Mandu

Mandu or Mandav literally meaning the City of Joy is a small town in the state of Madhya Pradesh in India, now best known for a fort built by Baaz Bahadur in the memory of his queen Rani Roopmati. Between 1401 and 1561 it was the an important citadel of a Muslim rulers of central and north India. The citadel was abandoned more than 400 years ago, and it's now a town city but also home to a large ruins site more than 10 km long and 15 km wide. The temple dedicated to Shiva also attracts many pilgrims.

Understand
The citadel of Mandu or Mandav is perched on upon a rocky outspur of the Vindhya Range, at an altitude of 634 m. On the southern side it drops sharply for 305 m and merges with the Nimar plain, which is fed by the mighty Narmada River. The eastern, southern and northern side of the Mandu plateau is separated from the main Malawa Plateau by a deep ravine named Kakra Khoh. With a natural fortification, coupled with an amazing undulating landscape have made Mandu a favorite citadel for many a ruler, spanning over a period of thousand year.

Located almost at the centre of India, Mandu has played a leading role in shaping the history of the country. For centuries it has served as a frontier outpost for the north Indian rulers for their invasion into the Deccan or to ward of invasion from the south. Over the centuries the kings of Malwa region of central India, along with the Delhi Sultans and the Great Mughal Emperors have made Mandu their abode. They have constructed Mosques, pleasure palaces, hunting lodges, pavilions, tombs, gateways, inns and shops, all within the natural and man-made fortifications of Mandu. No wonder the Muslim rulers call Mandu Shadiabad, meaning the City of Joy.

Today the ruined citadel of Mandu along with its rugged but stunning landscape have transformed into a leading tourist spot and attracts tourist from far and wide. Mandu is also the only place in India where the baobab tree (a native of Africa) can be found in abundance.

Monsoon is the best time to visit Mandu as the lakes and the ponds will be full of water and the dark clouds creates a romantic atmosphere amidst the rugged hilly landscape.

Get in
Indore (95 km) has the nearest airport and railhead. Ratlam (124 km) located on the Delhi - Mumbai rail route is another option of getting into Mandu

By plane
Ahilyabai Holkar Airport in Indore is the nearest airport. There are regular flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Bhopal, Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Raipur and Kolkata

By train
Indore, 95 km away, is the nearest rail head. Indore is well connected with the rest of the country by train.

By bus
Mandu is well connected from Indore (95 km) and Dhar (35 km). From Indore there are two direct bus to Mandu, the first from Gangwal Bus Stand (8AM) and second from Sarawate Bus Stand (2PM). The journey takes 3 hours. Alternatively one can make a break journey at Dhar. There are regular bus service from Indore to Dhar and from Dhar to Mandu.

By car
You can rent a car in Indore. The best route from Indore is as follows: Indore - Pithampur - Ghatabillod - Labour - Dhar - Mandu. The distance is approximately 95 km and the roads are in good condition.

Get around
Apart from a few isolated ruins the runs of Mandu are clustered around a small area.

On foot
The sites of Mandu can be scattered in different groups. Each of the groups can be covered on foot. But covering the entire area on foot is not possible.

By bicycle
Bicycles can be hired to visit even the scattered sites of Mandu. Hotels can arrange for bicycles. It is an easy and environmental way to explore the sites. At least two whole days are needed to cover the major sites on a bicycle.

By car
Cars can be hired, and are the easiest and quickest way to visit the ruins of Mandu. Hotels can arrange for cars. A whole day is enough to cover all the major sites in Mandu in a day.

Guides
Guides are available for whole sightseeing tours but most of these guides operate on a fixed circuit. Most of the major locations have guides at the spot.

See
The archaeological sites of Mandu can be classified in five broad groups:
 * 1) Central Group
 * 2) Royal Group
 * 3) Rewa Kund Group
 * 4) Darya Khan's Tomb Group
 * 5) Sagar Talao Group

Apart from these major groups there are several scattered archaeological sites all over Mandu. There are also several gateways leading to the fortified medieval settlement of Mandu.

Central group
As the name suggests, the Central Group is located at the very centre of the fortified citadel of Mandu. Today it serves as the main centre of Mandu town and houses its main bus stop. It is also refereed to as the Village Group. It has four archaeological sites, Ashrafi Mahal (along with the tomb of Mahmud Khilji), Jami Masjid and Hoshang Shah's Tomb. There are also two new temples. One of them is a Jain Temple, while the other is a Ram Temple.

Royal group
The Royal Group is the largest and the most scattered of all the group of monuments in Mandu. It contains some of the most visited structures of Mandu like the Jahaz Mahal, Hindol Mahal and the Royal Palace. The complex is scattered and best visited by a combination of car rides and short walks.

Rewa Kund group
This area at the southern edge of Mandu is famous for the eternal love story of Baz Bahadur and Roopmoti. Baz Bahadur was an independent sultan of Mandu who ruled between 1554 – 1561. Baz Bahadur fell in love with shepherd girl by the name of Roopmati. In 1561 the mighty Mughal army attacked Baz Bahadur's kingdom and Baz Bahadur was no match for the mighty Mughal army. Baz Bahadur fled and Roopmati committed suicide by consuming poison.Numerous ballads and legends were spun and weaved glorifying their eternal love affair. Even today the balladeers of Malwa still sing of the immortal romance of Baz Bahadur and Roopmati.

Darya Khan's Tomb group
This is the smallest of the Mandu groups. The Darya Khan Tomb Complex is located on the eastern side of the main street of Mandu. The Hathi Paga Palace is located behind the Darya Khan Tomb Complex ans is approached by a dirt trail just south of Darya Khan Complex. The Roja ki Makbar is located on the western side of the main road. It is not on the main road and a winding dirt road leads to the Makbar.

Sagar Talao group
The Sagar Talao is a large lake on the southern side of Mandu. The road on the eastern edge of the lake leads to the Royal Enclave on the north and on the south it leads to Rewa Kund Group. The historic structures of the Sagar Talao Group are located on the eastern side of the road. For tourist staying in the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Malawa Resort Sagar Talao Group can be best explored by an early morning walk,

Other monuments
Apart from the five major groups Mandu contains several other scattered monuments, which can not be classified under any group.

Gates
The citadel of Mandu has several gateways. Some of these gates are mere arched gates while quite a few are elaborate archways complete with defensive mechanism. The defensive mechanism includes guard houses, battlements and even watch towers. Since Mandu has been largely dominated by the Delhi Sultanates and the Mughals so most of the gateways are on the northern approach to the citadel. The winding approach road to Mandu contains a series of five gates. There are a few smaller gates on the other approaches also.

Eat
Restaurant for regular Indian fare at Malwa Resort - close to the Jami Masjid.

Traditional daal-baati may be savoured at the Jain Temple.

Try the local delicacies of Malwa region, daal-bafla and daal-paniya

Go next

 * Maheshwar (41 km)
 * Omkareshwar (89 km)
 * Indore (99 km)
 * Hanuwantiya