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Mandu is a celebration in stone, of life and joy, of
the love of the poet-prince Baz Bahadur for his beautiful consort, Rani
Roopmati. The balladeers of Malwa still sing of the romance of these royal
lovers,and high up on the crest of a hill, Roopmati's Pavilion still gazes
down at Baz Bahadur's Palace, a magnificent expression of Afghan
architecture . Under Mughal rule, Mandu was a pleasure resort, its lakes and
palaces the scenes of splendid and extravagant festivities and the glory of
Mandu lives on, in legends and songs, chronicled for posterity.
Perched along the Vindhya ranges at an altitude of 2,000 feet, Mandu, with
its natural defenses, was originally the fort capital of the Parmar rulers
of Malwa. Towards the end of the 13th century, it came under the sway of the
Sultans of Malwa, the first of whom named it Shadiabad - 'city of joy'. And
indeed the pervading spirit of Mandu was of gaiety; and its rulers built
exquisite palaces like the Jahaz and Hindola Mahals, ornamental canals,
baths and pavilions, as graceful and refined as those times of peace and
plenty. Under Mughal rule, Mandu was a pleasure resort, its lakes and
palaces the scenes of splendid and extravagant festivities. And the glory of
Mandu lives on, in legends and songs, chronicled for posterity. Each of
Mandu's structures is an architectural gem; some are outstanding like the
massive Jami Masjid and Hoshang Shah's tomb, which provided inspiration to
the master builders of the Taj Mahal centuries later.
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HOW
TO REACH
By Air: The nearest airport is at Indore, 99 km
away,connected to Mumbai, Delhi, Gwalior and Bhopal.
By Rail: Convenient railheads are Ratlam (124 km ) on the
Mumbai-Delhi main line and Indore (99km).
By Road : Regular bus services connect Mandu with Indore,
Dhar,Mhow, Ratlam, Ujjain and Bhopal.
WHEN TO GO
Mandu enjoys an extreme climate. The best season to visit this place
is during the monsoon, that is, from July to September. While other
places in Madhya Pradesh and most of the north and peninsular India
are closed for tourism during monsoon, Mandu is more of a monsoon
resort than anything else. The natural surroundings are in full
bloom during this time.
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WHAT TO SEE |
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Jahaz Mahal - This 120 mt long "ship palace"
built between the two artificial lakes, Munj Talao and Kapur Talao is an
elegant two storeyed palace. Probably it was built by Sultan
Ghiyas-ud-din-Khilji for his large harem. With its open pavilions,
balconies overhanging the water and open terrace, Jahaz Mahal is an
imaginative recreation in stone of a royal pleasure craft. Viewed on
moonlit nights from the adjoining Taveli Mahal, the silhouette of the
building, with the tiny domes and turrets of the pavilion gracefully
perched on the terrace, presents an unforgettable spectacle.
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Hindola Mahal - The church like Hindola mahal or
the Swinging palace derives its name from the sloping sidewalks. Due to
the slopes the walls of this palace seems to be swinging. Hindola mahal
essentially was a meeting place during Ghiyas-ud-din-Khilji's time. The
arcjitecture of this building is unique and very innovative. Probably
the clopes were built to take the rulers upstairs on elephant. The
decorated facades and delicate trellis on the moulded cloumns add to the
beauty of this sandstone structure. On the western side of this structre
there are many building and structers which narrate a saga of past
grandeur and glory. One interesting structure is the Champ Baoli or pond
which has a underground arrangement of vaulted rooms for hot and cold
water.
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Hoshang Shah's Tomb - India's first marble
edifice, it is one of the most refined examples of Afghan architecture.
Its unique features are the magnificently proportioned dome, marble
lattice work of remarkable delicacy and porticoed courts and towers to
mark the four corners of the rectangle. Shah Jehan sent four of his
great architects to study the design of and draw inspiration from the
Tomb. Among them was Ustad Hamid, who was also associated with the
construction of Taj Mahal. |
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Jami Masjid - The Jami Masjid was conceived on a
grand scale, with a high plinth and a huge domed porch projecting in the
centre, the background dominated by similar imposing domes with the
intervening space filled up by innumerable domes. One is struck by the
huge proportions and the stern simplicity of its construction. The great
court of the mosque is enclosed on all sides by huge colonnades with a
rich and pleasing variety in the arrangement of arches, pillars, number
of bays, and in the rows of domes above.
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Rewa Kund - A reservoir, built by Baz Bahadur
with an aqueduct to provide Roopmati's palace with water. Today, the
pool is revered as a sacred spot.
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Baz Bahadur's Palace - It was Built by Baz
Bahadur in the early 16th century, the palace's unique features are its
spacious courtyards surrounded by halls and high terraces which afford a
superb view of the surrounding countryside.
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Roopmati's Pavilion - The pavilion was
originally built as an army observation post. From its hilltop perch,
this graceful structure with its two pavilions was a retreat of the
lovely queen, from where she could see Baz Bahadur's palace and the
Narmada flowing through the Nimar plains far below.
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Ashrafi Mahal - This was essentially built as a
Madrassa, a place for Islamic teaching. Even today the rooms and cells
tell a story of teaching and studying. The name means palace of gold and
was build by Mahmud Shah Khilji.
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Champa Baoli - Champa Baoli is an interesting
step-well on the north edge of the tank situated there. It was a popular
hot-weather retreat and featured cool wells and bathrooms.
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WHERE TO EAT
There are so many good restaurants with different delicacies, and all the
major hotels has their own specialty restaurant and bar.
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