(From top) The palace of the poet-king Baz Bahadur; a glimpse of the Jahaz Mahal; Hoshang Shah’s tomb is said to have been the inspiration behind the Taj Mahal; the Jahaz Mahal has a 7-ft deep pool on its first floor; the pleasure palace Hindola Mahal; the pavilions of Rani Roopmati’s palace Photographs by author

“What words of mine can describe the beauty of the grass and the wildflowers?

They clothe each hill and dale, each slope and plain.

I know of no place so pleasant in climate and so pretty in scenery as Mandu in the rainy season... What I have noticed is but a small part of the many beauties of Mandu.”

The Mughal Emperor, Jehangir, raved about the splendour of Mandu during the monsoons. For me, it was time for a reality check. Driving through one of the 12 majestic gates that led to the largest fortified city in the medieval world one rain-drenched morning, I looked longingly at the misty distant silhouette of a crumbling Afghan tomb. All around me was a blanket of green that ranged from the light jade green to the darkest emerald.

As we climbed up, the valleys below were ensconced in idly floating clouds that progressively turned dark and grey. Minutes later I found myself driving through the precincts of the erstwhile Shadiabad, the City of Joy.

It begins pouring as I raced all the way to the resort. The tattoo of rain helped my spirits soar and I found myself humming as I checked into my room and looked out of the window. The green expanse was good for my computer- strained eyes, I told myself.

All it took was a good breakfast and I was ready to keep my date with the ghosts of Baz Bahadur and Rani Roopmati in the lofty pavilions that overlooked the dewy Nimar plains and the meandering strip of the Narmada. The romantic story of two music loving souls reverberated in my mind as I walked up to Roopmati’s Pavilion. A little later I was standing on it, gazing at the distant stretch of hills, vales, plateaus, and forests blurred by a veil of mist. The moment seemed to last an eternity.

Baz Bahadur’s palace with its huge courtyards and high terraces had once echoed with duets rendered by the two love birds. My guide, Iqbal, demonstrated the astounding acoustics of the music hall by rendering a piece in Raag Malhar, a fitting tribute to the season. He had a good voice, too. According to legend, in the early 16th century, Baz Bahadur, the ruler of Mandu fell in love with Rani Roopmati, an accomplished singer.

The Rani was a devout worshipper of Narmada and wouldn’t eat till she had a darshan of the river. The thick cloud cover in the monsoon played the villain making it impossible for the Rani to see her beloved Narmada. Then divinity intervened. Roopmati dreamt that the water in Rewa Kund came from River Narmada. The Rani no longer had to depend on a clear sky to break her fast.

Braving the rain that had now, mercifully, turned into a drizzle, I made my way to Jami Masjid. The king and his subjects assembled for their communion with the Almighty here in this masjid with its decorative mihrabs and the innumerable domes.

From there it was a hop, skip and jump to the precursor of Taj Mahal. Hoshang Shah’s tomb with its imposing dome and marble construction was where Emperor Shah Jehan sent his architects for inspiration.

Out in the rain once again, we drove to Sultan Ghiyas-ud-din-Khilji’s palace where he had lived with a harem full of 15,000 women. He built exotic pleasure palaces, to accommodate his huge harem, and gave them quirky names like Jahaz Mahal and Hindola Mahal.

The Jahaz Mahal, sitting betwixt the two lakes, with its cool pools and breeze swept terraces and a promising view of the once glorious Munj Talab and Kapoor Talab, is a dreamy set up. It is an incredible construction with a 7-ft deep pool on the first floor, fed by a Persian wheel and a fantastic filtration system that could teach modern engineers a thing or two about water-works.

At the other end is Hindola Mahal, the Swing Palace, so named because of its sloping support walls that resemble the sides of a swing.

There’s also the interesting tale about Gada Shah’s shop and house, in which a merchant sold potent products to the sultan to rev up his sexual prowess. With his vast harem, the sultan must have patronised the merchant immensely, for him to have acquired so much wealth and power.

The Rain Gods had decided to take a rest and my enthusiastic guide was still waiting to show me the bounties of Mandu. Rather patronisingly, Iqbal informed me that Mandu could not be appreciated in a couple of days. It required a couple of months for a visitor to take in the beauty of the place. Entranced by the magic unfolding before my eyes, I acquiesced humbly.

“There’re many mahals and tombs that most tourists don’t bother about. They come and see just two or three of them and go away feeling satisfied,” his sermon continued. “You must see as much as possible.”

Relentlessly, he took me on a tour of the umpteen mahals: the Hathi Mahal and the Jal Mahal and then the Dai ka Mahal and the Dai ki Chotti Bahen ka Mahal; so many mahals that I soon lost count of them. With my feet in squelching shoes and my clothes dripping water, I followed him like the proverbial lamb.

All I wanted to do was to sit in Roopmati’s pavilion and watch the clouds floating by. Maybe I could have written a few poems while at it. Time and tide wait for no one nor did they wait for me. I realised that hours were gliding away. I bid adieu to Iqbal and Mandu but not before swearing to him that Mandu was one of the loveliest places I have visited, especially during the monsoon.

Ready reckoner

Getting there: The closest airport is at Indore. Hire a cab from Indore to Mandu, which is about 99km away.The nearest railway station is Indore and there are umpteen trains from all over the country to the city. There are regular bus services plying between Indore and Mandu.

Where to stay: There are several options for staying at Mandu. MP Tourism has cottages at Malwa Resort where an A/C room costs Rs 1,790 and an air-cooled one is Rs 1,090. It also has cottages at Malwa Retreat which offer AC rooms at Rs 1,490. For reservations dial 07292-263235 or email at: mresortm@mptourism.com or mretreatm@mptouri-ms.com. Hotel Rupmati, another option, has rooms that range from Rs 600-Rs 750. For reservations dial