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Madhav
National Park : 156
sq km in area, the park is open throughout the year. With a varied
terrain of wooded hills, the forests being dry, mixed and deciduous,
and flat grasslands around the lake, it oflers abundant opportunities
for sighting a variety of wildlife.
The predominant species that inhabits the park is the deer, of which
the most easily sighted are the graceful little chlnkara, the Indian
gazelle and the chital. Other species that have their habitat in
the park are nilgai, sambar, chausingha or four-horned antelope,
blackbuck, sloth bear, leopard and the ubiquitous common langur.
The National Park is equally rich in avifauna; the artificial lake,
Chandpata, is winter home of migratory geese, pochard, pintail,
teal, mallard and gadwall. A good site for bird-watching is where
the lorest track crosses the wide rocky stream that flows from the
Waste Weir.
Species that frequent this spot are red-wattled lapwing, large-pied
wagtail, pondheron and white-breasted kingfisher. The avifauna also
includes the cormorant, painted stork, white ibis, laggar falcon,
purple sunbird, paradise flycatcher and golden oriole.
Chhatris : Set
in a tormal Mughal garden, with quiet nooks under flowering trees,
intersected by pathways with ornamental balustrades and illuminated
by Victorian lamps, is the complex in which the cenotaphs of the
Scindias are set.
Facing each other across a water tank are the chhatris of Madho
Rao Scindia and the dowager queen Maharani Sakhya Raje Scindia,
synthesising the architectural idioms ot Hindu and Islamic styles
with their slnkhara-type spires and Rajput and Mughal pavilions.
The glittering white marble surface of Madho Rao Scindia's cenotaph
is inlaid in the pietra dura style, with lapis lazuli and onyx to
create a spectacularly rich effect, heightened by the delicacy of
the trellis work on the sides. The dowager queen's cenotaph has
a noble dignity of line and superb structural harmony.
Both memorials contain life-size images of the Scindias and these
are tended to with extreme devotion by ceremonially-dressed retainers
who perform the rituals of placing flowers and incense before the
statues each day. In the evenings, the hush is broken by the sound
of music as artistes of the Gwalior gharana render classical ragas
before the statues.
Madhav Vilas Palace :
Standing upon a natural eminence, the elongated rose-pink summer
palace of the Scindias is built in truly royal proportions. A fine
example of colonial architecture, the 'Mahal', as it is called,
is remarkable for its marble floors, iron columns, graceful terraces
and the Ganapati Mandap. From the turrets, the view is a spectacular
one of Shivpuri town and the park beyond.
George Castle :
Deep within the forests of the park, on its highest point, is the
turreted George Castle built by Jiyaji Rao Scindia. From here the
view of the lake is unparalleled and the best time to visit the
castle is at sunset when the lakes below mirror the changing hues
of the evening sky.
Sakhya Sagar Boat Club :
Edging the forests of the Madhav National Park is the Sakhya Sagar
lake, habitat of a variety of reptiles. Species that can be seen
here are the marsh crocodile or mugger, Indian python and the monitor
lizard. On the shores of the lake and connected to it by a broad
pier is a Boat Club, an airy, delicate structure with glass panels.
Bhadaiya Kund :
A scenic picnic spot by a natural spring. The water here is rich
in minerals, supposedly of a curative nature.
156
sq km in area, the park is open throughout the year. With a varied
terrain of wooded hills, the forests being dry, mixed and deciduous,
and flat grasslands around the lake, it oflers abundant opportunities
for sighting a variety of wildlife.
Set
in a tormal Mughal garden, with quiet nooks under flowering trees,
intersected by pathways with ornamental balustrades and illuminated
by Victorian lamps, is the complex in which the cenotaphs of the
Scindias are set.
