MAN SINGH PALACE UNDERGROUNDS

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

Chit Mandir, the -Painted Palace- of Man Singh in Gwalior has four levels, two of them underground, and all of them now deserted (note 1). The subterranean levels (keyword: tahkhana) were used as hot weather retreats (note 2) and prison cells during the Mughal period (note 3). Emperor Aurangzeb had his brother Murad imprisoned here and executed (note 4). POTENTIAL EMPTYNESS: Compare –>Chaturbhuj Cave, the –>Gwalior Fort -Natural Cavities-, and the Gwalior Temple Cave -- all on the Gopagiri (Gopadri, Gopachala) or Gwalior Rock, the hill crowned by the Gwalior Fortress. PALACE DESCRIPTION 1882: Gwalior Fortress is the fortified summit of a sandstone hill (1010 ft [308 m]), 2 m. [3.2 km] in length, with area of 2000 acres [8 sq.km] … The fort contains … the Hindoo palace of Man Singh … that is left of buildings which excited Baber's admiration (SMITH, G 1882: 314). PALACE DESCRIPTION 1909: Between the Lakshman and Hathi Pol gates, one passes along the magnificent façade of Man Singh' palace -- a wall of hewn sandstone blocks, 300 feet long and 100 high, relieved along the top by an ornamental frieze of coloured tiles [note 5], and at intervals along the front by massive round towers crowned with graceful domes and connected together by a balustrade of delicately fretted stonework. The palace is a two-storeyed building 300 feet long by 160 broad, with two extra storeys of underground rooms for use in hot weather on its eastern face.The rooms and courtyards of this palace are richly carved, and were profusely ornamented with coloured tiles, of which few still remain (IMPERIAL GAZETTEER 1907-1909, XII: 441-443 after CUNNINGHAM, A (a.i.): Archaeological Survey Reports, Vol. ii, pages 330sq). PALACE DESCRIPTION 1997: Man Singh Palace … a delightfully whimsical building, is also known as Chit Mandir or Painted Palace because of the tiled and painted decorations of ducks, elephants and peacocks. Painted blue, with hints of green and gold, it still looks very good today.The palace was built by Man Singh between 1486 and 1516, and was repaired in 1881. It has four storeyes, two of them underground and all of them are now deserted. The subterranean ones are cool, even in the summer heat, and were used as prison cells during the Mughal period. The emperor Aurangzeb had his brother Murad imprisoned and executed here (LONELY PLANET, India 1997: 753). PALACE DESCRIPTION 2005: Man Singh Palace -- Whimsical is the only way to describe it: an imperial palace decorated with a frieze of yellow ducks! These -- and mosaic tiling of elephants, tigers and peacocks in blue, yellow and green -- give its alternative identity of Chit Mandir, or Painted Palace. Built by Man Singh between 1486 and 1516, and repaired in 1881, it consists of two open courts surrounded by apartments on two levels. Below ground lie another two storyes constructed for hot weather connected by speaking tubes built into the walls. During the Moghul period they were used as prison cells. Here Auangzeb had his brother, Murad, imprisoned and later most cruelly done to death, slowly poisoned with opium, which sent him mad (LONELY PLANET, India 2005: 589).angzeb had his brother, Murad, imprisoned and later most cruelly done to death, slowly poisoned with opium, which sent him mad (LONELY PLANET, India 2005: 589).