is a town and a nagar panchayat
in Shivpuri district
in the Indian state
of Madhya Pradesh
. It is a historic town and fort just east of the Kali Sindh River
and is situated at a distance of 41 km from Shivpuri
. Narwar was known as Narwar District during the times of Gwalior State. It is mentioned as Nalpura (Nala's town) in many medieval Sanskrit inscriptions.
is 8km. away from narwar
The town was known as Nalapura (named after Raja Nala) until the 12th century. At one time it was the capital of Raja Nala
of Naisadha, whose love for Damayanti
has been mentioned in detail in Mahabharata
. There is a myth that when Raja Nala
asleep in the forests
of Narwar she moved through dense forests and reached Chanderi
protecting her self from wild animals. The route through forests from Narwar to Chanderi is very short. The town is also famous for its medieval fortress, which was occupied by the Kachwahas
of the Chambal
valley, descendent's of Nala, whom were also the founder and rulers of Gwalior, until it was captured by Parihara Rajputs in the 12th century.
is situated atop a hill about 500 feet above ground level spread over an area of 8 km², which stands on a steep scarp of the Vindhya Range
It is now in a dilapidated condition, but the remains suggest that, in the flourishing days, it might have been only second to the Gwalior Fort in magnificence. The interior of the fort is divided by cross walls into four 'ahata' and 'dholaahata'. The architecture of the fort and palaces is basically Rajput in style with flat ceiling, fluted columns and multifold arches. The inner walls of the palaces have been decorated with bright paint and glass beads. Near the fort are the Jai Stambha, Sati monument, Ladu bungalow, Chhip Mahal, Makardwaj Tal, Kacheri mahal, Sikandar Lodi's Mosque, and Jail Kambha. Traditionally said to have been the capital of Raja Nala of the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata, the town was called Nalapura until the 12th century. From the 12th century onwards, Narwar was held successively by Kachwaha, Parihar, and Tomar Rajputs (warrior caste) until its capture by the Mughals in the 16th century. It fell to the Maratha chief Scindia in the early 19th century. Outside the walled town are memorial pillars of the Tomar chiefs.
Narwar is located at . It has an average elevation of 452 metres
As of 2001
, Narwar had a population of 15,748. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Narwar has an average literacy rate of 58%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 69%, and female literacy is 45%. In Narwar, 18% of the population is under 6 years of age.