Mandu is a celebration in stone of life and joy, of the love of the poet-prince Baz Bahadur for his beautiful consort, Rani Roopmati. The balladeers of Malwa still sing of the romance of these royal lovers, and high up on the crest of a hill, Roopmati's pavilion still gazes down at Baz Bahadur's palace, a magnificent expression of Afghan architecture.

Perched along the Vindhyan ranges at an altitude of 2,000 feet, Mandu, with its natural defences, was originally the fort-capital of the Parmar rulers of Malwa. Towards the end of the 13th century, it came under the sway of the Sultans of Malwa, the first of whom renamed it Shadiabad - the City of Joy. And indeed, the pervading spirit of Mandu was of gaiety; and its rulers built exquisite palaces like the Jahaz and Hindola Mahals, ornamental canals, baths and pavilions, as graceful and refined as those times of peace and plenty.

Each of Mandu's structures is an architectural gem; some are outstanding like the massive Jami Masjid and Hoshang Shah's Tomb, which provided inspiration for the master builders of the Taj Mahal centuries later. Under Mughal rule Mandu was a pleasure resort, its lakes and palaces the scenes of splendid and extravagant festivities. And the glory of Mandu lives on, in its palaces and mosques, in legends and songs chronicled for posterity.

HOW TO GET THERE :

• Road : Regular bus services connect Mandu with Indore, Dhar, Mhow, Ratlam, Ujjain and Bhopal

• Air     :The nearest airport is at Indore, 100 Km away, connected to Bombay, Delhi, Gwalior and Bhopal

• Rail   : Convenient railheads are Ratlam(124 km) on the Bombay-Delhi main line and Indore (100 Km).