Romancing the Monsoon in Mandu!

Described as a romantic paradise in monsoon by the mughal emperor Jahangir - situated in the Vidhya ranges is - Mandu! Once a mughal state, this was once the largest fortified city of the world! Surrounded by lush green (at least in monsoon) deep khos - deep valleys - this is situated on the uneven plateau of MP. Those who thought MP as a boring destination - think again - this place has so much to offer - the princely states, the lush green forests, the high water falls, and the worst of all roads :)Mandu is around 90 kms from Indore - a state road connects the same - it is absolutely plains - but mind you, in rains it took more than 3 hrs by taxi to reach the place simply because of the big pot-holes - not even a single meter of road was spared - the return was on the bus - thank god as they have high ground clearance and the tyres are little more balanced for the comforts (against the jerks)! Don't ask me how did we reach here as it is a story in itself where we got in the dead middle of night with sleepy eyes at Ratlam and then took a connecting train to Indore. We hired a taxi with this old man as the cabby who had a 'takiya kalam' – ‘kya sa'ab kya?’! He ensured we do not doze off with his 'kya saab kya'!Well, some 20 kms before Mandu - it's actually Mandwa - is a beautiful heritage hotel called Jhira Bag palace - my boss had recommended this - and in monsoons this palace - converted into a hotel and painted white like the modern places - offered us a great deal - and we got the best room which had a bathroom and balcony with a view of the greens.
View from the room - leading to the highway!
The huge room with huge bathroom and huge balcony with just us in the Hotel (as again!) was a delight for stay though the most recommended stay in Mandu is MP Tourism hotels by the lake often fully booked in the monsoons!We would walk about 500 meters through the mud-road (connecting the highway to the hotel) to catch a local bus to reach Mandu fort! Just at the entrance of Mandu is Khakra Kho - as deep as 300 ft - this comes alive with the lush green valleys with the forts in the backdrop and the gorgeous waterfalls turning the place into a picnic spot for the locals!You have to spend time here to appreciate and enjoy the beauty and just sniff the romance that is just about to begin! The best way as they say to explore the place are bicycles but there are autos/vans/taxis available!
Mind you, please carry all your umbrellas, windcheaters or raincoats and watch your steps, as the place turns slippery for the algae on the floor (and the roofs :-)!
Once you enter the fortified city you realize why was Jahangir in love with this place - as some has recommended this as the honeymoon place in monsoon! Though buzzing with the autos, hotels at every corner - the place has become a little crowded but it is still a hidden jewel compared to the hills of the north. The old charm of the place has a warmness that calls for you.
The charm of the place is its geographical location backed up by the forts and ruins that are epitomes of love! The Rani Roopmati pavilion and Baz-bahadur mahal - epitome of unsaid love story of the mughal prince and the Hindu dancer - there are local ballads around it still sung by the locals.
- View from Rani Roopmati pavilion and Baz Bahadur Palace!
In the month of July you can feel the mist flowing through the pavilion that is located on a hillock. A view from the same is worth dying for - surrounded by lush green plains with small poodles of water and the mist in the air, the clouds above, the breeze - overlooking the Baz-bahadur palace and the distant trail of Narmada river!


Hoshang Shah tomb!
Then there is the Hoshang Shah tomb - the only Marble structure surrounded by the sandstone structures - it is said that this architecture is the inspiration for Taj mahal - it is rightly said as this is older than Taj mahal but has a striking similarity with the Taj!
Jama Masjid!
The Jama masjid looked serene with the algae trodden domes.The best thing about the place is rain-harvesting - the rulers of this place had made hundreds of water bodies to store the rainwater that could sustain the city within and gives it the cooling and soothing effect all the time.
Jahaz Mahal
Hindola Mahal
The most famous building in Mandu is the Jahaz Mahal (though my personal favorite would be Rani Roopmati pavilion for its location)! It was named so by Jahangir when he was invited here as he felt as if on a ship with water (pools) on all the sides. This has influences of Afghani, Hindu and Jain architecture. As it is said, it was a harem for Ghiyas-ud-udin which was home to 15,000 maidens :)))) he even had female security staff ;-))) and you say females can't protect! Then there is Hindola mahal - named for its architecture that is designed like a swing/jhoola with slanting walls! There is Champa baoli - the source for the saunas and jacuzzis of that time - must say that was some luxury for the mughal ruler to be surrounded by his maidens in the hamams! The view from the backside lake to the Jahaz mahal is amazing with the underground well and hamams that would keep the rooms cool in summers and hot in winters (with hot water)!
Then there is the Ashrafi Mahal (don't know why it is named like this), which was later, the madarsa for the students but now just in ruins. Historically, the rulers of this place were Malwa and then Mughals but surprisingly, it has numerous Jain temples to its kitty of buildings.

There are other interesting structures like Hathi Mahal, Dai ka mahal, Darya Khan's tomb - all of them located by the water bodies and all of these standing tall for hundreds of years with some legend behind and growing old silently over the years. The echo point where you could hear your voice return back to you so shout your heart out!
Though the places are situated at little distance, you can hire a bike or cycle and must spend at least 4 days to cover these places at your pace! In all, this is a destination that you must visit in rains to remember the monsoon of lifetime!