Travel to Mandu Hill Station

Mandu is the ultimate tribute of love, life, and joy of two beautiful people - Baz Bahadur and Rani Roopomati, immortalized by the marvelous structures, monuments, and palaces made up of stone. You can still listen to their euphoric romance from the balladeers of Malwa.

Roopmati's Pavilion is one of the greatest buildings of this place. Rani Roopmati used to stay in the two pavilions, from where she could watch her lover's palace while the lonely Narmada River flows far below through the Nimar plains.


How to Reach Mandu

With its huge collection of historical monuments, it is a much-favored tourist destination of Central India. Get an idea of how to reach Mandu by exploring the various communication options available for traveling to this magical place.

By Air
The nearest airport from Mandu is the 'Ahilyabai Holkar Airport' of Indore, located 99km away. Major airlines like Air Deccan, Jet Airways, Air Sahara, Go Air, Alliance Air, SpiceJet, Kingfisher Airlines and Indian Airlines connect Indore to places like Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Bhopal, Ahmedabad, Goa, Nagpur, Ranchi, Raipur, Patna, Vizag and Kolkata. One can arrive at Indore by air and then board a bus or taxi for reaching Mandu.

By Rail
The nearest railhead is located at Ratlam, 124 km from Mandu. Ratlam station is an important junction and division of the Western railways and falls on the Delhi-Mumbai rail route. It is situated 653 km from Mumbai Central, 731 km from Delhi, 176 km from Indore BG and 119 km from Indore MG route. Various trains shuttle between Ratlam and the key cities of India. Tourists willing to travel to Mandu by train can get down at the Ratlam station and avail bus/ taxi to reach the place.

By Road
The roadways that link Mandu to other places in Madhya Pradesh are motorable and well-connected. Buses ply between Mandu, Indore, Dhar, Ratlam, Ujjain and Bhopal. There are also direct and regular buses available from places like Indore (via Dhar) and Bhopal. Various state-operated buses shuttle between these places. You can also consult travel agents and board a private bus or avail a private taxi to reach Mandu.

Best Time to Visit
You can visit Mandu any time of the year. However, winter is the most suited time for a leisurely visit here. During this time you can explore the place without suffering from the pangs of heat. Try to visit Mandu between November and February. From the month of March, the weather starts to warm up, even before the usual summer months of April and May. You can find a different Madhya Pradesh, if you visit here in the month of June, usually when the monsoon starts. Please avoid visiting here during summer because of extreme heat and scorching sun, which will surely dehydrate you.

Places to Visit in Mandu

Hathi Mahal
Hathi Mahal or Elephant Palace is located at Mandu of Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh. The building has got its name because of its massive pillars, mostly disproportionate in size and these pillars supports the dome above. The huge pillars look like the legs of elephant. Planning of the building resembles 'bardari', having arched openings on every side.
Hathi Mahal

Base of the dome has an octagonal shape, which is divided into masonry moulding bands, which gives the dome an unusual height. You can still see the decorative tile work in certain places of this building. Initially, this was built as a pleasure resort. However, after sometime it had been converted to a tomb.

Jahaz Mahal
Jahaz Mahal or Ship Palace is an edifice of architectural brilliance and speaks of the confluence of different architectural styles. There has been a debate among the scholars regarding the exact date of construction. Some say that it was built during 1436-1469, by Mahmud Shah I Khalji. However, most scholars say it was built during 1469-1500 by Ghiyas al-Din.
Jahaz Mahal

Other historical evidences such as Ghiyas al-Din's living style and unique ways of amusement also point out to the fact that this building was built by him. The name of this palace has been appropriately given as it is situated between Kapur Talao and Munj Talao, two beautiful lakes. It is a two-storied building having a rectangular structure. Beauty of this structure is that it is exposed to cool south west breeze during summer.

Bagh Caves
These are among the key attractions of Mandu. They are popular because of the mural paintings done by some of the great painters of ancient India. These are not natural caves but artificial ones. Bagh Caves are the perfect example of rich Indian architecture, where face of a hill was cut to form beautifully designed caves. Initially, there were nine caves but now only five have survived.

Bagh Caves

The design of these caves speak of Buddhist influence on architecture. All these caves are basically monasteries with prayer hall or 'chaitya'. Cave 4 is also known as Rang Mahal, which is the most significant of all the caves and has beautiful and prominent paintings. To preserve most of these paintings, they were removed from the caves and sent to the Archaeological Museum of Gwalior.

Hindola Mahal
It is also known as Swinging Palace, which has a large 'durbar' or meeting hall. Hindola Mahal has become one of the most visited sites in Mandu. According to available evidences, archaeologists say that it was most probably built during the rule of Hoshang Shah between 1425 and end of 15th century.
Hindola Mahal

It is considered as one of the palaces in the royal palace complex. Per available records, this was mainly used as an audience chamber. This place has a T-shape with the main hall being 30 meters in length, 18 meters in breadth, and 12 meters in height. It is because of the highly inclined buttresses, having 77 ° angle, this palace has got such a name. Main hall's big flat roof was supported by 5 large ogee arches. Best part of this architecture is well proportioned boldness and simplicity.

Rewa Kund
Baz Bahadur built a reservoir at Mandu during early sixteenth century, which was meant to supply adequate water for the palace of Roopmati. This particular place is now regarded as a holy spot and has spacious courtyard and high terraces. Rani Roopmati's Pavilion was primarily created as observation post of Army and that is why it was constructed at the hill top. It was the perfect romantic place of retreat for Roopmati.
Rewa Kund

From the pavilion she can look at the palace of his paramour while Narmada flows below quietly. You will find stonework beside the 'Kund' and along the steps till the water level is reached. There are big rooms facing the reservoir in the north western angle. They were the pleasure resorts here. At northern end of Rewa Kund, water lift can be found that was used to supply water to the palace of Baz Bahadur, located nearby.

Baz Bahadur's Palace
Baz Bahadur's Palace is located near Rewa Kund. In fact, water was supplied from the later to the former. While the Rewa Kund is at top of the hill, this palace is on the slope. Baz Bahadur's Palace provides exceptional view to the place. There are numerous halls in the courtyard along with rooms on all four sides.
Baz Bahadur's Palace


The rooms were primarily used for amusement, especially as music and dance. On the northern side of this palace you will find a projected octagonal pavilion having arches from which you can view a beautiful garden. In the middle, you will also find a beautiful reservoir. A small court is also present here, which was meant for the attendants of the palace.

Dilawar Khan's Mosque
This is one of the earliest as well as renowned Indo-Islamic structures present in the ancient city of Mandu and was constructed in the year 1405.
Dilawar Khan's Mosque

At that time, Dilawar Khan Ghouri was the leader, and hence the name. Dilawar Khan's Mosque is characterized by a prayer room, corridors on three sides, Mehrab on the west, and a central entrance. Influence of Hindu and Mughal architecture can be found here.

Nilkanth Mahal
Shah Badgah Khan built this palace, who was the Mughal governor during that time. Near Nilkanth Shrine this palace was built for Akbar's, the famous Mughal Emperor, Hindu wife.
Neelkanth Mahal

Inscriptions can be found on the walls narrating the glorious tales from the past.

Chhappan Mahal Museum
This museum is located inside the famous Chhappan Mahal of Mandu. It was built during 16th century. Till the year 1990, the building belonged to the family of Puar Dynasty. After 1990, Chhappan Mahal was converted to a museum.
Chhappan Mahal Museum

Here, you will find important remnants of the tribal past as well as rich culture. Frescos, architecture of Bagh Caves, Stone Age relics, and articles belonging to the rulers of this area can be found in Chhappan Mahal Museum. The museum has 4 galleries named Poorvika, Aranyika, Mandapika, and Drishyika.

Shopping in Mandu
Besides usual shopping complexes and shopping arcades, having the latest and happening brands, you will find unique handicrafts in Mandu, Madhya Pradesh. These handicrafts bear traditional and cultural touch of this place. You will be amazed by witnessing the mystical and inspired craftsmanship.
Shopping in Mandu

Many of these art forms were on the brink of extinction. This is when Madhya Pradesh Hastshilp Evam Hathkargha Vikas Nigam Ltd. chipped in to protect this art form from extinction. You can collect the local art forms not only as a souvenir but also to decorate the interior of your house. Visit one of the several Craft Development Centers and purchase the ones that attract your fancy.

 Food of Mandu
Like any other place in India, you will find all kinds of cuisines and delicacies in Mandu. Multi-cuisine restaurants can be found here. You can have Tandoori, Chinese, Continental, and all other delicacies of the world in the restaurants of this place. You should try the local delicacies to enjoy the taste of the place literally. Whether it is Kebabs, Khoprapak, Bhutte ki Kees, Malpua, or Mawa-bati, you can't afford to miss the local delicacies of Mandu.

Hotels in Mandu

3 Star Hotels

  • Malwa Resort
    Address :
    City : Mandu
    State : Madhya Pradesh
    Pin Code : 454010
    Phone No. : 07292-263235
    Email ID : mresoertm@mptourism.com
    Website : www.mptourism.com
    Type : 3 Star
    Rooms in Hotel : 24
    Maximum Room Rate : INR 2900
    Minimum Room Rate : INR 2000


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