Away from the main city of Jodhpur, lies Margen Garden, the neglected beauty of an era. Rao Jodha, the Rajput chief of Rathore clan founded Jodhpur in As he hailed from the nearby town of Mandore, it served as the capital for rulers of Jodhpur. Later due to security concerns for the majestic Mehrangarh Fort, the town was abandoned. The history of Mandore dates back to the 6th century. The small town has cluster of temples and cenotaphs of former rulers. Most of the architecture is inspired by the Hindu or Rajput era.
However, these structures have been built in temple shape roofs instead of the traditional Rajasthani umbrella shape roof chattri. Each structure has beautiful carvings on walls inside and outside, decorated entrance, exquisite statues and many of them are up to 4 storeye high. The fact that the place is ruined now, is the reason Mandore does not get much tourist attention.
An easily missed place in Jodhpur, the bygone magnificence needs immediate restoration and protection to hold its head high as the pride of Jodhpur. This is a beautiful three storey pillar built in red stone.
Constructed during the reign of Maharaja Ajit Singh , it was a watch-tower to keep an eye on the surroundings. For security reasons, entering the mahal has been prohibited. Bordering along the corners of the garden, Ek Thamba Mahal instantly got our attention.
The structure has statues of 33 crore or million Hindu gods and goddesses. Some odd glances and non-affirmative nods and then luckily I find a person who is eager to help. He says in his local dialect, which I am struggling to understand, that Ravana is the son-in-law of Mandore. Then he gives me the direction to reach Ravan ki Chanwari. Chanwari is essentially a raised pavilion or Mandap. Ravan ki Chanwari is apparently where Ravana entered into holy matrimony with his wife Mandodari. After getting lost a bit in the sleepy alleys of Mandore, finally, the Chanwari is right before my eyes.
The flight of stairs leading up to the Chanwari. As I climb up the stairs to reach the Chanwari, I come across this small hut with people in it. I suppose he must be a treasure trove of knowledge but hard luck. I ask his family members about the place and its association with Ravana. The Chanwari stands in ruins today. Clearly neglected by authorities, there is also no signage either that may provide adequate information about its significance in terms of Hindu Mythology.
There are two such pavilions located near each other. The Chanwari where they performed Jaimala seems to have a rock carving of Tokeshwara Maharaj. She later married Ravana and became the queen of Lanka. Apparently, Mandore derives its name from the name of Mandodari. The residents of Mandore specifically the Mudgil and Dave Brahmins consider themselves as the descendants of Ravana.
Therefore, in this part of the country, people love and worship Ravana. To Mandore he will always remain their beloved son-in-law. His descendants, the Mudgil and Dave Brahmins also perform a Shraddh ceremony, a Hindu ritual essentially performed after the death of a person post-Dusherra every year to pay their tribute to Ravana. Mandore is located at a distance of 9km from the city of Jodhpur on the way to Osian or Bikaner.
Locate the Mandore railway station first then seek some help from the locals to lead you to the Ravan ki Chanwari. Some also call it Ravan ki Chhatri. The nearest railway station is Jodhpur, however, Mandore also has its own railway station. The nearest airport is Jodhpur and by road, Mandore is just at a distance of 9km from Jodhpur.
Ravana intrigues my imagination despite being a character with the various shades of negativity. I leave halfheartedly from Mandore only to come back someday later to unearth a little more about this legendary wedding.
Parting ways with this sleepy town, I am glad I could see the Ravan ki Chanwari. I only hope this monument receives more attention and the authorities preserve it a little better. From outside museum there is a way to go uphill and see ruins of mandore fort and also witness amazing sunset from the top point. There is also ruined place on uphill called brahma mandir k avsesh remains of Brahma temple , its intresting because there is only one Brahma temple in the world which is in pushkar only according to mythology no Brahma temple is possible to built due to curse on brahmaji.
When stepping down from uphill one can see a water canal called nagadari which was full of fishes but sadly now in very bad condition but repairing work is in progress after Rajasthan High Court order so hopefully within few months mandore garden will be in new shape update may Architecture of every cenotaph is unique and contains various sculptures of hindu gods.
Biggest cenotaphs are of maharaja ajit singhji and maharaja jaswant singhji 1. Note- it is mandatory to remove your shoes before entering cenotaph. These cenotaphs are perfect spot for photography or your Instagram photos. Distance is 2 km.
0コメント