Of the several abandoned cities that I have visited in India, the one that left the strongest impression on me was Mandu. Located 100 km southwest of Indore in the state of Madhya Pradesh, Mandu was the capital city of a northern Indian Muslim state between 1401 and 1561. It has lain abandoned for over 400 years and is now the site of a tiny village and an expanse of farmers’ fields. Much of the charm of Mandu lies in its outlying buildings, many of which can be reached by foot or by bike. Another nice aspects of Mandu is the almost total absence of Western tourists. Most sites are left entirely to a few pilgrims or the individual traveller, especially early in the morning or at sunset, an all-too-rare occurrence elsewhere in India.