The one before the Taj Mahal
We all know the story — a regal couple deeply in love. Unfortunate and premature death of the queen. A grief-stricken king. A vow to immortalize their love. A brilliant design of a marble tomb. Innumerable workers toiling decades. And a magnificent monument to love.
But most of us don’t know the story of the monument that inspired the Taj. A white marble tomb as well, built not for love, but for glory. Started by a king for himself, completed by those who conquered his kingdom. And one which the architect of the Taj Mahal visited to take inspiration.
The earlier monument is the tomb of Hoshang Shah who governed the Malwa province in the fifteenth century and shifted the capital to Mandu (or Mandavgarh as it was called). It is believed to the be first marble structure in India.
Hoshang Shah was the second king of the Ghuri dynasty. His father, initially a governor of the Malwa province under the Khaljis, declared independence when Timur Lane attacked Delhi in 1401.
Hoshang Shah became king in 1406, and moved the capital to Mandu from nearby Dhar.
Soon after, he began construction of two monuments — a tomb for himself, and a huge mosque (Jami Masjid) nearby.
The structure looks a lot like the Taj Mahal, but doesn’t have the minarets outside the main structure. Instead, there are smaller domes on the main building that surround the main dome.
Hoshang Shah passed away before the tomb was fully built. The tomb was finally completed by the Khalji dynasty that replaced him. An inscription nearby states that Shah Jahan sent the architects of the Taj Mahal to study the mosque.
The Jami Masjid
Next to the tomb is the Jami Masjid, the largest mosques in the region. The masjid is designed as per the Grand Mosque at Damascus.
The highlight of the mosque is a 17m domed porch, surrounded by smaller domes. It is said that the domes served as amplifiers for the maulvi’s call for prayer.
The mosque has number of pillars connected with arches within it.
When Mandu was later conquered by the Peshwas, when the mosque was converted to a people’s court (Diwaan-e-aam). Today, you can see the pulpit where the governor sat during court hours.
