AI Generated Summary
- He commissioned a cloak with 52 hems, one for each king to hold, and on Diwali day walked out of the fort with them—a moment immortalized as Bandi Chorr Diwas, the “Day of Liberation.
- Between the 6th and 15th centuries, the cliffs were adorned with monumental Jain sculptures, a silent testimony to Gwalior’s role as a spiritual center for multiple faiths.
- On a mild October morning a few years ago, a curious procession rolled through the highways of Madhya Pradesh’s Ashok Nagar and Shivpuri districts.
On a mild October morning a few years ago, a curious procession rolled through the highways of Madhya Pradesh’s Ashok Nagar and Shivpuri districts. Tractors, mini-buses, motorcycles and SUVs—all filled with Sikh families—moved northward, their faces lit with joy and devotion. It was neither Gurpurab nor a festival in Punjab, yet the air was charged with festivity. Their destination soon revealed the reason for this unusual sight: the Gwalior Fort, where the community gathers each year to celebrate Data Bandi Chorr Diwas.
A Tale of Faith and Liberation
The fort’s Gurudwara, Shri Data Bandi Chorr Sahib, owes its name to a remarkable act of compassion by Guru Hargobind in the early 17th century. Imprisoned by Emperor Jahangir within the formidable walls of Gwalior Fort, the Guru shared his captivity with 52 Rajput kings. When Jahangir relented and offered his release, Guru Hargobind refused to leave unless his fellow prisoners were also freed. He commissioned a cloak with 52 hems, one for each king to hold, and on Diwali day walked out of the fort with them—a moment immortalized as Bandi Chorr Diwas, the “Day of Liberation.”
Today, that act of solidarity is remembered not just in Punjab, but across India, and nowhere more poignantly than within the walls that once held the Guru captive.
A Living Chronicle of Indian Civilization
Gwalior Fort, perched on a 300-foot-high hill, is no ordinary stronghold. It is a palimpsest of Indian history, etched with centuries of conquest, art, devotion, and conflict. The site’s name traces back to the sage Gwalipa, who, legend says, cured a local ruler of leprosy. Archaeological evidence suggests human presence here as early as the 5th–6th centuries CE, when the Hunas built a now-lost Sun Temple. The Guptas, Kushans, and later the Pratiharas all left their mark on this ancient citadel.
By the 10th century, the Kachchhapaghatas constructed the exquisite Sahasrabahu temples—now colloquially called the “Saas-Bahu” temples. Between the 6th and 15th centuries, the cliffs were adorned with monumental Jain sculptures, a silent testimony to Gwalior’s role as a spiritual center for multiple faiths. The fort also witnessed tragic moments: after Iltutmish’s conquest in 1232, Rajput queens are said to have performed jauhar here to avoid capture.
The Tomars’ Golden Age
It was under the Tomar dynasty, from the 14th to 16th centuries, that Gwalior Fort reached its artistic zenith. Raja Man Singh Tomar (1486–1517) transformed the fortress into a wonder of medieval architecture. His palace, an intricate maze of chambers and courtyards, still bears the “Gwaliori Jhilmil”—stone carvings of animals and birds that shimmer in the sun. This was also the era when the famed Gwalior Gharana of Hindustani classical music took root, adding melody to the fort’s grandeur.
From Empire to Empire
Babur, upon seeing Gwalior, famously called it “the pearl among the fortresses of Hind.” Yet he also ordered the defacement of the Jain icons for their nudity. Under the Mughals, the fort turned from palace to prison—housing not only Guru Hargobind but also imperial victims like Prince Murad and Sulaiman, son of Dara Shikoh. Later, the British East India Company seized control, and in one of history’s many ironies, converted the ancient Telika Mandir into a soda factory and coffee house.
Even the valiant Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi met her end here in 1858, fighting the British forces on the fort’s slopes.
The Modern Legacy
The Scindias, who followed the British, ushered in a new era for Gwalior. In 1897, they established the Scindia School atop the fort, a premier institution that continues to educate generations of leaders. Over centuries, these walls have witnessed everything—war and peace, music and mourning, oppression and liberation.
It is fitting, then, that the same fortress now hosts the annual celebrations of Data Bandi Chorr Diwas—a festival born from the triumph of freedom over captivity.
A Mathematical Marvel
Hidden within this vast complex lies a small but extraordinary treasure: the Chaturbhuj Temple. Dating to the 9th century CE, it contains one of the world’s earliest inscriptions of the numeral zero—an enduring symbol of India’s contributions to human knowledge.
From the dawn of mathematics to the light of liberation, Gwalior Fort stands as a living museum of India’s past—a place where faith, history, and intellect converge in timeless harmony.
