhya Pradesh from 2002 until his defeat in the 2019 Indian general election, and then since 4 June 2024. He is a former member of the Indian National Congress (INC) from 2001 to 2020 and a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since 2020. While a member of the INC, he was the Union Minister for Power and Corporate in the second Manmohan Singh ministry from 2012 to 2014.
The Taj Express was started in 1964 to serve tourists traveling from Delhi to Agra. It reduced the traveling time from over three hours to around two and a half hours. Taj Express was started along the lines of Deccan Queen- which ran as a high-speed commuter-special train between Pune Junction and CSMT Mumbai – and provided a quick and comfortable journey between Agra and Delhi. It was a very popular train especially among foreign tourists, before the Bhopal Shatabdi was introduced in 1988. The train was later extended up to Gwalior in 1985 and then to Jhansi in 2006. It was named after Taj Mahal.
The Jai Vilas Palace, is a nineteenth century palace in Gwalior, India. It was built in 1874 by Jayajirao Scindia, the Maharaja of Gwalior in the British Raj. While the major part of the palace is now the "Jiwajirao Scindia Museum" which opened to the public in 1964, a part of it is still the residence of some of his descendants.
Rajwada, also known as the Holkar Palace or Old Palace, is a historical palace in Indore that was constructed by the Holkars of the Maratha empire around 2 centuries ago. An example of the architecture of the time, the palace is a 7 story structure that is placed near the Holkar Chhatris. The structure has gained the attention of tourists due to its size and age.
The Thanjavur Maratha Palace, known locally as Aranmanai, today is the official residence of the Bhonsle family that ruled Tanjore from 1674 to 1855. It is located in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu.
The Narmada Kothi is a palace in the Indian municipality of Barwaha.
