ChanderiMadhya PradeshTravel

Nearby places around Chanderi

The historical town of Chanderi is strategically located on the borders of Malwa and Bundelkhand in the Ashoknagar district of Madhya Pradesh. It is surrounded by hills southwest of the Betwa River as well as forests & lakes and is spotted with several monuments of the Bundela Rajputs and Malwa Sultans. There are a few beautiful places which are located around Chanderi  that can be covered within 4-5 hours driving time. 

 

1. DATIA

Datia is an ancient town mentioned in the Mahabharata ruled by King ‘Dantavakra.’ It was formerly the seat of the princely state in the British Raj. Datia is situated near Gwalior and it in fact is on the way to Gwalior. It is 140 km from Chanderi, near the border of Uttar Pradesh. Datia is famous for the seven-storey Palace built by Bir Singh which is an astonishing confluence of Mughal & Rajput architecture. The founder of the Datia state in Bundelkhand- Maharaja Birsingh Deo built as many as 52 monuments all around the country. This palace is the biggest and most famous of all the 52 palaces and can be seen easily from a long distance. This ancient town finds its mention in the Mahabharata by the name of ‘Daityavakra’. 

Datia Palace
Datia Palace, Photo Courtesy: https://www.atlasobscura.com/

 

2. GWALIOR

Gwalior is a major city in Central India and since then it has housed successive lines of rulers that have appeared like comets, blazing briefly across the skies of our land. Gwalior is located 200 km away from Chanderi and Datia is on the way towards Gwalior. One of the most beautiful and largest forts to see is the Gwalior Fort. The Gwalior Fort has been described as a hill fort which has existed at least since the 10th century and is described by the Mughal Emperor Babur as ‘ the pearl among the fortresses of Hind’. This Fort is a structure of imposing scale whose beleaguered history is etched on every surface. The Fort is built on an outcrop of Vindhyan sandstone on a solitary rocky hill called ‘Gopachal’ which is long, thin and steep. The inscriptions and monuments found within the fort campus depicts that the fort could have been in existence as early as the 6th century. The Fort has been host to various rulers like the Huns, Pratihars, Kacchwahs, Ghoris, Tomars, Mughals, The East India Company, and during the rebellion of 1857, the fort saw the great warfare- Rani Lakshmibai (the Queen of Jhansi) came fighting from Jhansi to Gwalior & sought shelter inside the Fort. 

Gwalior Fort
Gwalior Fort, Photo Courtesy: https://www.mptourism.com/

 

3. JHANSI

Jhansi, also called the ‘Gateway to Bundelkhand’ is situated between the rivers Betwa and Pahuj. It is located approximately 100 km away from Chanderi. There are many places one can visit from Jhansi like Orchha, Datia & Gwalior etc which are not too far off from Jhansi. The original walled city grew around its stone fort which crowns a neighbouring rock. The ancient name was Balwantnagar. From 1817 to 1854, Jhansi was the capital of the princely state of Jhansi which was ruled by Gurjar rajas. The state was annexed by the British Governor General in 1854; Damodar Rao’s claim to the throne was rejected but Rani Laxmibai ruled it from 1857 to 1858. The Jhansi Fort stands on a hill and was built by Orchha’s Raja Bir Singh Deo in 1613. It is a 17th century architectural monument that has undergone royal construction followed by massive destruction in the First war of Independence against the British East India Company.

 

Jhansi Fort
Jhansi Fort, Photo Courtesy: https://www.itl.cat.com/)

 

4. ORCHHA

Orchha is located 110 kms away from Chanderi in the vicinity of Jhansi. Orchha is a 15th century town with temples and palaces built by Rudra Pratap Singh, the first king of the princely state of Orchha, who also built the fort of Orchha. The Fort complex is within an island formed by the confluence of the Betwa River and Jamni River in Orchha town which is approached from the eastern part of the market through a multiple arched bridge with 14 arches built in granite stones. Jehangir Mahal, Raj Mahal, Sheesh Mahal & Rai Praveen Mahal are part of the Fort complex. 

Raja Mahal
Raja Mahal, Photo Courtesy: https://www.mptourism.com/

 

5. BHOPAL

Bhopal is known as the ‘City of Lakes’ for it’s various natural and artificial lakes and is also one of the greenest cities in India. Founded in 1707 by the Paramara king Raja Bhoj, the city was the capital of the former Bhopal State, a princely state of the British rules by the Nawabs of Bhopal. Many heritage structures are from this period include the Taj-Ul-Masajid, Taj Mahal Palace, Sadar Manzil etc. In 1984, the city was struck by the Bhopal disaster which was one of the worst industrial disasters in history. Bhopal is located 215 km away from Chanderi and is selected to be one of the first 20 Indian Cities to be developed as a smart city under PM Narendra Modi’s flagship Smart Cities Mission. 

Raj Bhoj Statue
Raj Bhoj Statue, Photo Courtesy: https://www.mptourism.com/

 

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