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Log 3: Dhule City - Mandu

Location: 227 kms north of Nashik
Population : 5,000

Accommodation

Altitude: 643 m

Temperature:
Summers max 36C, min 28C
Winter s max 22C, min 7C

Popular attraction: Jama Masjid and the Jahaz Mahal (ship palace) . It is the largest fortified area in the world!
Character: Beautiful old-world charm. Set amongst ruins of forts, palaces, masjids and temples.
Internet Connectivity: The Bhag Print showroom boasts a 'cybercafe' sign; they never get the connection for very long.
Result: they are currently not charging for any guinea-pigs that want to try!

Route:
Dhule - Mandu

The drive from Dhule, till the turn-off for Mandu, was standard fare --

smooth roads(mostly) with plenty of truck traffic, though it was not too bad. Nevertheless, we felt thankful we were able to travel in more style than some of the locals.

The checkpoints were major roadblocks though. And had we not made our own road we still might be there .

We passed a few forts along the way, many of which looked completely empty. One of the forts we stopped at was pretty much just a square wall, with the courtyard taken over by hawkers and local wildlife. The walls provided a view of the surrounding town

When we took the turn-off the Agra (NH3) highway, we stopped at a little dhaba on the left side of the road. The dhaba was a truck stop but the food was awesome. Write to us in a week and we will tell you how the hygiene factor held up!

The road from the NH3 (after the little marked turnoff) is abominable with huge craters in the (mostly) single lane road. We were amused by the diligence of the local government in placing speed breakers on this barely navigable road. But the scenery was pretty .

We averaged a speed of 20 kms per hour. Thankfully we were spared from having to deal with any traffic. At night this road would be an absolute nightmare.

On arriving in Mandu we checked into the hotel and took refuge from the blazing sun. Come evening and we were surprised to find a storm looming on the horizon.

Undaunted, we headed out and visited Darya Khan's tomb, the Baz Bahadur's palace and Rupmati's pavilion. Our trusty Matiz, having braved the horrendous roads, was rewarded with some beautiful views of the Rewa Kund group of buildings.

As expected, there were only minor showers that came down while we were checking out Darya Khan's tomb; we took cover in the tomb! The showers cooled the place down providing a perfect evening for enjoying the sunset at Rupmati's -- a popular option with the locals and tourists.

The beauty of Rupmati's pavilion is its simplicity of style and more importantly its location. The fresh air and the high altitude must've got to Nikhil's head. No sooner were we up at the pavilion,

Nikhil was all over the place practising his bhangra steps. Make sure you catch up on the history behind the building and its occupants before you head up.

The Mandu experience

Mandu is not a much talked about tourist spot and so one does not know what to expect from it.

Perched up on the plateau, the town has an old-world air to it, that becomes apparent as you drive up to Mandu, through ruins of lookout points and what appear to be masjids and makbaras. Coming in from the north you pass through four or five gates, up a winding road, that eventually leads to the main village.

The actual village is unimposing and like many other historical towns does not distract one from the surroundings. The village is just a stretch of houses -- the quaint village kind with a few provision stores. Another factor that contributes to the general feel of the place is that the structures are not cluttered together but instead spread across the green and wooded countryside.

It is worth spending a few days here... just soaking in the atmosphere and checking out the various buildings and palaces.

We would recommend taking a guide.

The guide we took was able to tell us a lot about the history of the place and had undergone official training from the tourism ministry (or so he told us). One can find any number to choose from at the village center, opposite the Jama Masjid. Our guide started at Rs 150 for a tour of all the palaces around Mandu. Having covered a few already by ourselves we settled for Rs 100 for a tour of the buildings in the village and the Ship palace.

We would've liked to have taken Mandu at a slower pace. We stayed there one night and I think that was too short a stay to allow one to soak in the magic of the place. Trust me there is a lot of atmosphere in Mandu. The place has a rich feel of history and I can only imagine how beautiful it will be after the monsoons.

Mandu deserves a leisurely look around, give yourself enough time with each building. This is one place you want to lie back and breathe it all in. Pack those picnic baskets, books, beer cans, hookahs or anything you might associate with a good getaway. Don't miss Mandu-- a must, must see! Spend a good three- four days.

Accomodation: Mandu

We stayed at the Rupmati Hotel. We checked out the staying options (which are relatively few for such a wonderful attraction).
The Rupmati and MPTDC tourist cottages were the two 'top of the line' choices. Both were comfortable with all the basic amenities (AC rooms, room service, restaurant etc.)
The Tourist Cottages had a slightly musty and unused air and the cottages themselves were not in the best repair. But with the view of the lake, and great setting it is still probably worth the money (especially after the monsoon when the lake is full).

MPTDC also has a lodge that looked more reasonable and (probably) offers similar basic amenities in a less luxurious surrounding. A popular alternative with some tour agencies is to stay at the Jhira Bagh Palace and make Mandu a day trip.

The Mandu slide show

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