Mandu in Madhya Pradesh has treasures waiting to be explored

Madhya Pradesh’s Mandu is home to ‘the ship that never sailed’, India’s biggest fort, privy to an epical love story and one of the very few places in India that house Afghani architecture. Yet, it is not one of your regular, predictable names when you plan a trip, staying as aloof and offbeat as it once was. Located in the Malwa region, Mandu is a place that deserves a definite place in your offbeat travel list. If not, this is what you would be missing on.

The Ship That Never Sailed This ancient city (6th century BC) has a ‘ship that never sailed’; the uninitiated should know that Mandu is home to Jahaz Mahal, a palace that looks like a ship in its reflection on water. It once served as a harem to Ghiyas-ud-din of Malwa’s Khilji Dynasty and housed a mammoth 15000 women. A beautiful structure, it was built in the 15th century, and is located within the walls of Mandu Fort.

Mandu Fort
The fort of Mandu is also hailed as the largest fort in India and is spread across 82 km; in fact Mandu was developed to serve as a fortress retreat. The fort served as a frontier outpost for many centuries, and is believed to have seen many rulers. At just 100 km from Indore, this fort serves as a major tourist attraction.

Ashrafi Mahal
Mandu’s Ashrafi Mahal is one of its kind; a madrassa once, it was built between 1405 and 1422 by Hoshang Shah. A red sandstone structure much of it is in ruins now; nevertheless there are very clear hints of its once grandeur. It is very close to the famous Jami Masjid and also houses Hoshang Shah’s tomb, another marvellous structure and one of the first in the country to be built out of white marble.

Some legends suggest that the rather long staircase at Ashrafi Mahal was built to help queens reduce obesity, and Ghiyas-ud-din would often reward them with gold coins (ashrafis) for climbing up and down those stairs.

The love story of Mandu
If there is one love story that is often told in Mandu, it is of Queen Roopmati and King Baz Bahadur. As per the legends, Baz Bahadur, the then ruler of Mandu, chanced upon Roopmati while on a hunting trip. Both fell in love, making Roopmati, a shepherdess as the queen of Mandu. Their love story was fabled but ended quite soon when Mandu was attacked by Adham Khan and Roopmati was captured; she is believed to have poisoned herself to avoid any unwanted advances from Adham Khan.

People still visit the Roopmati Pavillion in Mandu, which was once home to the queen. It is also a vantage point that offers uninterruped views of River Narmada.

Other than these, Mandu has been declared as a Heritage City by UNESCO and has a lot for travellers. So, the next time you chart your map for this beautiful state, make sure Mandu is right at the top.