Fancy a visit to a place that is situated at the edge of a ravine, with ruined palaces, tombs and monuments for company? And what if I tell you, one such place does exist? If you’ve been to Indore or Dhar in Madhya Pradesh, chances are the name will come as no surprise to you.
Spread over a 20-square km area, Mandu is an enchanting place, littered with ruined palaces, tombs, monuments and mosques. Known as Mandavgarh during the earlier times, the ruined city sits majestically at the far end of the plateau, overlooking the vast plains below. Historically, Mandu had a crucial role to play as a one-time important military outpost, with 12 gateways to the city!
Today, one would find the wall encloses a large number of palaces, mosques, Jain temples of 14th century and other buildings. The finest mosque is the Jami Masjid, the huge 15th century mosque, which is a fine example of Pashtun architecture.
Jami Masjid, Mandu (Source: Bernard Gagnon)
The marble domed tomb of this ruler is also magnificent. A major tourist attraction is the Jahaz Mahal, shaped in the form of a ship floating in water, that was once used as a harem for the Sultan.
Jahaz Mahal
Another structure that attracts a lot of attention from the tourists is the Hindola Mahal, shaped like a swing, due to its’ sloping side walls.
Other tourist attractions include Champa Baoli – a well, the romantic Baz Bahadur’s Palace, Roopmati’s Pavilion and Hoshang Shah’s Tomb. They reveal some of the unique gems of architecture and must-see tourist spots of Mandu. But Mandu is most popular as a testament to the love and romance between Baz Bahadur and Rani Roopmati and their tragic tale still haunts the place, drawing in a large number of visitors every day.
We visited Mandu in the monsoons, and I still have fond memories of our short 4-day trip to the ruins, which was supposedly the best season to do so. There couldn’t be a better time for the weather to be pleasant and the surroundings blooming.
If you’re planning a visit to Mandu, be prepared to be overpowered by the monumental ruins that create a mystical aura which comes alive amidst the sprawling emerald landscape and the reddish purple sky! And, there’s no better time than the monsoons to experience that!
18 Comments
Nilanjana Bose
I have got as far as Indore but not to Mandu. Yet. On my bucket list. Really liked your pictures and write up.
Best wishes,
Nilanjana
Madly-in-Verse
Esha Mookerjee Dutta
Thanks a lot Nilanjana. You must visit Mandu sometime – you’ll love it for sure!
the bespectacled mother
Another post excavating the historic ruins of India. I have a question – these ruins have jain temples and the mosques both? Was it a part of Hindu ruler or the Muslim ruler?
Esha Mookerjee Dutta
Anamika, the hindu rulers worshipped Parshvnatha and it is believed that the Jain temples were built around AD599. The Muslim reign followed much later, almost 400 years after, and that’s when the mosques were built.
Parul Thakur
I have heard Madhya Pradesh is rich cos of the culture and the history and your post on Mandu just confirms that. Good one!
Esha Mookerjee Dutta
MP is rich in history. Just Mandu alone has so much steeped in so many layers of history that I felt I needed another visit to do justice.
Rajlakshmi
I haven’t heard of Mandu before. The architecture looks fascinating, specially the Jahaz Mahal. Beautiful!!
A Whimsical Medley
Twinkle Eyed Traveller
Esha Mookerjee Dutta
Mandu is magical especially if history appeals to you! Even otherwise, It is a lovely place to go alone or with family. Loads to see…I covered only a few places… 🙂
BellyBytes
Thanks for bringing back memories of an unforgettable road trip just after I finished school. The magi of Mandu remains always
Esha Mookerjee Dutta
Glad it brought back lovely memories for you, Sunita! Yes, what a magical place is Mandu, whether you love history or not…it has a charm all of its own!
vishalbheeroo
Awesome post on Mandu. You have travelled a lot 🙂
Esha Mookerjee Dutta
Thanks, Vishal 🙂 Gratitude to the Almighty is all I can say for granting me the chances to travel and discover the magic in different places and get so much joy that I’m happily sharing here with everyone 🙂
calensariel
Beautifully amazing pictures. I’ve never heard of Mandu. Seems well worth doing a little research about.
Calen~
Impromptu Promptlings
Esha Mookerjee Dutta
Calen, so glad to hear from you! Mandu is a magical place seeped in history from times past. If you love history then this is a must-visit place for you!!!
calensariel
I’ll keep that in mind. Right now a cruise around the British Isles in September 2017 is next up on our docket.
Esha Mookerjee Dutta
Wow! A cruise sounds exciting to me…Well, good luck with it Calen 🙂
Stephen Tremp
This is why I love the A to Z Challenge. I get to go places I’ve never heard of and meet new amazing people. Thanks for the post!
I’m exploring different types of dreams and their meanings.
M is for Movies
Stephen Tremp’s Breakthrough Blogs
Esha Mookerjee Dutta
You’re right Stephen, that’s the best part about the A to Zchallenge! Glad to have met you here…will hop onto your blog and check yours too…I was away on vacation, hence the delay in replying 🙂