‘When you set out on a voyage to Ithaca, pray that the journey may be long; full of adventure, full of knowledge’. Your trip to Mandu will remind you of this poem. If you wish you spend your holidays away from the hustle and bustle of the city, Mandu is the place to be.

Mandu or Mandav was earlier known as Shadiabad (City of Joy), named by a long gone monarch. Perched on a plateau in the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh, it has seen dynasties rise and fall, the destiny of India getting written within the palaces, and at the battles outside its ramparts. Moreover, Mandu is far-famed for the love story of Baz Bahadur and Rupmati—two lovers who could not be together.

First established in 600 BC as a fortified city, Mandu saw its moment of glory under King Bhoj’s reign and during the Muslim rule. Its fortunes rose during the reign of Afghans and with the rise of the Khiljis, it became an important centre of power in central India. It exchanged hands between the Sultan of Gujarat and Mughals, and for a brief time Baz Bahadur, before being finally conquered by the armies of Akbar. Until the capital of Malwa was shifted to Dhar by the Marathas, Mandu maintained its importance. Though the city is in ruins today, it remains one of the priceless specimens of the Islamic architectures in India.