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.

Roopmati Pavilion.

 Roopmati Pavilion. 

Rani Roopmati Pavilion which is also alternately called Roopmati Palace is located on a precipice at a height of 365 meters/1200 feet. From this commanding height, it overlooks the Nimar plains for miles all around.

It can be reached by a motorable blacktop serpentine winding road with a lot of hairpin bends. As per instruction from ASI, tourists are not permitted to take cars up to the top. After parking the cars at the parking lot at the bottom of the hill one has to walk up to Rani Roopmati Place. A shortcut in a staircase of 3 to 4 feet long stones sticking out a wall is also available. Physically challenged people should not take this shortcut.

Road to Roopmati Palace. The railing and top flight of the shortcut staircase are visible at the left bottom of the photo.

Roopmati Pavillion on a hill top.

Due to its location at a commanding height original purpose of some structures must have been built as an observation post and used for that purpose for a very very long time.
It is said that Rani Roopmati was a devote worshipper of River Narmada and had her meals only after having a 'darshan' of river Narmada. 

As per the legend and intermingled history cum folklore, King Baj Bahadur built this pavilion for his lady love Rani Roopmati. She came here and from its commanding height had a darshan of the Narmada River.

Rani Roopmati Palace is built of red sandstone and has domed chambers at either end of the terrace.   

Arched dalans/ chambers and an inbuilt water storage tank give some idea about the architecture and water harvesting technique of that time.

Water harvesting - water storage tank.

A garden with a lawn has been made by the side of  Roopmati Palace. It is a nice place for a picnic. 

We did climb to the top of the Roopmati Pavilion. The panoramic view from its commanding height of 2000 feet higher than the surrounding Nemar plains is really awesome. Saw shining water from lots of water bodies made for irrigation purposes but no view, not even a glimpse of the Narmada River.

Unsung Heros.

 The Unsung Heros.

They are out and on the job at first light.

During my morning walk, I see them hard at work every day!

By the time I have done half my walk, they are almost finishing their work in their assigned territory.

They are the ones who clear tons of garbage and the waste created by us.

These days, at the height of the fall season, with scattered leaves all over, even nature is adding to their workload.

They are the ones who keep our surroundings clean, spick & span. They make our surroundings pleasantly livable and garbage-free for us.

Please do not litter. Help them in keeping your city clean.

They are our safaiwallas!

I salute these unsung heroes.

This time of the year even nature adds to their workload.

Maintenance of his weapon

Hard at work.

The unsung heros.

They are our safaiwallas!
I salute these unsung heroes.

Nature is simply wonderful - Regeneration - Shedding the old getting new.

Colours of Autumn.

This is a photo of almond trees in my neighbourhood. I had put up this photo in a FB post with the title "colours of Autumn". This photo was taken on 09 February 2022. To view, the FB post go to this link

https://www.facebook.com/pmvelankar/posts/3842069826017305

It has been just seven days since then but there has been a complete transformation in how they look now.

The new-look of the same almond trees can be seen in this photo:-

New look - Almond trees in my neighbourhood.

Old red leaves have been shed, to be replaced with new vivid green leaves.

 A closer look at vivid green new leaves. 

Unfortunately against the sky, the green colour is lost.

No idea how to fix that!

These budding new green leaves will get bigger green leaves. Turn red and come autumn of next year, it will be their turn to be shed and replaced by new green leaves. 

Nature is simply wonderful.

 

Welcome to new land Lady.

Inspired by a plastic birdhouse, I had also installed one in our sandalwood tree.

Apparently, the architecture was not liked by anyone and my birdhouse remained vacant.

To see/read that post go to  https://www.facebook.com/pmvelankar/posts/3657976837759939 

A lady purple sunbird seemed to like the sandal-wood tree property and has built a one BHK house. I have seen birdhouses (nests) with better-looking exteriors. 

Tried to capture the landlady on camera. She is very very shy and flighty. Hates to pose or sit still even for a second. Till now unsuccessful to get her photo. The best I could do was to get a shot of her beak when she was peeping out of her house. (The beak circled in red)

An edited version of - UNAPPRECIATED!!!

 

An edited version of - UNAPPRECIATED!!! 

(Alterations/ addition done in editing the earlier  post are in block italics)

UNAPPRECIATED - Archaeological Survey of India. aka ASI.

 By and large workings of Government Departments are thought of as being inefficient. And not without reasons.

That is because the file pushing baubus are not accountable and answerable to anybody for their inefficient ways. Even in and when called to do so they have left sufficient loopholes in rules made by themselves, to wriggle out of the tightest spot. 

We are extremely lucky that there are still very very few Government Departments that stand out for doing their work efficiently and excellently.

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is one such organisation. 

Recently we visited Mandu or Mandavgad. 

Mandu is an ancient city in the present-day Mandav area of the Dhar district. It is located in the Malwa and Nimar region of western Madhya Pradesh. In the 11th century, Mandu was the subdivision of the Tarangagadh or Taranga kingdom. This fortress town on a rocky outcrop about 100 km (62 mi) from Indore is celebrated for its architecture.

Department Tourism Government of Madhya Pradesh has been doing good work to bring Mandu on the tourist map of India and the world with some success.

All the monuments of Mandu have suffered as much through the ravages of time as by plunder, theft of building material, encroachment and careless attitude of the local population.

Archaeological Survey Of India is doing excellent work of restoration of the ancient monuments. 

It is to the great credit of ASI that detailed research is done before undertaking restoration work. As a result of research and dedication, even the mortar and plaster used in restoration is being made the way it was done all those centuries ago. Using good (jaggery), lime and other binding material.

A lot of excellent work has been done and is still going on.   

Extensive restoration work near Dilawar Khan's Mosque.(Pl.see in zoom)

Extensive restoration work near Dilawar Khan's Mosque.(Pl.see in zoom)

Extensive restoration work near Dilawar Khan's Mosque.(Pl.see in zoom)

wonderful job of restoration this dalan corridor of huge and tall ogee arches of Hindola Mahal.

Wish could go back after a few years to see the results. 

Not only Mandu, but ASI has also done restoration work 0n  our heritage monuments around Delhi, like Humayun Tomb and gardens, Lodi Garden housing   Mohammed Shah's Tomb, Tomb of Sikandar Lodi, Shisha Gumbad and Bara Gumbad, Monuments near Kutub Minar. There may be hundreds and hundreds more all around India.

Unfortunately, I do not have comparative ( before and after) photos to show for all the restoration work done by ASI. However, I will just put up whatever comparative photos I have. 

We had visited Mahabalipuram in 1982, putting  photos we took then photos taken in 2021  taken by my friend Gp Capt Shrish Tatwawadi during his visit to that place.

1982. Descent of the Ganges & Arjuna's penance. 

Sitting on the part of the rock almost halfway up the elephant seen here. The lower Portion of the monument was buried in sand and soil.

2021. Descent of the Ganges & Arjuna's penance. 

After restoration by ASI.

Photo courtesy Gp Capt Shrish Tatwawadi

 

1982. Butterball. The surrounding area was strewn with rocks, boulders big and small. Potholes, crevices etc. It was dangerous and one had to be very careful walking around.

2021. Butterball

After work done by  ASI.

Photo courtesy Gp Capt Shrish Tatwawadi

The Archaeological Survey of India is doing tremendous work in preserving our history, our heritage and our monuments. We should be proud of the work being done by ASI. 

Unfortunately, the work of the Archaeological Survey of India goes 

UNAPPRECIATED!!!

Foreign countries where ASI was called for and has done restoration work.

Vietnam, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Laos, Cambodia, Nepal, Bahrain, Angola, Afghanistan, Maldives, Bhutan and Egypt.

Kudos to ASI. 

Wish we had more such.

Jai Hind.