There's a popular new advertisement making the rounds on television and on the social media arenas of FB, Twitter and Youtube. It's by the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board, tagging themselves the Heart of Incredible India.
One of the places mentioned in this ad is Mandu, near Indore. Mandu ke dekho bhavya mahal (See the grand palaces of Mandu) AND Mandu main mahal dekhne aaye, Jahaaz dekha chakkar khaaye (Came to see the palace in Mandu, went loopy after seeing the Ship) goes the tagline. This, coupled by a few good reviews from friends, prompted us to take a quick trip to this hill station in Madhya Pradesh.
About 50 miles from the city of Indore in the state of Madhya Pradesh, Mandu or Mandav, is a fortress town off the highway. From Ahmedabad, we took a bus to Indore late in the evening, and in about 7 hours, we were at the city of Dhar. The district of Dhar contains Mandu, and buses from Dhar to Mandu ply every hour starting from dawn till dusk.
The first thing that hits you about Mandu is the huge walls of the fortresses, and the gates through which the road snakes up the hills. The gates are splendid, huge and pretty much intact, given that the town's monuments have a documented history of more than 800 years. The bus trudged along the spirals, each gear straining for that extra bit of energy, hoping to make it to the top.
And finally we did. In about an hour's time from Dhar, we were at the bus stand in Mandu, which also happens to be the central square of the town. Home to the rather grand Jami Masjid (Gathering Mosque), this central square comes to life in the morning itself, with lots of small tea and snack stalls, a few cigarette and tobacco stalls, a couple of small eateries and a few grocery stores. The Victory Monument standing opposite the Jami Masjid here was built after the Mughals became victorious over Baz Bahadur, who used to be ruler of the Mandu region.
The weather is the highlight of the place. There is no real concept of "hot" in Mandu. You're always amongst clouds, mist and little bouts of rain that continually keep your clothes damp, but never let you feel hot or tired. There is this zing of energy in the air. You feel like you can climb mountains, walk for miles and swim across rivers, without stopping. Top class, especially if you make the trip from some place like Ahmedabad, which a lot of people are asking to be renamed to "B-l-o-o-d-y H-o-t".
We got down at the bus stand at around 7:45 AM and walked about half a kilometre to our hotel. Hotel is a very very uppity word for the place. Ajooba's is basically a 3-room structure, with mattresses laid out in each. Owned by a small family, Ajooba's is pretty much one of the cheapest options here, at INR 100 a night per person. With a common bathroom and toilet, it isn't grand, but is functional.
Ajooba sits on a chair out in the front, a beedi (rolled Indian cigarette) in one hand and a newspaper in the other, welcoming people to his place. We reach to find him immediately getting a couple of chairs for us to sit, and ordering tea and water for the tired travelers.
He informs us that there was a grand party there the previous night, which pretty much lasted into the wee hours of the morning. All our friends had reached a day before us, and all of them were pretty much dead asleep. We sat for a while, had a cup of tea each, and then slowly the first of our friends started to wake up.
We met all of these folks, and then started our day. Over the two days, we roamed a lot, partied a lot, and basically chilled out in the awesome weather. We saw a lot of wonderful sights, I'm going to list out 4 of these that we went to, and spent most time at.
1. The Rupmati Pavilion:
Baz Bahadur, the last independent ruler of Mandu, fell in love with a singing shepherdess, Rupmati, who was also adept at poetry. They married and came to Mandu, where, on Rupmati's wish, Baz Bahadur had the Rupmati Pavilion built, so that Rupmati could see both her beloveds - Baz Bahadur and River Narmada - from the same place.
The Rupmati Pavilion served as the military outpost of the Manu kingdom as well. Adham Khan, a general in the army of Mughal King Akbar, made war on Mandu, partly due to Akbar's orders, but mainly due to his interest in Rupmati. He defeated Baz Bahadur in Mandu, while Rupmati witnessed this from her pavilion. When Adham Khan came to claim Rani Rupmati, she chose to consume poison than succumb to this villain's desires.
Thus what began in poetry, music and beauty, and was an epic tale of romance, ended in a tragic tale of lust, war and death.
From the south pavilion, the Narmada River was visible (not when we were there though, due to the clouds and mist). From the north pavilion, the entire Malwa plateau is visible. The whole monument is grand. We particularly noticed one thing about all the monuments here - there are no intricate carvings, unlike palaces or forts in places like Udaipur. But all the monuments in themselves are grand, well planned, well-ventilated, and fit to be the assembly courts of grand kings of old.
2. Baz Bahadur Palace:
Just about a quarter of a mile down the road from the Rupmati Mahal, I have never seen a palace so well ventilated. Like the rest of the monuments at Mandu, the Baz Bahadur palace too lacks intricate carvings or ornamentation, but the sheer size of the palace makes up for it. This palace was built in A.D. 1508, by Nasirud-Din, but Baz Bahadur took a fancy to it and made it his own abode - especially due to it's proximity to the Rupmati Pavilion.
It's highlight is a pool in the central courtyard; water reflects the sky and the nearby pillars, highlighting the architectural wonders of even that era.
Close to this place is the Rewa Kund, which is a water reservoir built by Baz Bahadur to supply water to the Rupmati Palace. The Rewa Kund is a highly revered place now, with a lot of people coming here for bathing and prayers.
3. Jahaaz Mahal (Ship Palace)
Probably the most popular place in Mandu, and surely the biggest, the Jahaaz Mahal (Ship Palace) stands true to its name. Built in the shape of a ship between two water bodies of Munja and Kapur tanks, this palace was built by the pleasure-loving ruler, Sultan Ghiyasud-Din, somewhere in the late A.D. 1400s. This palace served as the harem for his personal treasure, what is rumored to be thousands of women!
Not only is the shape of the palace rather unique, it also boasts of wonderful gardens, a long terrace walkway and a well-maintained lake surrounding it. We were glad to see the maintenance done well, and even people were throwing litter only in dustbins.
We also saw the swimming pools where the harem women would sit and bathe and the Sultan would see them daily. No wonder he was known to be such a pleasure-loving person! Imagine, walking around that well, a beautiful woman sitting on each step, all eager to look their best for their Sultan; how elated must he have felt every morning!
Jahaaz Mahal is also more tourist-conducive, given that it offers drinking water and toilet facilities throughout the whole complex, has a galore of eateries and food stalls right outside its gates, including one "Lunch Pad", which by the way has very British chairs and tables under a huge shady tree. Perfect for a sunny day.
4. Sunset Point (Sooryaast Bindu):
The last place that I want to write about is the Sunset Point. This is easily the finest sunset point that I have seen, and I have seen many across India.
It's on the edge of one of the Tabletops of the Malwa plateau, about a kilometer from the Town Center. But I recommend not going to the actual sunset point. Before you hit the entrance of the Sunset Point, take a left. A narrow path leads to a small water body that you can walk around and come to the edge of the hill. The whole hill is covered with grass this time of the year, except the rocky outcrops, where we all sat down, beer and rum giving us company in the wonderful weather. The rain, accompanied by gusts of strong winds, abruptly appear - they make you get up, take shelter behind a tree nearby, and then disappear. This probably happens every 20 minutes. Every minute there is worth it as you soak in the entire valley in front of you, a green-land in the center, covered on the left and the right by tabletops of the plateau.
Far on the right, you see a small waterfall from the top of the hill, crashing into a small pond, and then continuing further to the bottom of the hill.
These are the places that we visited this time on our visit to Mandu. There are still a lot of palaces and ruins left in Mandu that we have to explore. Apart from the tiring bus ride from Ahmedabad to Dhar/Mandu, and an untoward accident on our way back home, (the bus crashed into the side railings of the road due to a flat tire - no one was hurt), Mandu was satisfying and we are left craving for more of it.
Mandu is that perfect place to unwind after a long week of work.Take a car, drive with a couple of friends to Mandu, stay at a a nice place, have some beer, sit at Sunset Point, take in the sights. Mandu is the kind of place that you can go to again and again, and not tire of it at all.
Mandu is definitely at the Heart of Incredible India.
One of the places mentioned in this ad is Mandu, near Indore. Mandu ke dekho bhavya mahal (See the grand palaces of Mandu) AND Mandu main mahal dekhne aaye, Jahaaz dekha chakkar khaaye (Came to see the palace in Mandu, went loopy after seeing the Ship) goes the tagline. This, coupled by a few good reviews from friends, prompted us to take a quick trip to this hill station in Madhya Pradesh.
About 50 miles from the city of Indore in the state of Madhya Pradesh, Mandu or Mandav, is a fortress town off the highway. From Ahmedabad, we took a bus to Indore late in the evening, and in about 7 hours, we were at the city of Dhar. The district of Dhar contains Mandu, and buses from Dhar to Mandu ply every hour starting from dawn till dusk.
The first thing that hits you about Mandu is the huge walls of the fortresses, and the gates through which the road snakes up the hills. The gates are splendid, huge and pretty much intact, given that the town's monuments have a documented history of more than 800 years. The bus trudged along the spirals, each gear straining for that extra bit of energy, hoping to make it to the top.
And finally we did. In about an hour's time from Dhar, we were at the bus stand in Mandu, which also happens to be the central square of the town. Home to the rather grand Jami Masjid (Gathering Mosque), this central square comes to life in the morning itself, with lots of small tea and snack stalls, a few cigarette and tobacco stalls, a couple of small eateries and a few grocery stores. The Victory Monument standing opposite the Jami Masjid here was built after the Mughals became victorious over Baz Bahadur, who used to be ruler of the Mandu region.
 |
| Jami Masjid - Town Square at Mandu |
The weather is the highlight of the place. There is no real concept of "hot" in Mandu. You're always amongst clouds, mist and little bouts of rain that continually keep your clothes damp, but never let you feel hot or tired. There is this zing of energy in the air. You feel like you can climb mountains, walk for miles and swim across rivers, without stopping. Top class, especially if you make the trip from some place like Ahmedabad, which a lot of people are asking to be renamed to "B-l-o-o-d-y H-o-t".
We got down at the bus stand at around 7:45 AM and walked about half a kilometre to our hotel. Hotel is a very very uppity word for the place. Ajooba's is basically a 3-room structure, with mattresses laid out in each. Owned by a small family, Ajooba's is pretty much one of the cheapest options here, at INR 100 a night per person. With a common bathroom and toilet, it isn't grand, but is functional.
Ajooba sits on a chair out in the front, a beedi (rolled Indian cigarette) in one hand and a newspaper in the other, welcoming people to his place. We reach to find him immediately getting a couple of chairs for us to sit, and ordering tea and water for the tired travelers.
 |
| At Ajooba's |
He informs us that there was a grand party there the previous night, which pretty much lasted into the wee hours of the morning. All our friends had reached a day before us, and all of them were pretty much dead asleep. We sat for a while, had a cup of tea each, and then slowly the first of our friends started to wake up.
We met all of these folks, and then started our day. Over the two days, we roamed a lot, partied a lot, and basically chilled out in the awesome weather. We saw a lot of wonderful sights, I'm going to list out 4 of these that we went to, and spent most time at.
1. The Rupmati Pavilion:
Baz Bahadur, the last independent ruler of Mandu, fell in love with a singing shepherdess, Rupmati, who was also adept at poetry. They married and came to Mandu, where, on Rupmati's wish, Baz Bahadur had the Rupmati Pavilion built, so that Rupmati could see both her beloveds - Baz Bahadur and River Narmada - from the same place.
 |
| On the way to Rupmati Pavilion |
The Rupmati Pavilion served as the military outpost of the Manu kingdom as well. Adham Khan, a general in the army of Mughal King Akbar, made war on Mandu, partly due to Akbar's orders, but mainly due to his interest in Rupmati. He defeated Baz Bahadur in Mandu, while Rupmati witnessed this from her pavilion. When Adham Khan came to claim Rani Rupmati, she chose to consume poison than succumb to this villain's desires.
Thus what began in poetry, music and beauty, and was an epic tale of romance, ended in a tragic tale of lust, war and death.
 |
| The North & South Pavilion Towers |
From the south pavilion, the Narmada River was visible (not when we were there though, due to the clouds and mist). From the north pavilion, the entire Malwa plateau is visible. The whole monument is grand. We particularly noticed one thing about all the monuments here - there are no intricate carvings, unlike palaces or forts in places like Udaipur. But all the monuments in themselves are grand, well planned, well-ventilated, and fit to be the assembly courts of grand kings of old.
2. Baz Bahadur Palace:
Just about a quarter of a mile down the road from the Rupmati Mahal, I have never seen a palace so well ventilated. Like the rest of the monuments at Mandu, the Baz Bahadur palace too lacks intricate carvings or ornamentation, but the sheer size of the palace makes up for it. This palace was built in A.D. 1508, by Nasirud-Din, but Baz Bahadur took a fancy to it and made it his own abode - especially due to it's proximity to the Rupmati Pavilion.
 |
| A view of the Baz Bahadur Palace from Rupmati's Pavilion |
It's highlight is a pool in the central courtyard; water reflects the sky and the nearby pillars, highlighting the architectural wonders of even that era.
 |
| The pool in the central courtyard at Baz Bahadur Palace |
 |
| Reflections |
Close to this place is the Rewa Kund, which is a water reservoir built by Baz Bahadur to supply water to the Rupmati Palace. The Rewa Kund is a highly revered place now, with a lot of people coming here for bathing and prayers.
 |
| Rewa Kund |
3. Jahaaz Mahal (Ship Palace)
Probably the most popular place in Mandu, and surely the biggest, the Jahaaz Mahal (Ship Palace) stands true to its name. Built in the shape of a ship between two water bodies of Munja and Kapur tanks, this palace was built by the pleasure-loving ruler, Sultan Ghiyasud-Din, somewhere in the late A.D. 1400s. This palace served as the harem for his personal treasure, what is rumored to be thousands of women!
 |
| The Front View of the Jahaaz Mahal |
 |
| The view of the Jahaaz Mahal from the entrance |
Not only is the shape of the palace rather unique, it also boasts of wonderful gardens, a long terrace walkway and a well-maintained lake surrounding it. We were glad to see the maintenance done well, and even people were throwing litter only in dustbins.
 |
| The view of the lake and gardens at Jahaaz Mahal |
 |
| On the terrace of the Jahaaz Mahal |
 |
| Across |
We also saw the swimming pools where the harem women would sit and bathe and the Sultan would see them daily. No wonder he was known to be such a pleasure-loving person! Imagine, walking around that well, a beautiful woman sitting on each step, all eager to look their best for their Sultan; how elated must he have felt every morning!
 |
| A Water Filtration Drain for the Pool of the Jahaaz Mahal |
 |
| The Swimming Pool of the Jahaaz Mahal Palace where women of the harem would sit on the steps and bathe |
Jahaaz Mahal is also more tourist-conducive, given that it offers drinking water and toilet facilities throughout the whole complex, has a galore of eateries and food stalls right outside its gates, including one "Lunch Pad", which by the way has very British chairs and tables under a huge shady tree. Perfect for a sunny day.
4. Sunset Point (Sooryaast Bindu):
The last place that I want to write about is the Sunset Point. This is easily the finest sunset point that I have seen, and I have seen many across India.
It's on the edge of one of the Tabletops of the Malwa plateau, about a kilometer from the Town Center. But I recommend not going to the actual sunset point. Before you hit the entrance of the Sunset Point, take a left. A narrow path leads to a small water body that you can walk around and come to the edge of the hill. The whole hill is covered with grass this time of the year, except the rocky outcrops, where we all sat down, beer and rum giving us company in the wonderful weather. The rain, accompanied by gusts of strong winds, abruptly appear - they make you get up, take shelter behind a tree nearby, and then disappear. This probably happens every 20 minutes. Every minute there is worth it as you soak in the entire valley in front of you, a green-land in the center, covered on the left and the right by tabletops of the plateau.
 |
| A View from the Sunset Point |
Far on the right, you see a small waterfall from the top of the hill, crashing into a small pond, and then continuing further to the bottom of the hill.
 |
| See the thin line of the waterfall on the right? |
 |
| That's where we sit and relax :-) |
These are the places that we visited this time on our visit to Mandu. There are still a lot of palaces and ruins left in Mandu that we have to explore. Apart from the tiring bus ride from Ahmedabad to Dhar/Mandu, and an untoward accident on our way back home, (the bus crashed into the side railings of the road due to a flat tire - no one was hurt), Mandu was satisfying and we are left craving for more of it.
Mandu is that perfect place to unwind after a long week of work.Take a car, drive with a couple of friends to Mandu, stay at a a nice place, have some beer, sit at Sunset Point, take in the sights. Mandu is the kind of place that you can go to again and again, and not tire of it at all.
Mandu is definitely at the Heart of Incredible India.
7 comments:
Incredible....wonderful article
Appears to be a beautiful place....
Thanks Dhiraj Sir! :) :)
Shyam bhai, it's a beautiful place indeed. Definitely worth a visit.
vah..nice to read all this here. i have visited this place.nicely narrated with beautiful pictures.congrats.
I know that India is super beautiful country but i can't believe that the photos scene are just amazing and like it so much. Thanks to share.
ny legal right community services
@vinaykrishnan can you help with any contact for ajooba homestay
The castle likewise has a reservoir that is helpful for rain water collecting. Roopmati Palace is most prominent vacation destination of Mandu.
Book budget hotels in havelock
Book budget hotels in neil island
Post a Comment