2 day tour from Mumbai to architectural wonder of Mandu

2 day tour from Mumbai to architectural wonder of Mandu

The architectural wonder of Mandu is just a weekend away from Mumbai. We will explore this  ancient city going back to the 6th century which became the capital of the Malwa Kingdom for a period in history. We will relive the story of romance between Baz Bahadur an Afghan King and Roopmati a Hindu singer which also changed the course of history of the Malwa region as well as that of the Delhi Sultanate. Some of the fantastic monuments we will visit are the Jahaz Mahal, India’s first marble tomb, the world’s largest harem, Ashrafi Mahal, Baz Bahadur Palace, Roopmati Pavilion, Bhojshala in Dhar, Lalbagh Palace and Rajwada in Indore.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Indore

Pass By: Rajwada Palace, Rajwada, Indore, Madhya Pradesh 452002, India
725 PM Flight from Mumbai to Indore

Overnight stay in Indore


No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight in hotel in Indore

Day 2: Mandu

Stop At: Mandu, Mandav, Madhya Pradesh 454010, India
8AM- After breakfast we checkout from Indore and travel 97 KMs to reach Mandu. We will next visit one of India’s largest mosques, the Jami Masjid. It was inspired by the Umayyad Mosque, the Great Mosque of Damascus. It is a magnificent specimen of architecture with Jali work and painted enamels and embellished with beautiful domes and arches.

We visit the Royal Enclosure. Jahaz Mahal or the Ship Palace was built by Ghiyasuddin to house the 15000 women in his harem. The structure resembles a ship and in hits hey days was a splendid Palace with big halls, cenotaphs on the upper floors and Turkish baths.

India’s first marble mausoleum, Hoshang Shah’s tomb beckons us. It is said that this tomb as well as the other monuments of the same period from Mandu influenced later Mughal architecture at Agra and Delhi.

Ashrafi Mahal or the palace of gold coins is actually a Madrassa or a place of learning Islamic education. There was a 7-storied tower built here to celebrate the victory of Mahmud Shah Khilji over Rana Khumba of Mewar. Only 1 storey has survived the ravage of time and we can see that.

We will next visit 2 romantic monuments that made Mandu most famous!

Baz Bahadur Palace was built in 1509 by the last Afghan sultan of Malwa, Baz Bahadur. The 2 storied Palace has magnificent arches at the entrance. During its hey days an aqueduct used to run through the arches into the Palace courtyard. The terrace is adorned with elevated dome pavilions.

Roopmati Pavilion is a magnificent expression of Afghan architecture in sandstone. The original intent of this structure was to act as an observation post for the royal army. After the couple fell in love, it was transformed with extensions to enable Roopmati to worship the river Narmada for the well being of her love.

Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight in Mandu

Day 3: Dhar

Stop At: Dhar Fort, Malwa Region, Dhar India
We visit Dhar the ancient capital of Malwa before Mandu. Bhoj-Shala is an interesting university from the ancient past built for Sanskrit education. It used to have a temple dedicated to Saraswati the goddess of learning. It was built by Raja Bhoj, the legendary scholar King who ruled from 1010 to 1055.
Duration: 4 hours

Stop At: Rajwada Indore, M.G. Road Chhatris in the Main Square, Indore 452002 India
We will drive back to Indore to visit the Lalbagh Palace. This is the former residence of the Holkars, the royal family of Indore. The Palace is extravagant with Italian marble columns, chandeliers, Persian carpets, Belgium stained glass windows, Greek reliefs, Italian paintings, and stuffed tigers hunted by the Holkars.

Before catching our flight we will visit Rajwada, the magnificent Palace built by Holkars of the Maratha Empire. This seven storied structure was built in 1747 A.D. by founder of Holkar dynasty -Malhar Rao Holkar..

Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.