Wikimapia is a multilingual open-content collaborative map, where anyone can create place tags and share their knowledge.

Mandu Fort

India / Madhya Pradesh / Dhamnod /
 fortification, hillfort, plateau, ghost town, ancient ruins
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.

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.

External Links :
www.mptourism.com/web/explore/destinations/mandu.aspx
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   22°20'8"N   75°25'0"E

Comments

  • Dilip Charegaonkar (guest)
    Mandu probably has the highest concentration of baobab trees in India. Its fruit are sold as "Mandu tamarind. Baobab trees originate from Afrika and become huge. One tree outside Hotel Roopmati is really huge. Mandu also has a forest of custard apple trees i.e. seetaphal. Jahaj Mahal is the best palace complex to see and takes between 1 to 2 hours. It is well maintained. Unfortunately today, Narmada river cannot be seen from Mandu fort although Rani Roopmati used to see it once. Roopmati Pavilion is built on top of an old army barrack for horses and soldiers. There is a sixty thousand litre rain water harvesting provision!! This water was filtered through charcoal, lime and sand!! India was way ahead in science. The local guides tell a different story of Roopmati and Baz Bahadur.. They were both singers and music lovers. On asking her hand, Roopmati told Baz Bahadur that you can be my brother but I cannot marry you. He said yes. Later Akbar invited her having heard her fame as a singer but she did not go so he sent Adam Khan to bring her. But Adam Khan tried to marry her and stayed put. On learning this, Akbar came down himself and honoured Roopmati. Roopmati and Bazahadur are both buried next to each other, on Akbar's orders, because he had high regards for their musical accomplishments.
This article was last modified 8 years ago