Shivpuri

Shivpuri, once a summer retreat and hunting ground for the Scindia rulers of Gwalior, combines royal-era cenotaphs and a former hunting lodge with the Madhav National Park, home to deer, nilgai and a range of birdlife within a landscape of lakes and forest. The white marble Chhatris (cenotaphs) of the Scindia family, built in the early 20th century, are among the town's most architecturally significant structures.

The town's dual identity as both a royal heritage site and a wildlife destination gives Shivpuri a varied appeal, and its position roughly midway on the route between Gwalior and Shivpuri's own onward connections has made it a practical stop for travellers exploring this part of northern Madhya Pradesh.

The Scindia rulers of Gwalior developed Shivpuri as a preferred summer retreat and hunting ground in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and their family cenotaphs here remain among the finest examples of early 20th-century Indian royal funerary architecture.

About 115km from Gwalior, roughly 2.5-3 hours by road.