Shivpuri
The old summer capital of the scindias was at
Shivpuri. 114km south-west of Gwalior and 94km west of Jhansi. Set in formal gardens, the
chhatris (tombs) are the main attraction here. With Mughal pavilions and
sikhara spires, these beautiful memorials to the Scindia rulers are inlaid in
pietra dura style, like the Taj
Mahal. The chattri of Madhao Rao Scindia faces his mother's chattri across the tank.
Nearby is Madhav National Park, essentially a deer park. On the edge of the park is the Sakhya Sagar lake. Swimming from the old boat club pier here might not be wise as there are crocodiles in the lake.
Chanderi
At the time of Mandu's greatest power, Chanderi was an important place, as indicated by many ruined palaces, serais (inns), mosques and tombs - all in Pathan style similar to that of
Mandu. The Koshak Mahal is a ruined Muslim palace that is still
being maintained. Today the town is chiefly known for its gold brocades
and saris.
Sonagiri
60 km from
Gwalior, on Jhansi Road. The 108 Jain temples date back 1,500 years, all arranged on the steps of a hill. The main temple on the top of the hill is in honour of the 8th
Tirthankara. One can walk up on paved pathways to see the temples. Aarti is performed in the main temples between 6-9 pm daily.
Dholpur
Between Gwalior and Agra, actually in a part of Rajasthan that seperates Madhya Pradesh and Uttar
Pradesh, Dholpur was the scene of a pitched battle between Aurangzeb's sons to determine who would succeed him as emperor of the rapidly declining Mughal empire. The Shergarh Fort in Dholpur is very old and now in ruins.
West of Dholpur near Bari is the Khanpur Mahal, a pavilioned palace built for Shah Jahan but never
occupied.
