Khush Mahal, Warangal, Andhra Pradesh

The sole surviving structure of the mighty Tughlaq Empire in South India is the way I see it.  It lies within Warangal Fort’s crumbling walls, and was constructed on a place which is suggested by many historians that it was built over the old palatial complex of the kakatiyas. There are few historic structures in Warangal this is one of the lucky ones to stand the test of time. There is a huge mystery behind what was the actual purpose of the Mahal, the most probable of all the suppositions was that it was an audience hall.
 It was built in the 14^th century by the Tughlaq’s after their victory over the Kakatiya Empire. It has the typical sloping walls which resemble Tughlaq Architecture, as the Mausoleum of Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq in Delhi. Later on the Mahal was used by the Qutb Shahi Governor of Warangal Shitab Khan in the the 16^th Century. Shitab Khan also has an interesting history as he rose up from the ranks of being a foot soldier to a governor.Built completely out of granite, the very good finish to the granite and the grand entrance make the Mahal look splendid from outside. It stands as a mute testimony to a glorious past. But unfortunately once entering inside, the Mahal does not meet its expectations. After entering it seems absolutely no importance is given in preserving it. Currently broken fragments from the Svayambhu enclosure and Jain temples are placed inside the hall. 
There is also a staircase that allows one to reach the top of the Hall, which gives a splendid view of the Warangal fort.  The rooftop seems so delicate that I felt that I met actually end up leaving many cracks on the rooftop after standing on it. And an interesting thing I noticed when I visited Warangal was that there were many tourists who came to see the Thorana’s of Warangal but not a single person visited the Khush Mahal which is only about a minute’s walk from the complex in which the Thorana’s are located.