Hindola Mahal, literally means a "Swinging Palace" a name given to it because of its peculiarly sloping side walls. In another term it is a large meeting hall or durbar, in the ancient Indian city of Mandu, Madhya Pradesh.The Hindola Mahal might have been built during the reign of Hoshang Shah about 1425 C.E. but may date to the end of the 15th century during the reign of Ghiyas al-Din. Architecturally, it marks itself distinctly from the other palaces at Mandu by extreme simplicity of its style of construction although having a definite aesthetic appeal. The Hindola Mahal is ideal place to spot the historic monuments with their wonderful art. The Hindola Mahal displays superb sculpture evident in its façade and carved columns.
The Architecture of Hindola Mahal is unique with innovative construction and superb technique which invites thousands of tourists every year. It was constructed with sand stone with beautifully carved columns. In the western part of the Hindola Mahal there are few monuments whose identities are not yet unveiled.
Structure of the Hindola Mahal
The Hindola Mahal is a "T"- shaped building, with a main hall and a transverse projection at the North. On both sides of the hall there are six arched openings above which there are windows filled with beautiful tracery work for admitting light and air inside. The thickness of the side walls is 2.7 m but they are further strengthened with massive slopes to counteract the thurst of the lofty arches which once supported the huge ceiling above.
The "T"- shaped projection was later added to provide a well-guarded approach for the king. The Interior of Hindola Mahal is planned like a cross formed by the main passage leading to the hall and by another passage crossing it at right angles in the mid passages. There seem to have been much later additions to this part of the building as seen from its brick walls which are quite out of tune with the other parts of the structure.
The exterior of the building with the neatly chiselled masonry with fine joints, is extremely simple and stern to look at, except for a band or two of carved mouldings. Indeed, the architects here seem to have almost turned puritanic having reduced ornamentation to the minimum. It seems that they had aimed to build a structure dignified and simple, unlike those which existed then in Mandu. Architecturally, therefore, the building should be assigned to the end of Ghiyathu'd-Din's regin, i.e., the end of the fifteenth century AD.
The Hindola Mahal represents the main elements of the architectural style of the Malwa period i.e. simplicity, uniqueness, and well-proportioned. The Hindola Mahal explores its architectural simplicity with minimal ornamentation and stands out boldly through massive inclined slopes. These elements make the Hindola Mahal a unique example of the Malwa style. In addition, the pointed arches on the building’s interior show how Malwa architecture was inspired by the Delhi styles.