Great Gwalior Fort. Review on Gwalior

I had heard about Gwalior fort from Internet and other sources, but it is not a well known or famous tourist place. Even though I was curious to experience the majesty of the Fort, I didn't expect much. Because most of the Forts that I have visited didn't give me much satisfaction as expected; may be because I am not a history loving guy. One day we left a little bit early from our working place, paving way to the idea of watching one of the great architecture in the history of India.

As we entered the road towards Great Gwalior Fort, the structures on the both sides started staring at me as if they saw a stranger. They were rocky, tough, deep and it was certain that they had a very long history to reveal. Fort was surrounded by very deep trenches at three sides giving no way for the attackers to go near the structure. We entered the Fort by paying a small fee at a counter. We also bought ticket for watching Sound and Light show even without knowing what it was going to be. Later we came to know that it was organized by Madyapradesh Tourism Dept.

We hurried through the walk ways thinking about that massive palace and its majestic looks. I realized that this Fort is different from all Forts which I have seen before. It was multi storied in both directions, towards underground and towards the sky. We saw very big holes through the thick walls, for shooting the trespassers using long range guns / barrels. It was very dark as we climb down. Normal bulbs couldn't lighten the great handworks done on the roof and walls by the best sculpturers during those ancient times. We were passing through different types of rooms which were probably used as dining rooms or bed rooms by King's royal family.

One guy told me that Rani Lakshmi Bai once jumped across the trenches with her horse from the fort to escape from attackers. Looking at the trench I felt that it was impossible to do that even if you use a glider. Each construction in the Fort was very different each other if you look at them closely. There was a temple like structure which was full of sculptures; even the most unnoticed corner was decorated with small human like sculptures. Now I strongly feel that my vocabulary is not meeting the requirements to describe about the mightiness of those pillars, tombs and rocky walls.

Last thing to enjoy was the Sound and Light show which gave a real feel about the tough past experienced by the people lived in the Fort. There were tears, fury and falls of great Kings, his family and close supporters. Sound played around summarized the brutal attacks on the fort and its residents. At last I knew that great power means not only great responsibility but also high risks and tension. On the way back to my hotel, I could feel a small part of our soldiers quest for a calm sleep which we are enjoying now even without knowing what it actually mean and how does it feel.