Mandu Off The Beaten Path

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"SUBAAH HO TO BENARES KI SHAABE MALWA" goes the old age saying.it means mornings belong to benares a religious hindu centre and evenings belong to malwa the area in which mandu falls.

however i beg to differ on this account. the mornings at mandu are beautiful. sublime colors greenery and play of trees and the sky. monuments reflected in lotus ponds in mellopw light of the dawn add to this an occasional drizzle in monsoon. you get the complete picture of an exquisite experience. early dawn is the time you set out and roam in the monuments close to the sagar talo group enjoying the color frequencies of the morning.add to this the chirping and sometimes lodud twitter of birds and raucoaus play of roseringed parakeets that abound in mandu the moment is unforgettable.

located in the eastermost part of the royal enclave of monuments.
was a recent addition to the royal enclave best seen from dilawar khans mosque upper storey.
also known as the tiger balcony due to the tiger effigy supporting the window.
such jharokhas are also seen at delhi and agra forts where it was a practice amongst mughal emperors to show themselves to the public at these jharokhas.

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mandu is located on a plateau. it is surrounded by a deep ravine called as "khakra khoh" on its west east and north it merges with the nimar plains on its south.
the mandu plateau is irregular in shape and rises 633.7 m above sea level.
a narrow high spur of songadh projests to its southwest and a narrow but deep chasm of khakhra khoh cuts into the mandu plateau to its east right into its heart.
the plateau thus formed is a huge one 8 kms in length and 6 kms in breadth but due to its irregular shape its much bigger than what it seems to be.
mandu is the largets fortified fort in the world.
it became impregnable due to the khakra khoh surrounding it from 3 sides and multiple number of gates protecting its entrance from north.
to a geologist it is adelight to actually see the earths crust evolution process. recently a fossil museum near the entrance to mandu provides the visitor info about thousands of years of evolution history.
the place comes alive in monsoon when its numerous ponds and lakes fill up and reflect the architecture of mandu in their waters the streams flow into the khakra khoh creating many waterfalls. the mist and the clouds with rains add to the mystery of the lost city of mandu.
monsoon is the season to be in mandu.
mandu was referrred to as shadiabad or city of joy in real terms it means a honeymoon destination or a pleasure place.
jehangir the ughal emperor was so impressed by mandus glory in monsoons that he had this to say in his memoirs......"no place so pleasant in climate and so pretty in scenery as mandu in the rainy season"
the ruggedness of khakra khoh was also its undoing to many like bahadur shah who in 1534 escaped from humayun by lowering his horses intothe khakra khoh with ropes and escaped.
there would be no mandu without the khakra khoh it has been with it for millions of years.