{"id":144650,"date":"2026-09-20T08:17:24","date_gmt":"2026-09-20T06:17:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magikindia.com\/?p=144650"},"modified":"2026-09-20T08:21:30","modified_gmt":"2026-09-20T06:21:30","slug":"mandu-hanging-palaces-afghan-romances","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magikindia.com\/en\/mandu-hanging-palaces-afghan-romances\/","title":{"rendered":"Mandu, Hanging Palaces & Afghan Romances"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Nestled on a fortified plateau of the Vindhya Hills, over 600 meters above sea level, Mandu (or Mandav) is one of the most fascinating architectural and historical gems of Madhya Pradesh<\/a>. Famous for its hanging palaces, elaborate hydraulic system and monumental Afghan monuments, this ghost city bears witness to a romantic and tumultuous past, immortalised by the tragic love of Sultan Baz Bahadur and poet Rani Roopmati.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n


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History of Mandu<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The story of Mandu is a great romantic fresco marked by power struggles and romantic passions.<\/strong> Originally known as Mandapa Durga, the town was first a strategic stronghold of the Paramara kings of Malwa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Statue of Vishnu from the Paramara era, found during excavations in Mandu | Mandu Archaeological Museum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The Golden Age under the Malwa Sultanate (1410\u20131531)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Persian calligraphy | Mandu Archaeological Museum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Resulting from the collapse of the Delhi Sultanate after the passage of Tamerlane in 1398<\/strong>, the Malwa Sultanate was born in 1410 when governor Dilawar Khan Ghori (from the province of Ghor in Afghanistan) emancipated himself to found an independent state. It will first be led by the Ghorids (from 1410 to 1436), initiated by Dilawar and consolidated by his son Hoshang Shah who transferred the capital to Mandu,<\/strong> then by the Khalji (from 1436 to 1531) brought to power by Mahmud Shah I who led the sultanate to its territorial, military and cultural apogee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Baz Bahadur & Rani Roopmati (16th century)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Sultan Baz Bahadur of Malwa (r. 1555-1562) and Rani Roopmati hunting | Author unknown, circa 1770, Los Angeles County Museum of Art<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mandu’s most romantic period, this era associates Sultan Baz Bahadur with shepherdess Rani Roopmati. <\/strong>Gifted with a captivating voice and a deep piety towards the sacred river Narmada, she married the ruler who had a pavilion erected for her on the side of a cliff to admire the watercourse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1562, Akbar’s Mughal invasion overthrew the sultan.<\/strong> Threatened with capture by enemy troops, Roopmati poisoned herself to save her honour and seal her loyalty to her lover<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mandu’s ingenious hydraulic system<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Perched on an arid plateau devoid of permanent sources, the city of Mandu developed from the 15th to the 16th century one of the most sophisticated rainwater management networks in medieval India.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Collection and storage<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Rainwater collection basin of the Royal Enclave<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To supply the whole, the city relied on a vast network of more than 1,200 interconnected reservoirs and basins<\/strong>, such as the Munj Talab and the Kapur Talab (royal enclave), linked together by underground pipes made of stone and lime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cistern in the Royal Quarter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Vertical transport<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Aqueduct that carried water to Baz Bahadur’s palace<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Water was hoisted onto the roofs of the palaces using pulleys or transported by aqueducts, like Baz Bahadur,<\/strong> before being redirected to the lower levels by pipes hidden in the heart of hollow pillars, relying on gravity and the principle of siphons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Water was carried to the lower floors through pipes hidden inside the hollow pillars<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Filtration and wells<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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The water filtration system in the royal enclave<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The water passed through natural sand and charcoal filters<\/strong>. Stepwells (baolis<\/em>), such as the Champa Baoli, incorporated underground galleries to provide coolness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Champa Baoli<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Air conditioning and baths<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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One of the star-patterned domes of the Royal Enclave Hammam<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Water circulating through the walls regulated room temperatures (passive cooling)<\/strong> and supplied sophisticated hammams with adjustable temperatures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ventilated underground spaces<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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African giants in the heart of India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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One of the most unusual surprises for travellers visiting Mandu is the massive presence of baobab trees scattered across the entire plateau and the city’s ruins.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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baobabs of Mandu<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

These monumental trees with gigantic trunks are, of course, not native: <\/strong>they were introduced from East Africa between the Middle Ages and the era of the Malwa Sultanate, facilitated by intense trade routes and cultural exchanges with the Arab-African world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Baobab shells<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Perfectly adapted to the rocky soil and climate of the plateau, these trees have become naturalised<\/strong>. The fruits and products derived from the baobab (used for their medicinal or culinary virtues) are also commonly sold in the traditional markets of Mandu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Seller of baobab seeds (left) and plums (right)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The Royal Enclave<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Jahaz Mahal (the boat palace)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Jahaz Mahal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Built in the 15th century during the reign of Sultan Ghiyas-ud-din Khilji, it owes its name to its slender silhouette which seems to float between two bodies of water,<\/strong> the Kapur Talaq and Munj Talaq basins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The must-have shot \ud83d\ude09<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This palace, almost 120 meters long, once served as a residence for the thousands of women<\/strong> of the royal harem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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View of the Taveli Mahal and one of the reservoirs of the boat palace<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The whole is notably embellished with\u00a0decorative basins and reservoirs, <\/strong>the most famous of which is a shallow basin with a\u00a0sculpted structure in the shape of a giant turtle, testifying to the refinement and playful ingenuity of the period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The turtle-shaped pond<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Mandu Archaeological Museum<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Ancient statues of Hanuman (right and left) and Vishnu (center) | Mandu Archaeological Museum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Installed within the Taveli Mahal (the old stables), in the immediate vicinity of the Jahaz Mahal, this museum presents the remains exhumed on the Mandu plateau.<\/strong> There we find ancient coins, inscriptions, architectural elements and especially Hindu and Jain sculptures from the 11th and 12th centuries of the Paramara period, supplemented by pieces from the Malwa Sultanate and steles with Islamic calligraphy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Overview of the earthenware that adorned the walls of the Mandu monuments | Mandu Archaeological Museum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Hindola Mahal (swinging palace)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Located right next to the boat palace, the\u00a0Hindola Mahal is a remarkable 15th-century monument, initially built during the reign of Hoshang Shah and completed under that of the Sultans of Malwa.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Swinging palace<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It gets its name from its\u00a0steeply sloping exterior walls\u00a0(forming an angle of approximately 77 degrees)<\/strong> and supported by massive buttresses, which visually give the impression that the building is swaying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The courtroom and its row of arches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Built on a \u201cT\u201d shaped plan,<\/strong> it mainly served as a\u00a0large audience hall (Durbar Hall)\u00a0or gathering place for the royal court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Another view of the palace<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It is distinguished by the bold sobriety of its sandstone architecture,<\/strong> superb pointed arches and finely openwork windows ensuring optimal ventilation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dilawar Khan <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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The\u00a0Dilawar Khan Mosque, built in 1405, is the oldest Islamic structure in Mandu.<\/strong> Built by Dilawar Khan Ghori, who took advantage of the weakening of Delhi to found the dynasty and the independent sultanate of Malwa, it marks the beginnings of Indo-Islamic architecture in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dilawar Khan Mosque <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Originally reserved for the use of the royal family,<\/strong> it laid the artistic and political foundations which would later allow his son, Hoshang Shah, to transform Mandu into a great imperial capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Prayer niches (mihrabs)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The village and the central group<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The Jami Masjid Mosque<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Begun during the reign of Hoshang Shah and completed in 1454 by Mahmud Khilji, this mosque, inspired by the Great Mosque of Damascus, is one of the most impressive and best-preserved monuments of Afghan architecture in India.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jami Masjid<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n


The building is built around a vast central open-air courtyard<\/strong>, framed on its sides by colonnaded galleries punctuated by rows of arches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Forest of pillars and mihrabs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The prayer hall is dominated by three large majestic domes surrounded by a forest of more than fifty small domes and a multitude of pillars<\/strong>.The interior offers rigorous symmetry, adorned with superb prayer niches (mihrabs) carved from black sandstone from Karnataka<\/a> and openwork window panels (jaalis).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mihrab and minbar (prayer pulpit) of the mosque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Did you know?<\/strong> To design certain parts of the building, the architects traced their plans directly on the stone. Even today, here and there we can see these original lines engraved on the floor of the mosque.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Drawing engraved on the ground which refers to one of the pointed doors of the mosque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The Mausoleum of Hoshang Shah<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Considered the first pure marble building in India, it is said to have served as a source of architectural inspiration for the construction of the famous Taj Mahal<\/a>.<\/strong> The construction of the mausoleum began during the reign of Hoshang Shah and was completed around 1454\u00a0under his successor, Mahmud Khilji.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The mausoleum of Hoshang Shah, considered the first pure marble building in India<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Built entirely of immaculate white marble<\/strong>, it stands on a high platform and has a square plan with harmonious proportions, topped with a central dome and surrounded by four corner domes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The interior of the mausoleum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The funerary space houses in its center the sculpted marble sarcophagus of Hoshang Shah,<\/strong> surrounded by delicate moucharabiehs (openwork stone windows) which filter the natural light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rewa Kund’s group<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Rani Roopmati’s Pavilion<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Perched at the southern end of the plateau, this lodge offers breathtaking panoramic views of the Narmada River valley below.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rani Roopmati’s Pavilion<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Originally built as a military observation post to monitor the valley below, <\/strong>it became the symbol of the legendary love story between Sultan Baz Bahadur and the Hindu poet Roopmati, who could admire the sacred Narmada river from its terraces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The view of the Narmada Valley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The two-story pavilion consists of central rooms flanked by two Rajput-style kiosks (chhatris) on its roof.<\/strong> Its graceful arches and harmonious proportions skillfully combine Afghan and Hindu influences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Baz Bahadur’s Palace<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Located below the pavilion of Rani Roopmati, the palace was built at the beginning of the 16th century before being enlarged by the last independent sultan of Malwa, Baz Bahadur.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Baz Bahadur<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It offers a harmonious blend of Islamic (especially Afghan) and Hindu (marked by Rajput architecture) <\/strong>influences, visible in its elegant arches, massive pillars and open galleries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Baoli of the palace<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Residence of the Sultan, a great patron and music lover,<\/strong> the palace once resonated with classical songs and music, constituting the setting for his famous romance with the poet Roopmati.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Also worth seeing in Mandu<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Long before becoming the sumptuous fortified capital of the Muslim sultans of Malwa, the Mandu plateau was a spiritual place housing numerous Hindu and Jain sanctuaries, notably during the height of the Paramara dynasty in the 11th and 12th centuries.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although successive waves of conquests and the urbanisation of the sultanate led to the destruction or reuse of most of these ancient buildings, sacred Jain sites and a few Hindu temples have survived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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One of the statues of the derasar Shri Mandavgarh Shwetambar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The\u00a0Shri Mandavgarh Shwetambar Jain Tirth\u00a0is the most famous active Jain temple complex in central Mandu. <\/strong>Mainly dedicated to the 7th Tirthankara, Lord Suparshvanath, it houses ancient idols some of which date back 2,000 to 2,500 years. The site includes several spiers (shikharas), a secondary shrine dedicated to Lord Samriddhi Parshwanath, and a well-maintained kitchen (bhojanshala) and guest house (dharamshala) for pilgrims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Nilkanth Temple-Palace<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Nilkanth temple palace is a must-see!<\/strong> Located about three kilometers from the center of Mandu and accessible by a staircase of around sixty steps on the edge of a steep gorge, Nilkanth or Imarat-i-Dilkhusha was erected in 1574 by Governor Shah Badgah during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar. The latter had it built for his favorite Hindu wife, Empress Mariam-uz-Zamani.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Lingams naturally watered by underground streams<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Built on the remains of an ancient temple dedicated to Shiva, the site has preserved its place of worship and its\u00a0Shivalingam<\/a>\u00a0continuously fed by a natural stream<\/strong>, while integrating it into Mughal architecture. Subsequently appreciated by Emperor Jahangir, this sanctuary illustrates a remarkable religious syncretism mixing Hindu traditions and Islamic art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Practical information<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Best time to visit:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Monsoon or post-monsoon (July to October) is the ideal season to visit Mandu<\/strong>. The lakes fill up, the hills are adorned with lush green and numerous waterfalls appear, offering a magical spectacle. The winter period (November to March) is also very pleasant with mild temperatures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to get there?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n