Heritage Gwalior - 15th Century - Mriganayani

While Raja Man Singh is remembered very highly for the peace and glory he brought to Gwalior region, he is also very fondly remembered for his love to his eighth wife, a love affair that has now become a lore.

Once when Man Singh was hunting in jungles surrounding Gwalior, he came to a gurjar village next to river Sank. On his way he encountered two wild buffaloes fighting with each other. While fighting, the buffaloes ended up entwining their horns, such that they both got stuck and were not able to untangle. No one in Raja’s hunting group nor in the villagers gathered to see Raja, had courage to help the buffaloes. Suddenly a young girl from the village came out and without any fear went ahead and helped the buffaloes untangle themselves. This act impressed Man Singh to no end. That the girl was extremely beautiful added to the enigma. Her name was Ninni. Man Singh put a flower garland around Ninni to express the mark she had made on him and left the village. Some days later Man Singh arranged another hunting trip in the same area. This time, Ninni was asked to be a part of the hunting group. During the hunt, Ninni killed a tiger with her fierce arrows. Man Singh was floored again to see such a mix of beauty and strength. Man Singh proposed Ninni, to marry him and be his eighth wife. Ninni responded saying that she can go with him only if he gets water from her village river Sank, to Gwalior. After all, it was water from Sank that had made her as strong and beautiful as she was. Man Singh agreed to build a canal from Sank to Gwalior. She also put a condition that she will not stay with the first seven wives Man Singh had, as they may not respect her for lack of class and caste. Man Singh promised to make a new palace for her and keep her pride.

Thus Man Singh married Ninni and named her Mriganayani, the doe-eyed one, and made her his eighth wife. A new palace was made at the foot of Fort hillock, on the way to Man Mandir’s entrance, Hathi Pol. This palace is called Gujari Mahal. Fresh water from river Saank was brought to Gujari Mahal through a canal and one can see beautiful aqueducts running in the palace, which must have been flowing Saank water at that time.

Mriganayani was a true match for Man Singh as she too was a great lover of music. She learnt music from the greatly respected musician in Man Singh’s court, Haridas who had also been the early teacher of the greatest in Indian Classical Music, Mian Tansen. In fact Mriganayani shared a very friendly relationship with Tansen, and they remained in touch long after Tansen moved to Delhi. Another great musician, Baiju, who is mostly known through the lore surrounding him, was a fellow student of Haridas at the time of Tansen and Mriganayani.

The palace currently houses Gwalior’s  Archaeological Museum. The museum hosts an impressive collection of Hindu and Jain sculptures and artifacts found in and around Gwalior, dating from 400BC.  It also is the proud home of an exquisitely carved Salabhanjika sculpture that is considered as one of the most beautiful and valuable in its kind.