Shivpuri was once the summer capital of the Scindia rulers of Gwalior. and even earlier, its dense forests were the hunting grounds of the Mughal emperors when great herds of elephants were captured by the emperor akbar for his stables. Much later, it was the tiger rounded the wooded hills and many a magnificent beast were bagged" by royal shikaris. And with its luxuri ant forests and undulating hills, shivapuri was a puris royal ambi ence lives on in the exqusite pal aces and hunting lodges and grace ful: intricately embevished marble chhatries (cenotaphs) erected by the Scindia princes.