Mandu is a plateau pat in the middle of the most important North – South India route of the Middle Ages.
On one side is the Dhar plateau, and on the other is the valley through which flows the Narmada river – who is also a revered deity in these parts.
In the middle ages, Akbar sent his trusted cousin, Adham Khan, to conquer this strategically important plateau.
Today, it is a scenic tourist spot, nestled away from the hustle and bustle.
But Mandu has some other unique distinctions to its credit.
Things to do in Mandu
Baobab Trees
It is one of the very few places in India where one can see baobab trees.
The Baobab is a native of Africa. It has a large trunk and is famous for storing water. The fruit is called “Vilayati imli” (foreign tamarind) locally.
Eucalyptus Trees
Baobab trees are African natives. Eucalyptus trees are from Australia.
Baobab trees store water in their large trunks. Eucalyptus trees draw large quantities of ground water for their needs but store none of it.
You might have seen tall eucalyptus trees in many parts of India. But in Mandu, they appear as native trees – with a much wider canopy. The characteristic white trunk marks them conspicuously.
Gond Painting
The Gonds are a native to Central India. Their culture is ancient (more ancient than we can imagine).
Gond painting is a very special type of painting. It has geometrical shapes in motifs that are always inspired by nature. It might be tiny dots, or, as in the example above, complex tetrahedrons.
While I have bought Gond paintings in other parts of India, the complexity visible in Mandu is unparalleled.
The Water Management
Being on a plateau meant that the residents of Mandu had to fetch water manually from the Narmada river in the valley.
Therefore, water management was one of the most important engineering feats of the region.
International experts have visited Mandu to understand the water management techniques of the palace complex here.
Limestone cement
What did people do before the modern cement was invented? How were the buildings in the Indus Valley civilization made?
India had a special limestone based cement mixture to bind the bricks.
At Mandav, a very few masons still practice that age old technique.
We are not aware of any other place where this technique can still be learnt.
The bricks of the aqueduct above use that mixture.
The valley
While the valley is visible from all the monuments in the palace complex, particularly from the Baaz Bahadur pavilion, this particularly beautiful valley is a secret. It is just before the Neelkanth Mahadev Mandir. It falls on the right on the way to the temple and on the left while returning.
Happy exploring!
The Music
Mandav has a unique folk music. The legendary love of Baaz Bahadur and Rani Rupmati was founded on music.
Sample this beautiful folk song sung by Dipankar Pal ji.
Best time to visit: Monsoons or winters