Mandu or Mandav is an ancient fort city made famous by Baz Bahadur and Rani Roopmati. It was once surrounded by stone walls with Darwazas(gateways) providing entry and exit. Today the walls have mostly disappeared but couple of Darwazas still stand. So while historical Mandu had forts, palaces, temples, gateways and mosques, today most of them are in ruins with very few edifices standing.
A casual internet browsing led me to believe Mandu is kind of a must visit place. Reality was very different. I did not find anything unique in the monuments that are still standing in Mandu. But the good thing is that the monuments are concentrated in 3-4 areas of Mandu.
Rewa Kund Area –
Rani Roopmati pavilion, Baz Bahadur palace, Rewa kund( a pond, without hardly any water today!)
Rani Roopmati pavilion, Mandu, Madhya Pradesh View from Rani Roopmati pavilion, Mandu, Madhya Pradesh
Mandu Fort Area –
Jahaz mahal, Hindola mahal, Champa baoli(step well), Dilawar Khan mosque, Taveli mahal, Museum. About couple of hours is adequate. Sound and Light shows are held here in the evenings but I skipped. Watch for the bats and the bat droppings near Champa baoli.
Jahaz mahal, Mandu, Madhya Pradesh Hindola mahal, Mandu, Madhya Pradesh Champa Baoli(Step Well), Mandu, Madhya Pradesh Jahaz mahal, Mandu, Madhya Pradesh
Jami Masjid area –
Jami masjid, Hoshang Shah’s tomb(one complex), Ashrafi mahal. About an hour is good unless you wish to spend some quiet moments here.
Jami Masjid, Mandu, Madhya Pradesh Ashrafi mahal, Mandu, Madhya Pradesh Hoshang Shah’s tomb, Mandu, Madhya Pradesh
Other monuments and locations –
Lohani caves, Sunset view point, Hathi mahal, Delhi darwaza, Jain mandir, Ram mandir.
Jain Temple, Mandu, Madhya Pradesh Lohani caves, Mandu, Madhya Pradesh Sunset view point, Mandu, Madhya Pradesh Delhi Darwaza, Mandu, Madhya Pradesh
Other than Mandu Fort and Jami Masjid area, the rest can easily be skipped if short on time. While driving from Maheswari to Mandu, I passed by Nilkanth Mahadev mandir. And while driving from Mandu to Indore, I passed by Delhi Darwaza.
Paramotoring is an option
There is an option for paramotoring in Mandu. I noticed it while at Rani Roopmati pavilion. Bit surprising as the scenery is unlikely to be exciting to watch from the top but the sport itself may be. Does not seem to last long though, I thought it was less than 10 minutes in the air. You can check this link if keen.
During Mandu festival, balloon rides are also offered.
Where to stay?
Limited choices again and I stayed at MPT Malwa Resort. Quite spacious and good overall but again, the design and maintenance of toilets was not up to mark. Food was quite good and the alcoholic beverages were fairly priced. Costs INR 4k plus per night. This resort is located on the banks of Sagar Talab and is close to Ranui Roopmati pavilion but in February, the talab(lake) was almost dry. There is also MPT Malwa Retreat that is closer to the fort area and cheaper as compared to Malwa Resort.
When to visit?
Summer temperatures can top 45 degrees Celsius. Monsoon(July to September) is a good time and so also is winter(October to February). Days will still be hot though, with temperatures in early to mid thirties. I visited in February when the day was hot but evening was quite pleasant.
Is Mandu worth visiting?
For a casual tourist, it is avoidable on a stand alone basis. But if one is visiting Maheswari, one can spend few hours here on way to Indore. Or even stay overnight. But those interested in history might find Mandu more interesting if they hire a guide. Another option is to visit during the Mandu Festival. In 2023, it was held in the month of January. You can check this link though I am not sure how long it will remain valid.
https://www.mandufestival.com/
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