Hoshang Shah tomb, Mandav / Mandu.

Hoshang Shah tomb
I have paraphrased the information given at the Mandu Tourism, Sarmaya, British Library, Wikipedia and ASI websites and added my thoughts about the Hoshang Shah tomb at Mandu.
This has been done with the aim of not only giving historical information but also making it more interesting to read. (I hope 😊)

Hoshang Shah Ghouri(Ghori) was the Second Sultan of the Malwa Sultanate. He succeeded his father who had proclaimed independence from Feroze Shah Tughlaq, Sultan of Delhi who had sent him to Mandu as a governor.
The tomb is a magnificent square edifice topped with a huge and impressive dome built on a high square plinth.  

Hoshang Shah Tomb.

All built-in white marble. This is supposed to be the oldest and the first building built in white marble. It is considered one of the most refined examples of Afghan architecture. It is said that Mughal emperor Shah Jahan was inspired by Hoshang Shah’s tomb to build The Taj Mahal.

Photo courtesy Mandutourism.

We approached the tomb by a paved pathway bordered by a hedge of small neatly trimmed hedge plants. The path is laid on a well-maintained lawn. By this path, we reached the rear portion of the tomb. 

This side had Three arched openings, the central one slightly bigger with smaller arched openings on either side. All the three arches were snuggly fitted with intricately carved marble screens.

All the three arches were snuggly fitted with intricately carved marble screens.

We had to walk around the square-shaped high plinth on which the tomb has been built to reach the entry gate.

Photo courtesy Wikimedia commons.

There is a wide stone stairway to access the gate of the tomb. Central huge and impressive arched gateway with two arched openings gives entry to the tomb which is topped with a magnificent huge dome.
The big central Arch housing the arched gate has carvings of lotus flowers which are also repeated on the arched doorway.
Each side arched opening is fitted with a screen made of marble with beautifully carved geometric designs. Each screen has six square and two angular panels. That between a total of 16 screen panels, not a single design is repeated speaks very highly of the knowledge and mathematical knowledge of those artisans.
Under the dome, there is the main sarcophagus of Hoshang Shah which is carved in the form of a casket with receding bands and with a mihrab moulded at the top. There are other graves also below the dome, three of which are in marble.
As per our guide, Hoshang Shah was buried in Hoshangabad in MP, and his real tomb is built there. Could not find anything to support this statement on google.
After spending about an hour at this beautiful structure we bid it farewell,

The Archaeological Survey Of India has been doing a wonderful job of restoring historical monuments. Just to emphasise the point I have also included a photo of Hoshang shah’s Tomb taken in 1882 by Lala Deen Dayal. The photograph courtesy British Library online gallery is from an album containing architectural and landscape studies of various sites in Central India. The majority of the photographs were taken by Deen Dayal while on tour with Sir Lepel Griffin (1838-1908), who served as Resident at Indore and Agent to the Governor-General of Central India between 1881 and 1888
.

Hoshang Shah Tomb 1882.