Place · river town · India
Mandla
/mənɖlaː/
Also known as Mandala, Garha-Mandla
The Narmada loops almost entirely around Mandla, giving the Gond capital of Garha a natural moat. It was the seat of Rani Durgavati, who died resisting Mughal annexation in 1564, and its ghats make it the first major halt on the downstream leg of the parikrama.
- Periods
- Classical and Puranic Age, Regional Flourishing, Islamic Age and Bhakti Traditions, Early Modern Age, British Colonial Age, Republic and Living Practice
- Function
- Water & infrastructure
- Confidence
- Established / referenced
- Location
- 22.600, 80.370
Worth knowing
The Mandla fort survives only in fragments, much of it taken by the river itself.
Connections (1)
- PatronageDurgavati
Rani Durgavati ruled the Gond kingdom of Garha-Mandla from 1550 after her husband's death, holding a large territory across the central Narmada valley, and died in 1564 fighting Asaf Khan's Mughal force rather than be taken — she is said to have stabbed herself when wounded and unable to escape. The Narmada loops almost entirely around Mandla, giving her capital a natural moat, and she is the figure this stretch of the river is remembered for.
On these journeys
Sources
Wikipedia, “Mandla”. Archaeological Survey of India and State Archaeology monument records, and the standard regional literature.
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