Mandu is a hidden gem of Madhya Pradesh known for its natural beauty, spectacular architecture and tales of love of the royals. At the epicentre of Mandu Fort are the village, bus stop and market. The monuments in this area are called Village Group or Central Group of Monuments. The main structures in this group are Jama Masjid, Hoshang Shah’s Tomb, Ashrafi Mahal and Mahmud Khilji’s Tomb. Read on to know how we went about exploring the Mandu Village Group Monuments.
Jama Masjid
After visiting the monuments between Sagar Talao and the village, we begin exploring the Village or Central Group of Monuments. The sky is overcast, and it has begun drizzling. Our guide, Javed, explains that the construction of the Jama Masjid began by Hoshang Shah and was completed by Mahmud Khilji in 1454. We climb a flight of stairs and are at the doorway of the mosque. The mosque is made of red stone, but the doorway has a marble frame. There is an Arabic inscription on the doorway that says that the architecture of this mosque was inspired by the famous mosque in Damascus, Syria. The porch has lattice windows and a dome on top.
Next, we enter the courtyard of the mosque. On the periphery of the courtyard are pillared corridors. The pillars form arches towards the ceiling. On the rooftop are three large domes and several smaller domes. There are no minarets in the mosque. The prayer hall has a mihrab/altar with inscriptions from the Quran. The mihrab is in the direction of Mecca, so the faithful face the mihrab and offer prayers. There is a hint of blue tiles on the wall that has the mihrab. A white minbar/pulpit is near the mihrab, where the prayer leader/imam sits and offers the prayers. Seeing the tourists using the pulpit as a photo booth to pose for pics was strange.
Hoshang Shah’s Tomb.
We next head to see Hoshang Shah’s Tomb. Who was Hoshang Shah? He was the first Sultan ruler of Mandu after the Pramars andmade Mandu his capital until the Mughals took it over. He ordered the construction of his own tomb and died in 1436 before its completion. His son Mahmud Shah completed its construction in 1440.
Inspiration for the Taj Mahal
What makes Hoshang Shah’s tomb unique is that it was India’s first building made of marble. Before this, stones were used to construct monuments. Shah Jahan was so impressed that he sent four of his architects, Ustad Hamid, Shivram, Lateef Ullah Khan, and Khawaja Sadhurai, to observe the tomb in 1659. Hoshang Shah’s Tomb thus served as inspiration for the Taj Mahal, explains our guide, Javed.
Structure
Through an arched gateway, we enter a courtyard. Hoshang Shah’s Tomb is in the middle of the courtyard. The marble structure is constructed on a platform. The roof has a large central dome with four smaller domes on the four corners. There are arch-shaped lattice windows on either side of the entrance. Three arch-shaped lattice windows are also on the rear of the tomb. Inside the tomb is the grave of Hoshang Shah. On its left is another grave, and on the right, two graves.
Dharamshala
There is a corridor with a series of decorated pillars on the periphery of the courtyard. It was the Dharamshala or inn where the travellers stayed. The three rows of pillars make a beautiful picture composition.
Ashrafi Mahal
Across the street on the opposite side of Jama Masjid is Ashrafi Mahal. Hoshang Shah constructed it and it served as a madrasa or university where students studied. It consisted of a central courtyard with cells on the four sides where the students resided. We climb stairs leading to a marble porch with pillared arches. The dome has fallen, so one can see the sky above from the opening at the top. We turn around and can see the Jama Masjid across the street from the arches. Mahmud Shah had also built a seven-floor victory tower near Ashrafi Mahal, but it didn’t survive the test of time and crumbled.
Why did they call it Ashrafi Mahal?
It said that on Purnima/ Full Moon Night, when the moon rises, one can see the moon through the porch arch. With every step, the moon rises until it looks like a coin through the arch. (Look at the pic. Imagine the moon in place of the dog.) Hence, the name Ashrafi Mahal. (Ashrafi means coin)
Another story goes that Ghiyathuddin, son of Mahmud Khilji, placed gold coins on the steps, which his harem ladies/wives collected and so remained slim. No fat shaming here by me. This story is what the Mandu Tourism guidebooks narrate!
Mahmud Khilji’s Tomb
We enter the courtyard and see several ruins. Javed explains that these ruins are part of Mahmud Khilji’s Tomb. Muhammad Khilji killed Hoshang Shah’s son, Mahmud Shah and came to power. He decided to build a grand tomb for himself where the madrasa stood. The marble tomb was erected over the courtyard of the madrasa. The dome of Mahmud Khilji’s tomb was even larger than Hoshang Shah’s Tomb’s dome or the Jami Masjid’s dome. Carvings and ornamentation in calligraphy (you can see some remnants of the calligraphy even today) cover the main hall of the tomb. But the dome didn’t stand the test of time and soon crumbled.
We have completed visiting the Mandu- Village Group of Monuments. It is lunchtime, and we head to Guru Krupa Hotel. We order a simple thali consisting of vegetable alu mutter, rice, kadi, dal bafla, salad and ladoo.
We next visit the Royal Enclosure, which houses some of the best monuments of Mandu, like Jahaz Mahal and Hindola Mahal. You can read this article here. End of Part 3 of 5. Read Part 4 here.
GETTING THERE
Nearest Airport: The nearest airport to Mandu is the Devi Ahiliyabai Holkar Airport in Indore, with connectivity to major cities in India.
Distances:
Mandu- Indore: 85 km or 2 hours 15 mins.
Mandu- Maheshwar: 40 km or 1 hour.
Where to stay: We stayed at the MPT Malwa by Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation. You can do a net search for hotels depending on budget and comfort.
Guide Details: Javed Qureshi: 9669198418
Travel Tip: Wear comfortable shoes and a hat as there will be considerable walking in the sun. Carry water bottles to keep yourself hydrated. You will need at least two days to explore Mandu, so plan your trip well.