In Madhya Pradesh in the region known as Malwa there is a hill which is an off shoot of the Vindhya Range. People call it the Mandu Hill. Right on top of this hill there is a ruined city that used to be a magnificent fort once upon a time. It is one of the biggest fort-cities in our country and one of the most beautiful. Built somewhere around 1261 by the Paramara kings, this fort was originally known by the name of Mandapa Durga but was subsequently shortened to Mandu. When it passed into the hands of the Mughal rulers it came to be called Shadiabad which means 'City of Joy'. Tourists from all over the country and abroad flock to see Mandu. And they gaze, in wonder, at its beauty although much of it is in ruins. It is not difficult to imagine how gorgeous it must have looked in the days of its glory.

If you decide to visit it (as I hope you will), it would be a good idea to go to Indore. Mandu is around 92 km from there and it is very easy to make it by car or bus. As you climb up the steep Mandu Hill with its many hair-pin bends, you will hold your breath at the view all around you. You may possibly cry out in wonder when you see the deep ravine which encircles the hill on three sides and the wonderful woodland full of lofty trees and tangled bushes.

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