4/5 PM V. 2 years ago on Google
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.
😊
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