Mandu
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- This article is about the city in India. For the dumpling, see Mandu (dumpling).
Mandu, or Mandogarh, is a ruined city in the Dhar district in the Malwa region of western Madhya Pradesh state, central India. In the 11th century, Mandu was the sub division of the Tarangagadh or Taranga kingdom . This fortress town on a rocky outcrop about 100 km (60 miles) from Indore is celebrated for its fine architecture. Mandu celebrates in stone the life and love of the poet-prince Baz Bahadur for his consort, Rani Roopmati. The balladeers of Malwa still sing of the romance of these royal lovers. High on the crest of a hill, Rani Roopmati's pavilion gazes down at Baz Bahadur's palace, a magnificent expression of Afgan architecture.
Mandu city is situated at an elevation of 633 metres (2079 feet) and extends for 13 km (8 miles) along the crest of the Vindhya Range, overlooking the plateau of Malwa to the north and the valley of the Narmada River to the south. Mandu with its natural defences was originally the fort-capital of Parmara rulers of Malwa. Towards the end of the 11th century, it came under the sway of the Taranga kingdom. The city reached its greatest splendour in the early 15th century.
The circuit of the battlemented wall is nearly 37 km (23 miles), enclosing a large number of palaces, mosques and other buildings. The oldest mosque dates from 1405; the finest is the Jama Masjid or great mosque, a notable example of Pathan architecture. The marble domed tomb of this ruler is also magnificent.
Mandu was abandoned by the 17th century.
[edit] References
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
