As the name suggests, the Central Group is located at the very centre of the fortified citadel of Mandu. Today it serves as the main centre of Mandu town and houses its main bus stop. It is also refereed to as the Village Group. It has four archaeological sites, Ashrafi Mahal (along with the tomb of Mahmud Khilji), Jami Masjid and Hoshang Shah's Tomb. There are also two new temples. Source
Location : Google Maps
Inspired by the great mosque of Damascus, the Jami Masjid was conceived on a grand scale, with a high plinth and a huge domed porch. One is struck by the enormousness of the building's proportions and the mosque is enclosed on all sides by huge arcades with a rich and pleasing variety in arrangements of arches, pillars, number of bays, and rows of the dome above. Source
The construction of the mosque began during the reign of Hoshang Shah and was completed by Mahmud Khalji. The Jami Masjid in Mandu was modeled after the Mosque of Damascus. It is approached through a huge domed gateway on the east. The door has marble jams and lintel, which probably are reminiscent of Hindu architecture. A passageway through the gate leads to a open courtyard with flanked on three side (except west) by pillared halls, most of which have long collapsed. Straight ahead on the western side is a main prayer hall crowned with three gigantic domes, along with 58 small domes. The paryer hall consisting of an amazing amalgamation of pillars and arches have 17 curved niches on the western wall. Source
The interior of the entrance porch is about 13.7 m square with the beautiful jali screen on the sides above which are seen fine bands of blue enamel tiles set as stars or lozenges. There are three huge imposing domes over the front, west, and facade of the mosque. The space between those is filled up by seemingly innumerable miniature domes. The courtyard is enclosed on all sides by a huge colonnade with a rich and pleasing variety in the arrangement of the arches, pillars, numbers of bays, and in the rows of domes above. The stern simplicity of the interior offers a most effective contrast to the 17 niches along the western wall which bear beautifully sculptured crenellations and have their jambs worked out in polished black stone with Hindu carvings. The central niche is the most beautifully designed of all and is further ornamented along its sides with a scroll of interwoven Arabic letters containing quotations from the holy Quran. Source
What makes that mosque so spectacular is the sheer number of domes. Of the original 162 domes (4 large and 158 small), 96 (4 large and 92 small) domes survive to this day. These domes were not just decorative, but a part of an acoustic system to ensure that the imam’s voice was heard right across the large mosque. Source
This place is ticketed, btw (just Rs 20, as of 2023).
Lit up at night
jama_masjid_mandu.mp4Location : Google Maps
The tomb of Hoshang Shah is considered to be India’s first marble tomb and the construction dates back to the 15th century. This imposing tomb was a talk of the town when it was made and before the construction of Taj Mahal, Shah Jahan even sent his architect Ustad Hamid and the team to examine the intricacies and the unique architectural elements which mostly pertain to Afghan art style architecture. It is one of those places to visit in Mandu which brings proud to the state. Source
It later became an inspiration for Mughal architecture, like the wondrous Taj Mahal. Shah Jahan is known to have sent four architects to Mandu specifically to observe the tomb. An inscription carved over the doorway of the tomb records architects Ustad Ahmed and Ustad Hamid, the builders of the Taj, visiting the tomb to study it. Source
The walls are 9.6 m high from the platform with a row of elephant tusk brackets supporting the chajja, above, which is a neat band of ornamental miniature arches carved in relief. The decoration of the door consists of a band of half-blown lotus flowers along the sides and at the top, and of rosettes carved in relief in the spandrels and of blue enamel stars set in masonry. There are two marvellous screens on either side of the door, which are devised to admit a subdued light into the interior in keeping with the solemnity of the tomb. The dome is flat and heavy, adorned with small domed turrets, of rather conical shape, at the four corners. The finial of the dome is crowned with the crescent, a feature which seems to have been imported to Mandu direct from Mesopotamia or Persia Source
I was lucky to make it to the roof - the door is normally locked.
An inscription carved over the doorway of the tomb records architects Ustad Ahmed and Ustad Hamid, the builders of the Taj, visiting the tomb to study it.
Mausoleum of Hoshung Shah Ghori at Mandu 1882 : link
hoshang_shah_tomb_mandu.mp4Location : Source
The Ashrafi Mahal, probably served as a madrasa (Islamic school), adjacent to the Mosque, during the reign of Mahmud Khilji (1436 - 69). With the passage of time the Ashrafi Mahal has been reconstructed and extended several times and also have been used for several other purposes. Even the central open courtyard of the madrasa was later used for the construction of the massive tomb of Mahmud Khalji. The tomb has long collapsed. Today the Ashrafi Mahal is approached through a long flight of stairs and through a marble pavilion. The dome that crowned the pavilion has long collapsed. A passageway from the pavilion leads to a open courtyard, which once housed the tomb of Mahmud Khalji. The courtyard is lined with small cells on all four sides. The cells probably served as living quarters of students. On the four corners were minarets and during the reign of Mahmud Khalji, the minarets at the north west corner was converted into victory tower, to celebrate his victory over the Rana of Chittoor. The tower also has long collapsed and its foundation is all that remains.. Source
Very little of the mausoleum is now left; but the surviving remains clearly show that it must have been the most magnificent of all the buildings in Mandu. The dome must have been much larger in proportions to the domes of the Great Mosque and of the Tomb of Hoshang Shah since the interior of the building on which it rested is 19.9 m square, while of the Great Mosque is 13.7 m and of Tomb of Hoshang Shah is 14.9 m. For the load of such a huge dome, the 3.4 m thickness of walls and the foundations there seem to have been quite inadequate, and thus this great building collapsed within a few generations. The sarcophagus was placed on a beautiful carved yellow marble base which still survives. The facing of this grand building was done entirely in marble of various shades which gave an added charm of the building. It will be an interesting thing to observe that the two great domes of Jami Masjid, one over the porch and the other over the centre of its prayer hall, and the marble dome of the tomb of Hoshang Shah must have been in one line with the huge dome of this tomb, rising above about 7.6 m higher than the others, which must have been a very grand sight indeed when all the buildings were completed. Source
Location : Google Maps
I noticed this on the way to Lal Mahal. No information is available about this place.
Location : Google Maps
This was a summer palace for the kings and was known by many names like Lal Mahal, Lal Kothi. Lal Bungalow and Manik Mahal There are two routes to reach this palace and it is situated in the middle of a jungle. The first route goes through the tomb of Dariya Khan and the other one passes through the monuments built near Jami Mosque. Once you enter the main gate, a large courtyard can be seen around which the palace was built. The palace was divided into three parts out of which two parts are private and the central part was for welcoming and entertaining guests. The palace lost most of its portions due to ravages of time. All that remains of the palace now is a platform with a roofless porch, some poles that still stand, and a well made of bricks in the North-eastern corner. The western part of the palace is in a better condition as compared to its middle part, it has a courtyard on the southern side. There are 7 parts from the courtyard to the verandah with poles and each one has 2 arches. The terrace was divided into 21 parts. The corridor behind the verandah has relatively low light so it was used for resting in summer afternoons. When Jahangir was in Mandav, the king of England James the 1st's Ambassador Sir Thomas Roe and priest Terry stayed in this palace. Source
Location : Google Maps
This is one of the oldest gates in Mandu, located on the North-East side The foundation pillar of the outer arch along with the pillars of security personnel rooms is made in such a way that they join the entry gate. The architecture of the gate is Hindu style and the upper part is made in Muslim style. It is believed that this gate was renovated under Muslim rulers. Source and link
When I was here in October, the ground was still mucky (after the monsoons). The gate was locked but it's possible to climb over the fence.
Location : Google Maps
Location : somewhere here ? (see pic below)
I did not get to this place.
The Seven Hundred Steps or Sat-sau Sidhi was constructed as protection against a natural narrow fissure in the hill. It can be found in the northeastern part of the fortification. Source
From link :
Last updated 10 Mar 2024.