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Mandu is a celebration in stone, of life and joy, of the love of the poet-prince Baz Bahadur {mospagebreak}
{mosimage} 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 . In this "City of Joy I still hear the Rani Roopmati’s lyrical voice across the NarmadaVindhya Range and is enclosed in battlements 37 km long. With-in this well-defended plateau is wealth of palaces, pleasure pavilions, mansions, tombs and mosques. 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., which remembers me the love tales of the poet-prince Baz Bahadur for the beautiful Rani Rupmati. Mandu, the fortress of joy, rises 634 meters high in the " Places to visit The Darwazas
The 45 km parapet of walls that encircle Mandu are punctuated by 12 gateways. Most notable of these is Delhi Darwaza, the main entrance to the fortress city, for which the approach is through a series of gateways well fortified with walled enclosures and strengthened by bastions such as the Alamgir and Bhangi Darwaza, through which the present road passes. Rampol Darwaza, Jehangir Gate and Tarapur Gate are some of the other main gateways. The Royal Enclave 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 SultanGhiyas-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. Hindola Mahal
An audience hall, also belonging to Ghiyas-ud-din's reign, it derives its name of "swinging palace" from its sloping sidewalls. Superb and innovative techniques are also evident in its ornamental facade, delicate trellis work in sand stone and beautifully moulded columns. To the West of Hindola Mahal there are several unidentified buildings which still bear traces of their past grandeur. Amidst these is an elaborately constructed well called Champa Baoli which is connected with underground vaulted rooms where arrangements for cold and hot water were made. Other places of interest in this enclave are Dilawar Khan's Mosque, the Nahar Jharokha (tiger balcony), Taveli Mahal, the two large wells called the Ujali (bright) and Andheri (dark) Baolis and Gada Shah's Shop and House, all worth a visit. The Central Group 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. Jami Masjid Village Group - Jama Masjid is a huge mosque built in 1454 dominating the villageManduIndia .
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. and is considered the finest example of Afghan architecture in of {mospagebreak} Rewa Kund Group
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. Roopmati’s Pavilion: On the lofty crest of the hill to the south beyond the place of Baz Bahadur stand the pavilions associated with the romantic name of Roopmati. The Pavilion was originally built as an army observation post. From its hill Hathi Mahal, Darya Khan's Tomb, Dai ka Mahal, Dai ki Chhotti, Behan Ka Mahal, Malik Mughit's Mosque and Jali Mahal are some of the other fascinating monuments. There is also the Echo Point, the 'Delphic Oracle' of Mandu. A shout from here reverberates far below and is heard clearly back. The LohaniCavesTempleRuins , not far from the royal enclave area also merit a visit due to their association with Mandu's history and monuments. Sunset Point, in front of the caves affords a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside. and HOW TO REACH
BY AIRIndoreIndoreDelhiGwaliorBhopalRAILIndiaROADIndoreBhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh by direct buses. BEST SEASON- July to March via Dhar. Mandu is also connected with - Mandu is connected with other cities in the region by a good road network. There are direct buses from .
BY - Ratlam is the nearest railhead (124 km) on the Delhi-Mumbai main line. There are many trains linking Ratlam to other important cities of .
BY , and , Mumbai, with , 99 km away from Mandu. Regular flights connect - The nearest airhead is
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