Places of Interest in Chanderi - photos, details and travel help.
The town of Chanderi is set in the midst of the natural beauty of the Vindyachal Range. Through the flow of time Chanderi has played a part in the religious, mythical, political, and glorious history of North India.
🔍It is arguably Chanderi's defining monument. It has been given recognition nationwide and when the town of Chanderi is represented it is the Badal Mahal Gate that is used to symbolize it. For example, the Indian Postal Department issued a cancellation stamp for all posts leaving Chanderi and it bears the image of the Badal Mahal Gate.
🔍During the 10th century A.D. Boodi Chanderi was a very prosperous town situated 18 kilometers away from present Chanderi. Even today the ruins of this abandoned town still gives an idea how rich this place might have been. Originally it was a town known as Chandra Puri and was the capital of ChediMahaJanpath. German Historian Claus Boon and the historian from Gwalior Heritage Society M.B. Gardey documented the ruins of 55 Jain and Hindu temples.
🔍The foundation of Jama Masjid began in 1251 A.D. to commemorate the victory and capture of Chanderi by the Delhi Sultanate under the command of GhiassuddinBalban. They defeated the Pratihara Maharaja, Chanha Deva. Over the halls of the Jama Masjid are three huge domes making a commanding and beautifulpresence over the town. It is the largest mosque in Chanderi with a capacity for 3400 persons. The mosque is known for Friday prayers.
🔍The chronicler Mohammad Kasim in his book the Farishta writes that Sultan Mehood Shah Khilji attacked and defeated Sharki Sultan Mehmood of Jaunpur at Kalpi in the year 1445 A.D. After the victory when he returned to his capital in Mandu the Sultan expressed that they should celebrate their victory in the form of a seven day celebration.
🔍The road through the Kati Ghati gate leads up to the Ramnagar Palace which is also a museum maintained by the Department of Archaeology, Museums and Archives, Madhya Pradesh. Termed as palace, the structure is in fact a hunting lodge and retreat which was built by Maharaja Durjan Singh Bundela in AD 1698. The stone blocks used in its construction are not consistent in size, shape or decorative carving.
🔍Built in 1450 under the aegis of MahmoodKhilji I of the Malwa Sultanate, this elegant structure is actually the tomb of a mudarris (teacher) and the aalim (vice –chancellor) of the darooluloom (university) which was functional during this period, and the ruins of which can be seen in the vicinity. The term madarsa is a misnomer; it probably got associated with this monument due to the presence of a madarasa in the surrounding area.
🔍This heraldic structure, cut entirely out of living rock, is situated on the southern edge of Chanderi, forming a link between Bundelkhand on the north and Malwa on the south. Standing tall at 230 ft above ground level, the gate itself is 80 ft high and 39 ft wide. An inscription both in Devnagari and Nask scripts, on the eastern wall of the gate states that its construction was commissioned in AD 1495 by Jiman Khan, the son of the then Governor of Chanderi, Sher Khan.
🔍Located 3 kilometres away from the village of Behti, which in turn is 20 kilometres south-east of Chanderi, is the 5th century Behti Math temple that has escaped the attention of tourists and authorities alike. However, being a well-preserved Gupta period construction, examples of which are extremely rare, its importance is undeniable. Built upon a base of two mouldings, the stone temple is a square in plan with plain unadorned walls.
🔍Near the village of Nanaun, along the river Urr (Urvashi), can be found the earliest imprints of human existence in the region. Sandstone rock formations, which would have served as shelters from sun and rain for the pre-historic man also became the canvas for his art. These rock paintings can be found all the way from Chota Bharka to Bharka waterfall. Most are simply executed in red ochre and depict themes which reflect the concerns of wandering humans of the age.
🔍This mosque, situated a short distance from the main town, was built in AD 1495 by the Governor Sher Khan during the reign of GhiassuddinKhilji. It consists of a two-storied arched facade with minarets on either side. In front of this is a 80 feet by 100 feet stone platform where Muslims of the area gather to this day to offer prayers on the occasion of Id-ul-Fitr and Id-ul-Zuha.
🔍Set in the midst of the theVindhyachal hill ranges, the Singhpur Palace is located at a distance of 4 kilometres from Chanderi. This three-storeyed structure was built under the orders of Devi Singh Bundela in the year 1656 and served as a hunting rest house. Near the palace is a pond which was built by Malik HaiwatNizam in 1433 during the reign of Hoshung Shah Ghori. Thick forest and the nearby lake make it an ideal place of retreat.
🔍The Kirti Durg was first constructed by the 11th century Pratihara king Kirti Pal and is named after him. The structure we see today is not the original fort, it has been rebuilt several times and added to by subsequent rulers like the MahmoodKhilji, Durjan Singh Bundela and others. Built on the highest point of the Chandragiri Hill, the fort is a characteristic sight in Chanderi and is visible from virtually every point in the town and beyond.
🔍The founding of this temple is interlinked with the lore of founding of modern Chanderi, when the Pratihara king Kirtipal is said to have witnessed the Miracle of Water. Although no inscription has been found to corroborate the date of its foundation, certain elements of the temple appear to belong to the 11th and possibly earlier centuries. Situated on a hillside, the temple is reached by climbing a long flight of stairs from the foot of the hill.
🔍Approached by the Chanderi Mongawali road, situated near the Jama Masjid, in the AndarShehar or Inner City, this site is under the protection of the Archaeological Survey of India. Although the tombs are referred to as those of the family members of HazratNizamuddin, more accurately these belong to the followers of the ChishtiaNizamia sect. The complex is scattered with the gravestones, most of which lie under the open skies.
🔍Hazrat Wajihuddin Yusuf spent his early years at Kalkahari, near Delhi where he was born in the year 1260. As a young man he left for Delhi, where he became a disciple of HazratNizamuddinAuliya. During the reign of Alauddin Khilji, Hazrat Nizamuddin sent Hazrat Wajihuddin to Chanderi to look after and serve the people here.
🔍One of the main gateways in the city fortifications, the Delhi Darwaza was probably given this name as it faced north towards Delhi. Today it forms the main entrance to the busy Sadar Bazaar, Chanderi’s main shopping area. On the walls flanking the gate can be found large carvings of soldiers mounted on elephants and holding weapons. What is most surprising about this depiction is that such figural representations are almost never found on Muslim constructions.
🔍Situated near the Purana Madrasa, this bawli or stepwell was built in 1485 by Qazi-ibn-Mehran under orders from the then ruler of Chanderi, Sher Khan Ghazi. The well is circular and two staircases descend to the well from opposite sides. There are two arched entrance bays and these are flanked by two inscriptions. The inscriptions inform us that four constructions were carried out during the reign of Sher Khan Ghazi.
🔍This stepwell is located to the north-west of the city and is the largest of all stepwells in Chanderi. It is square in shape, each side being 60 ft in length and 4 storeys deep. Steps descend from one storey down to the next and at each storey there are eight ghats. The number of ghats total to 32 which has given this Bawdi its name. The main stairs are on the southern end which proceed through two doorways.
🔍Located to the north-west of the city, near the Maula Ali hill, the Hauz Khas is one of the largest ponds of Chanderi. Its inscription is no longer in place here but is displayed in the Gujri Mahal Museum in Gwalior. The inscription states that the Hauz-e-Khas was built by one Subnam in the reign Mahmud Khilji I and it was completed in the year 1467 AD.
🔍This Baoli is located some distance away to the south of the town, at the base of the Khandargiri hill. Two inscriptions can be found installed within the walls of its steps. Inscribed in Persian language in the Nask script, the inscriptions are written in the form of verses. They mention that the Baoli was constructed by SavaiKhair and GuleBahashad, the wives of Sheikh Burahamuddin during the reign of Sultan NaseeruddinKhilji.
🔍Renowned earlier for its palaces and havelis, Chanderi is once said to have had as many as 260 mahals. Today, however, only about 43 of these remain. Situated in the Andar Shehar, the Raja Rani Mahal or the Raj mahal is actually composed of two separate palaces. The imposing Raja Mahal is a seven storied structure which has now been attached to the smaller Rani Mahal. The two are though built in completely different styles and clearly do not belong to the same time period.
🔍This serai or rest house was built during the reign of Gyasuddin Khilji by Qaziibn Mehran. Although in ruins today, the towering minarets betray the structure’s majestic past. The building consists of an arched colonnade surrounding a central courtyard with the remains of three distinct gates and possibly a fourth one.
🔍Situated in the Pathani Mohalla, this gateway consists of two lofty turrets flanking the arched doorway. Another arch would have crowned the gate but it no is no longer extant. The gate forms the entrance of a cemetery which has the tombstones of saints or other eminent people, many decorated with highly plastic carving.
🔍Bahadur Nizam Shah of the Ahmadnagar Sultanate was a minor when in 1600 Emperor Akbar’s son Prince Danyal attacked Ahmadnagar and imprisoned the entire royal family. Bahadur Nizam Shah spent practically all his life in the Gwalior prison and even died there. Upon his death in 1698, his body was being taken for burial in Ahmadnagar but it had to be buried at Chanderi. Situated on the Chanderi Mungaoli road, near the Jama Masjid, this mausoleum is built in the Mughal style.
🔍The Chanderi area has been a major center of Jain culture. It was a major center of the Parwar Jain community. The Jain Bhattarakas of Mula Sangh, Balatkara Gana had a center at Chanderi that flourished for several centuries. Chanderi is a place of attraction among tourists & pilgrims for its handicrafts, natural beauty and historicity. In previous centuries it was a part of Gwalior State. Here Choubeesee Bara Mandir is very artistic and unique example of architecture.
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