Mandla is 97 kms south-east of Jabalpur by road. Another road, 260 kms long, leads from Mandla to Nagpur.
Mandla is situated in a dense jungle, which is populated by huge herds of bison, sambhar and chital deer. Tigers and panthers, which subsist on them, are found in large numbers.
The swift river Narmada has its source a short distance away from the borders of Mandla district. Near the town, the river forms a deep lake ten miles long and half-a-mile broad. There are picturesque bathing ghats and temples along the banks.
Mandla owes its historical importance to the Garha-Mandla-Gonde dynasty. The Gonds are a colorful aboriginal tribe who to this day has preserved their ancient customs and interesting way of life. Unlike some other aborigines, they come from a strong fighting stock. Gond rajas ruled the rich plains of Jabalpur and Sagar. However, in the sixteenth century they were driven out by the Mughals. The Gond rajas re-established themselves in Mandla, which owes its strength to its inaccessibility. The impressive ruins of a three-storey palace built in the 17th century by Raja Hirde Shah at Ramnagar, 10 miles from Mandla, are worth a visit.
The Fort at Mandla itself was built in a strategic position, being encircled on three sides by the Narmada River and on the fourth by a deep water channel. But the local population found the ruined citadel a cheap source of building material. A thick and luxuriant jungle now marks its site.
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