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PRIME ATTRACTIONS
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MUCHCHHKUND:
Muchchhkund is about 8 kms from the town of the Dholpur. It is an ancient sacred place. It commands a picturesque view.
The place is
named after Raja Muchchhukand.
Raja Muchchhkund, the twenty fourth of
the Suryavanshi Dynasty (the solar race) is said to reigned nineteen
generations before Lord Ram.
According to legend Raja Muchchhkund, was
sleeping here when demon Kaal Yaman while pursuing lord Krishna,
accidentally woke him up. The demon Kaal Yaman was burnt to ashes
because of a divine blessing to Raja Muchchhkund. It is now a sacred
place for pilgrim. It is said that the enclosures around it were
built by the emperor Akbar.
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LASWARI:
It is here where Daulat Rao Scindia was defeated at hands of Lord
Lake. The oldest Mughal Garden, built by Babur was discovered at Jhor,the grandeur of which reflected in by its ruins. Damoh waterfall and
the Kanapu Mahal are some of the places not to be missed. |
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SHERGARH FORT:
It is an old fort of historic importance, located toward south of
Dholpur tower. This monument at Dholpur was built by Sher Shah
Suri on the site of an earlier Hindu fortress. |
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TALAB SHAHI:
Forty kilometers from Dholpur is a picturesque lake called Talab
Shahi. The lake and the palace were built in 1617 A.D. as a shooting
lodge for Prince Shah Jahan. The palace and the lake were later maintained
by the ruler of Dholpur.
The lake attracts a large number of winter
migratory fowls like Pintail, Shoveller, red crested Pochard, Common
Pochard, tufted Duck, Garganey Teal, Wigeon and Gadwall. |
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THE KHANPUR MAHAL:
It was constructed as a pleasure-palace for
Shah Jahan.
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THE SHIVA TEMPLE:
Another palace of architectural beauty and importance is the ancient temple
of lord Shiva. This temple is located on the Gwalior - Agra road and is
worth a visit.
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EXCURSIONS FROM
DHOLPUR: |
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RAMSAGAR SANCTUARY:
( 34 km )
Ramsagar part of the
sanctuary has Ramsagar lake . Lake is very picturesque and supports
rich aquatic life including fresh water crocodiles and a number of
fishes and snakes. Water birds like Cormorants, White breasted water
Hen ,Moor Hen, Jacanas, River tern, Ringed Plover, Sand Piper and Herons (Green and
Purple) are quite common. During winter month
migratory ducks and geese also visit the lake in good numbers.
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VAN VIHAR WILD LIFE
SANCTUARY:
( 18 km )
Van Vihar, an old wild life reserve of the rulers of Dholpur is
spread over an area of 59.86 sq km located over Vindhyan Plateau.
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GWALIOR:
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SAS BAHU MANDIR
The oldest structures
inside the palace are the tall stone edifices of the Sas Bahu Ka
Mandir built by Mahipala, The Gujari Mahal, The Man Mandir palace,
Suraj Kund, Teli and Sas-bahu mandirs. The museum at the Gujari
Mahal is a must.
The forlorn Jauhar kund is a mute reminder of the
hundreds of women who wailed and sang as they staggered intoxicated
into a pit of fire rather than face shame and dishonour in
captivity.
The Gurjari Mahal had been built by Raja Man Singh to woo the
beauteous Gujjar damsel Mrignayani and it now houses one of the best
museums in Madhya Pradesh with exhibits giving interesting glimpses
of the areas vibrant past Man Singh also built the intricately
carved Man Mandir Palace that has a few traces of its former
tile work left. |
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TANSEN TOMB
Outside the fort is
the little tomb of Tannu Pande, better known to history as the great
musician Tansen. He was one of the nine jewels of Akbar's dazzling
court, was cremated at his village nearby and the ashes were buried
with royal honors in a small Islamic style tomb next to the huge
tomb of Ghaus Mohammed an Afghan prince later became a Sufi saint
and helped conquer the fort.
The Jai Vilas Palace where the
Maharaja's family live is also outside fort and is a tourist spot
displaying a much more lavish colonial style.
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ANCIENT TEMPLE AT
PADHAVALI
There is cluster of very ancient Naga temple ruins at Padhavali
where some are dated to the 3rd and 4th centuries AD. Though one
enters through more recently constructed fortifications, one is soon
in an almost surreal setting of tumbled structures and twisted trees
that look like a scene from Kipling's Jungle Book and can almost
visualize the monkey king suddenly appearing.
The early sculptures
showing snakes and the sun god Surya give way to those of Shiv and
Vishnu and later of Kali showing the evolution of Hindu deities.
More temples of the same period are at Bateshwar nearby that are
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CHAUSAT YANI TEMPLE IS
LIKE A HUGE CHARIOT WHEEL AT MITHAONI
One of India's most amazing temples at Mitaoli
is on a hill a hundred
feet above the surrounding plains. This 11th century Ekottaso
Mahadeva Mandir is built like a huge 200 foot wide chariot wheel
with the main central shrine like the hub of a huge wheel that
contains sixty-four smaller inward facing shrines on the surrounding
circular courtyard. When it was in use, the effect must have been
magical.
One can imagine the energy radiating to the centre from the
64 Shivalingas lit by the flickering flames of the surrounding
shrines. It is predictably also called the Chausat Yoni Mandir. |
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THE RUINED EDIFICE OF
KAKANMATH
On the Gwalior Agra
national highway 10 kms before Morena on a road between Morena and
Ambah. Near Sihonia some 14 kms before the highway is a most
interesting Kakan Math temple that is alleged to have been built by Kakanvati, consort of the Kachhwaha ruler, around 1000 AD. In its
day the 100-foot high temple would have been a rival for the great
temples of Khajuraho.
It appears to have been desecrated with the
result that most of the intricately carved yellow sandstone panels
have disappeared and the stark skeleton of tall pillars, beams and
brackets climb forlornly into the sky. |
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Most people believe
that the desecration took place in Aurangzeb's time. But there is a
mystery. If it was desecrated, why was the structure not flattened
to the ground and why is this Shiva shrine still being a place of
worship. A probably explanation is that it was simply vandalised by
subsequent rulers beautiful panels used to adorn their structures.
Many of the best sculptures are now found in the Gwalior museum. |
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