Mandav is a town and a nagar panchayat, near city of Dhar in Dhar district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

Demographics

India census, Mandav had a population of 8,545. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Mandav has an average literacy rate of 32%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 41%, and female literacy is 22%. In Mandav, 20% of the population is under 6 years of age. Mandva is situated in the Vindhyanchal Range at 2,000 feet above sea level. There is a deep ravine that separates it from the Malwa Plateau in Central India. Mandav is 100 km from Indore, the nearest airport.

History

The history of Mandav, also known as Mandu, is known from the Paramara period in the 8th century A.D. Later it was under Mughal rule. They called it Shadiabad, which means ‘The City of Joy’. The monuments are a mix of the Hindu and Afghan style of architecture. Mandu is a celebration in stone, of life and joy, of the love of the poet-prince Baz Bahadur for his beautiful consort, Rani Roopmati. The balladeers of Malwa still sing of the romance of these royal lovers, and high up on the crest of a hill, Roopmati's Pavilion still gazes down at Baz Bahadur's Palace, a magnificent expression of Afghan architecture. Under Mughal rule, Mandu was a pleasure resort, its lakes and palaces the scenes of splendid and extravagant festivities.

Places of interest

This article needs to merge with Mandu, Madhya Pradesh There are number of monuments in Mandav. Among the most important are: Shri Mandavagadh Teerth Shri Mandavagadh Teerth is dedicated to Lord Suparshvanatha. It belongs to Shwetambar sect of Jainism. The temple has been attractively constructed and looks exquisite. It underwent expansion in 14th century. The idol of Lord Suparshvanath is believed to be much older. The idol is white in complexion and is 91.54 cm (3 feet) in height. It is seated in a padmansana posture. Apart from this in this same fort there is a fine temple of smaller size of Lord Shantinath. Ruins of many temples and idols can be seen here. As per a reference once there were almost 700 Jain temples here. The Delhi Darwaja and Hoshang Shah tomb The Delhi Darwaja is one of the twelve gateways to the city and is made up of reddish stone. The Hoshang Shah's tomb is a fine example of Afghan-style architecture. It is said that four architects from Shah Jahan's court visited Mandu and took inspiration for the Taj Mahal.