It is best known for its textiles, but Chanderi is also a town of historical importance

It is town mentioned in the Mahabharat. It has a rich history, having been ruled at various points by the Gurjara-Pratiharas (who first made it their capital), the Bundela Rajputs, the Delhi and Malwa Sultans, as well as the Mughals, Scindias, and the British. Yet, many in India have only heard of Chanderi in connection with the traditional textile craft for which the town in Madhya Pradesh is famous. At least, I only knew of Chanderi sarees.

But Chanderi is much more than that. Tucked away in the hills on the edge of Bundelkhand and Malwa, this town, which was a major link for connecting trade routes, is of historical importance. The presence of various rulers, some of whom were enthusiastic builders, especially the Malwa Sultans, can be seen in the heart of the town in its many Jain and Hindu temples, huge rock sculptures, baolis (stepwells), tombs, chatris (dome-shaped pavilions), madarsas and dargahs. The grand vizier of emperor Akbar, Abul Fazl, in his 16th century work titled Ain-e-Akbari (Constitution of Akbar) mentions that Chanderi had 14,000 stone houses, 384 markets, 360 caravanserais, and 1,200 baolis.

During the 14th century, when the Tughlaq rule in Delhi was on the decline, governors in the Deccan declared their independence one by one. Building activity was suspended in Delhi, and artisans and skilled labourers found generous patrons in Malwa where the kings were starting their construction activity. This combined with Persian influence gave rise to a Malwa style of architecture.

According to the art historian Percy Brown, workmen were also recruited to Chanderi from Ahmedabad. While Tughlaq architecture can be best described as solid, it is hardly ornamental. The workmen who came from Gujarat were well known for their intricate stone latticework, which is most famously seen in the Sidi Saiyyed mosque in Ahmedabad. The stone latticework screens (jaalis), which are not only ornamental but also functional as they provide light and air, symbolised Chanderi town for me. But although I travelled through Chanderi to all its famous historical spots, including a massive rock sculpture of the Jain Thirthankara Adinath, what held me spellbound was a simple graveyard.

Driving into the town, I saw a board that read ‘Hazrat Nizamuddin parisar’ (compound). Old town houses stood in this area, but they were not what I was looking for. I had read of a beautiful grave complex there. A young boy, who saw our group wandering around, asked us what we were looking for and led us through some passages to what he called the qabristan, or cemetery, in the inner city. Inside these narrow lanes, I saw some exquisite jaalis with every kind of symbolic and geometrical pattern on them.

We reached the cemetery. In every enclosed tomb was the Mihrab, a semicircular niche that indicates the direction of the Qibla, or the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca. The graves were neat and clean, and had no flowers or lamps on them. Most of the intricately carved grave cenotaphs lay under the open sky; a few were inside domes. The dome of one particularly beautiful grave had fallen down and the jaali was worse for wear. The jaalis had obviously seen better days.

According to the Archaeological Survey of India, these are the graves of the family of the famous Delhi Chisthi Sufi Saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya’s descendants, who had come to Chanderi. However, the Delhi Nizami family says they have no records of anyone moving here.
From an article by Simon Digby I found out that Hazrat Nizamuddin had sent a khalifas to Chanderi.This graveyard should be, his family, in my humble opinion.

No book on architecture mentions this complex either. The origin of the complex, according to an inscription on one of the graves, goes back to the 15th century.

However, what I could research were some of the symbols — thenagabandhana, or entwined snakes, for instance, which are carved on the stones and are magical even in their broken state. Their eternal knots symbolise the flow of time and movement. According to my friend Sudha Ganapathi, an iconography expert, many of the symbols on these jaalis are similar to the kolam patterns (geometrical designs drawn traditionally with rice powder outside homes) in south India.

I fell in love with it and it’s monuments.

It used to be a thriving Centre of Jainism and many Jain images were recovered from Budhi Chanderi ( old chanderi) and are housed in the state & various other museums.

I had a chance to visit Khandargiri Temple with its colossal 45 feet high Adinath statue carved 700 years ago.

A modern temple has been made at the bottom of the hill but it’s the towering statue of the first Jain Tirthankara Rishabhnath, also known as Adinath which is the reason for its fame.

Some of the images at the base of the statue

A view from the top

The huge statue carved in the hill.

Some images carved at the base of the statue.

These steps lead to the cave & hill dwellings of the Jain monks.

The dwellings of the monks of old, carved out in the hill. These Caves also have rich carvings inside them.

Part of the modern temple

But it was difficult. Though I have found MP tourism very good at maintaining heritage, there were no sign boards to make it easy.

It’s a long trek on a dirt track with wilderness around to reach it. Though it is said to ne motorable our driver refused and rightly so. Only 4 wheel drive can go through.

But the effort of the long walk was well worth it. It’s quite spectacular.

Steps descend from one storey down to the next and at each storey there are eight ghats or platforms. The number of ghats total to 32 which has given this Baoli its name.

According to an inscription there the work on this Baoli was begun during the reign of Sultan Ghyasuddin Khilji by a person named Taghi, and completed in the year 1484.

Chanderi has many Baolis and is a gem of a place for heritage lovers.

At first ancestral I was reminded of Hindola Mahal in Mandu.

The Malwa architecture has a unique feel to it.

According to the Tarikh e Ferishta the Sultan of Malwa, Mehmood Shah Khilji, built this buying calked Koshak Mahal to commemorate his victory over Sultan Mehmood Sharki in the battle at Kalpi

It is said to have been planned as a 7 storeyed building bit now only 3 remain and ruins of a 4th can be seen.

Perhaps only 4 were completed.

Very similar to the tombs in Delhi.

This is called Hauz Khas January Madiya but as per chanderi.org it

“The Harkunwar Tomb, believed to be of a eunuch saint, is situated in Bhahar Shaher, near the Hauz – i – Khas.”

From chanderi.org

The largest among all Bawdis in Chanderi, the Chakla Bawdi is a square stepwell built during the Khilji rule ( Malwa Khilji) . It is said that the Bawdi was meant only for the ladies of the royal household and not the common people.On the edge of the Bawdi are built two tombs, one belongs to Sheikh Raji’s wife while the other is without an inscription and probably of a saint. Also in the vicinity are the ruins of a large palace, possibly also of the Khilji period. It is located to the south of town, on the way to Khandargiri.