Mandu

About 95 km away from Indore, Mandu is one of the most majestic fortified citadels in India. Set against the rugged backdrop of the Vindhya hills, this huge fort complex, with its palaces, mosques and mausoleums, is certainly one of India’s most atmospheric historical sites. Mandu can be a daytrip from Indore if you just want to see the highlights but with a day or two in hand, you can enjoy breathtaking sunsets and explore other monuments. The medieval monuments belong to a style of Islamic architecture that flourished here in Malwa during the rule of the Malwa Sultans. Most of the finest buildings are in the Royal Enclave. The Ghiyath Shah’s majestic Jahaz Mahal is set on a narrow strip of land between two large water tanks, named for its shape and crowned with four domed pavilions overlooking Munja Talao Lake.

You can also visit Hindola Mahal, also known as ‘Swing Palace’ famed for its distinctive sloping walls intended to support stone arches. At the far end of the t-shaped assembly hall, a long stepped ramp allowed the sultan and his retinue to reach the upper storey on elephant-back. The Champa Baodi boasts an ingeniously complex ventilation and water supply system, which kept its dozens of subterranean chambers cool during the long Malwa summers. See also the Mosque of Dilawara Khan, dating from 1405. Also, wander around the mosques, tombs and palace ruins in the village, and the atmospheric Rewa Kund group of monuments—this group includes the romantic Rupmati Pavilion with its view of the Narmada Valley with the Mandu plateau plunging down to the valley floor.