The history of Mandu dates back to the 6th century when the city was in a fortified condition. Inscriptions from 555 CE indicate that in the 6th century Mandu was a flourishing town. Subsequently it was renamed Mandhavgarh around the 11th century by the Parmara kings. In 1261 Mandu became the capital of the kingdom of the Parmaras. During this period Mandu gained prominence. In 1305 the Khiljis captured the Parmars and thereafter Dilawar Khan, who was the Afghan ruler of the Malwa province, took over the reins of control.

The stature of Mandu improved during the Ghuri dynasty after which the Malwa Sultanate ruled till the invasion by Bahadur Shah of Gujarat on 28 March 1531. In 1534 Humayun took over the rule of Mandu which he liked. He was however to lose Mandu to Mallu Khan and ultimately fled India. Years of conflicts and wars later, Mandu was to fall into the hands of Hemu till he was defeated by Akbar and killed in the second battle of Panipat on 7 November 1556. Mandu went into the hands of the Marathas in 1732 and the capital of Malwa shifted back to Dhar and Hindu rule was re-established. Such an eventful history for such a little town. Or is it?

There are several options but the best way to reach Mandu is either to fly to Indore or drive to Mandu from any part of India. The nearest airport is at Indore, 99 km away while the nearest railhead is at Ratlam, 124 km away. All the options are now discussed.

Mandu is linked to other cities with good roads, on which buses ply between Mandu and Bhopal, Ujjain, Ratlam, Dhar and Indore. Some buses ply directly such as between Mandu and Indore and Bhopal and Mandu. There are several state-run buses that run shuttle service between Mandu and other cities. One can also hire private taxis from all important cities of MP to Mandu. Mandu is about 547 km from Mumbai and one can cover the distance in 11h 15m using NH60 and NH52. Delhi is further away, almost 900 km and it takes about 17 h to cover the distance.

Mandu does not have its own railhead. The nearest railhead for Mandu is at Ratlam, which is 124 km away. There are several trains that stop at Ratlam so one can quite easily reach Ratlam by train such as from Mumbai, which is 653 km away or Delhi that is 731 km away. Similarly, Indore is 176 km away on the BG. From Ratlam railway station one can quite easily come to Mandu either by bus or taxi.

Mandu does not have its own airport. The nearest airport is at Indore, named Ahilyabai Holkar Airport, which is 99 km away. All the major airlines such as Go Air, SpiceJet and Indian Airlines connect the airport at Indore with places that include Ahmedabad, Pune, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata among several others. There are buses and taxis to help you make the journey from Mandu to Indore.

Mandu is not a big place. One can walk around the small town quite easily. However, for those that cannot walk too much there are taxis for hire. One may need to pay Rs200/ for covering a selection of tourist spots. There are bicycles for hire in Mandu. From one end of the town to the other the distance will not be more than 8 km and one can quite easily cover this using a cycle. You may discover something or some place that is quaint this way.