Ashrafi Mahal Mandav - Mandav

Nothing much to see or do over here except the steps leading to and the dilapidated "Vijay Stambh". This complex was also a madrassa and a palace in different times. This one also has a lot of space, but there are no good views since it is in the market area at a lower elevation. It is located opposite to Jami Masjid and entry is free.

The construction of Ashrafi Mahal had begun during the early years of Mahmud Khilji’s reign, when a Madarsa was built in conjunction with the adjacent Jami Masjid. Madarsa had been executed like the mosque as a spacious quadrangle enclosed on all four sides by cells for students. Some years later, the turret on the north eastern side was raised seven storeys high to commemorate Mahmud Khilji’s victory over Rana of Mewar. Mahmud Khilji’s tomb is also located here. Must visit.

The ruins of the madrasa built in 15th century might have been grand with two storey architecture with several arch style corridors though only ground floor remains now.

Ashrafi mahal is situated front jami masjid. This building refers to madarsa.

Wow what a fantastic beauty. Kandu is totally a place of nature beauty and ashrafi mahal is part of it.. It's really very beautiful place if you visit once you will fall in love with it... It is situated front of jami masjid the seen of jami masjid from ashrafi mahal is very beautiful?? I want to come again... Love for this place

Historical places of Djar city . It is a great historical place for tourism.

Ashrafi mahal is in Mandav which is an ancient fort city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It's surrounded by stone walls dotted with darwazas (gateways). It's also known for its Indian and Afghan architectural heritage. Landmark buildings include Hoshang Shah’s Tomb, a domed marble mausoleum, and the vast Jami Masjid mosque, with courtyards framed by colonnades which are right in front of the Ashrafi Mahal. This was actually used as a Madrasa (School). Most of the sections are now in Ruins and only few sections are in good condition. It also hosts a Victory Tower which is now completely damaged and in Ruins. Who actually made this tower is a matter of debate and not confirmed yet. Overall worth a stopover as it's very close to other important group of monuments around.

I have paraphrased the information given at the Mandu Tourism, Wikipedia, AKS, an architect’s web page and ASI websites and added my thoughts about Ashrafi Mahal 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 ?) Right across Jama Masjid one sees a grand staircase with very wide stone steps. Steps so wide that it takes 2-3 steps to clear that one broad stone step. There are corridors with arched rooms on both sides of this grand staircase. At the top of this grand staircase is a beautifully constructed pavilion. Behind this Pavilion is one huge square-shaped courtyard surrounded by ruins of what at one time must have been rooms and mighty towers. This huge monument is called Ashrafi Mahal. Ashrafi Mahal started as a Sanskrit University around 1024 during the reign of Raja Bhoj of Dhar. It was a residential university. Students lived in the rooms on the ground floor and attended the classrooms on the first floor after climbing the grand staircase. When Hoshang Shah ascended the throne of Mandu he converted this edifice in a Madrasa attached to a mosque. From the ruins found today archeologists and historians believe, the Madrasa- Mosque complex was planned as a great square with open spaces enclosed all around by a number of small rooms for students. All four corners of the great square were round towers. Of these four towers, two have been totally wiped from existence. Huge in size and tall in height ruined remains of the remaining two round towers bear mute testimony as to how grand these four towers must have looked at the height of its heyday. Mahmud shah came to power after Hoshang Shah. He ordered a great tomb to be built for himself. Hoshang Shah’s madrasa was chosen to build the tomb. The design of the madrasa, therefore, was changed and the courtyard was turned into a tomb. The dome of this tomb is made with black, yellow, and white marble. Historians believe that the tomb was a square hall of 65 feet topped with a huge dome. When completed his monument was grander than the Jami Masjid and Hoshang Shah's tomb. Experts are of the opinion that the tomb was constructed in a hurry, without proper planning, and by unskilled workers. This soon resulted in it getting delipidated and eventually being lost in time without much trace. As per documented information, it was a Sanskrit University, a Madrasa, and a Tomb. There is no mention of any Ashrafi or mahal anywhere. Maybe the following legend narrated to us by our guide explains the name: - The favourite concubine who was dark for whom camphor was added to Kapur Talav where she took and took bath to become fair was also quite plump. The king used to place one Ashrafi on each step. The consort could claim the Ashrafi as her own if she cleared each step in ONE STRIDE. Steps were very wide and one had to do something like hop-skip and jump to collect the Ashrafi and also clear the step in one stride. It was a very strenuous exercise to be repeated at every step every day. As per the narration by the guide, both, the Kapur Talav and the Ashrafies had desired effect, and the dark and plump consort turned as beautiful as a nymph :-), hence the name as Ashrafi Mahal. There are times when what the guide tells you is much more interesting than the dry information given by internet sources, though it may be far from the facts. ?