dholpur

Tourism Places In dholpur

Best Time To visit : September To March

dholpur is an interesting town to visit, especially because it is far from the usual tourist track and thus, quite 'undiscovered'. But dholpur is well known in another way for its excellent sandstone dholpur was a relatively small kingdom but had a very turbulent history, the reason being its strategic location on the main route linking Kabul to Delhi. Besides, its proximity to some powerful cities like Gwalior, Agra and Bayana attracted many rulers who wished to take advantage of its strategic location. The brave rulers of dholpur always did their best to resist every attempt to subjugate them, however, the city regularly suffered at the hands of the invading forces. From Sikander Lodi in 1501 AD to Babur in 1526 AD, dholpur was repeatedly attacked by neighboring kings and was almost razed to the ground. During Humayun's rule, the site of dholpur town was moved northwards to avoid erosion by the river Chambal.


Much Kund
An excursion to Bari offers exciting rewards too. The Mach Kund (8km from dholpur) here is an ancient sacred place. It has a tank surrounded by a series of temples of different dates. The name comes from one Raja Muchkund, who is supposed to have reigned 14 generations before Rama (of the Ramayana fame). That was thousands of years ago, and it's really surprising how the legend has survived. The place bursts forth with life once a year when it becomes a pilgrim site. There are also the ruins of an ancient fort (1286) built by one Firoz Shah.


Forts & Places
There are a number of things to see in dholpur. The early 19th century red sandstone Palace built by one Raja Kirat Singh used to be a fine structure. The ruins, which the locals call chhavni (cantonment), are probably all that remains of it. However, one can still see flashes of architectural finesse here and there. It's an elaborate complex and walking through the ruins can be fun. The old Mausoleum of Sadik Muhammad built in 1597 now houses a school. Scattered all around are many more interesting monuments. The Shergarh Fort, now in ruins, is said to be over 3,000 years old. It is located towards the south of the town, beside the Chambal River. Sher Shar Sur (see History of Delhi for more on him) restored the fort in 1540, and was in use till the beginning of this century.


Talab e Shahi Lake
Talab e Shahi Lake is away Just 40 kms from dholpur is yet another scenic and historic lake known as Talab-e-shahi. Both the lake and the palace were constructed in 1617 AD. They were considered as the shooting lodge for Price Shahjahan. As a memorial, Talab- E- Shahi was made by the rulers of dholpur. Number of migratory lakes used to visit this lake. Migratory fowls like Pintals, shoveller, redcrested pochard, common pochard, tufted duck, common teal, garganery teal.


SherGarh Fort
SherGarh Fort is an old fort of historic importance, located towards the south of dholpur town, beside the Chambal River. It was named after the Sultan of Delhi, Sher Shah Suri, the Shergarh fort was initially built as a form of defense against the rulers of Mewar in mid 16th century. The fort is the model of rich delicate style architectures of past. Festooned with carved images, statues of Hindu gods and Jain motifs, Shergarh Fort was protected by water, considered as the charm of dholpur.


Khanpur Mahal
Khanpur Mahal was an urge home for Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. The beautiful structures of Khanpur Mahal are the major attractions which mesmerize the visitors.


Van Vihar and RamSagar Wildlife Sanctuary
Van Vihar and Ramsagar, old wildlife reserves of the rulers of dholpur spread over an area of 59.86. sq. kms, were notified as wildlife sanctuaries by the Rajasthan Government in 1955 AD. Van Vihar is about 18 kms from dholpur and Ramsagar is another 18 kms from Van Vihar. As a matter of fact, these are actually two separate wildlife sanctuaries. Van Vihar, located on Vindhyan plateau, supports a rather open stunted growth of Dhok and Khair trees. It is inhabited by animals like Sambhar, Blue Bull, Chital, Sloth Bear, Wild Boar, Hyena and Leopard. Tigers were present in the area till the end of the 1960's. It is said that Maharaj Udaibhan Singh of dholpur had a great liking for the wild animals of Van Vihar. He used to hand feed not only the deer and antelopes in the reserve but also animals like, jackals, foxes and birds. There is an old forest rest house in Van Vihar which was initially built by the rulers of dholpur.


The Ancient Mughal Garden
The tiny village of Jhor (16km) has something to boast of too the oldest Mughal Garden of the subcontinent which was laid in 1527 by Babur. But this once-famous spread was discovered only in 1978, by Elizabeth Moynihan, the wife of the then United States Ambassador to India. Using Babur's autobiography as a guide, Elizabeth meticulously traced clues from Uzbekistan to dholpur. But by then much of the once elaborate garden was wiped out. Another site worth seeing in dholpur is the ancient Shiv Mandir,also called the Chaupara Mandir. It is located near the Gwalior-Agra road and is a monument of great architectural beauty.


Shiva Temple
This ancient temple boasts of great architectural beauty and located near the Gwalior- Agra road.


Laswari
It is here where Daulat Rao Scindia was defeated at the hands of Lord Lake. The oldest Mughal garden, built by Babur was dicovered at Jhor, the grandeur of which is still reflected in by its ruins. Damoh Waterfall and Kanpur Mahal are some of the places not to be missed.


National Chambal (Gharial) Wildlife Sanctuary
Famous for it rare Ganges Dolphins and Gharials, the Sanctuary ws formed in 1978 over an area of 5,400 km. Migratory birds from Siberia can be seen here.


Bari Heritage and Hunting Lodge
One of the largest lodges in Rajasthan's dholpur is the Bari Heritage and Hunting Lodge. Built by Mughals with lush green cover, the hunting lodge at Bari is built in an L shape around a lake. The lodge has three pavilions which form the L-shaped structure. These pavilions also have an exclusive enclosure made by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, and also has hammams, where Sha Jahan used to relax. The lake itself is home to hundreads of migratory and native brids. Agra lies just 93 Kms from Bari.


Ravines of Chambal
Just close to the ravines of Chambal, where no vegetation can occur, are the world's oldest mountain range, The Aravallis, situated across 113 kms of area.


Saipau Mahadeo Temple
The temple of Lord Shiva, situated close to Parvati Lake, is an ancient temple.


Nihal Tower
Situated at the Townhall road, this 150 feet high tower was made by Raja Nihal Singh in 1910. The foot of the tower is covered with 12 gates of similar size and cover around 120 feets.