Indore - Not just a paradise for food lovers but more!

Darbar Hall, Rajwada, Indore

How many times does it happen that when you go on a trip to a certain place and want to write about it at the earliest, but then end up getting lost in the mist of procrastination! If you think it happens often in your case, then 'High five!' because we're on the same page. I went on this road trip in December,2016 with my parents and I could only manage to share my travel experiences of Dhar, Mandu, Maheshwar and Omkareshwar on the blog, so far. However, the trip didn't end there. We also spent some time in Indore. Now, almost after a year I'm finally working on the post which was long due. Yes, I'm going to re-live and share the memories of my trip to Indore thru a picture story. Indore, a place that's well known for the mouth watering cuisine, the royal family of Holkars and a place that has given us greats like Lata Mangeshkar, Rahul Dravid, Johny Walker, Rahat Indori and many others (all were born in Indore).


To start the proceedings, one must always start with sweets and when the post is about Indore then there is no hiding from foodie stuff on the blog. So, Beware in Advance!

Kuch meetha ho jaaye!!

Since, I had spent 4 years of my childhood in Indore; some faint memories of Rajwada, Lalbagh Palace, Khajrana Temple, Sarafa and Chappan lingered in my mind. Out of curiosity, I asked my father to take a trip down memory lane and explore those places. He agreed and first place on our agenda was the Lalbagh Palace.

Lalbagh Palace

Lalbagh Palace, as the name suggests it looks like a royal mansion. The Palace was constructed as a small garden house in 1890 under the reign of Shivaji Rao Holkar. However, it took the shape of a Palace in the early 1900's under the reign of Tukoji Rao III. Tukoji Rao III spent the second half of his life at the Lalbagh Palace and extended the palace, decorated and furnished it in Western style architecture. The palace stands on the bank of a tributary of river Khan. The kitchen and outhouse are located on the opposite side of the river. There is an interesting fact about the connectivity of the kitchen to the basement of the palace. The pantry in the basement of the palace was connected by the tunnel with the kitchen on the opposite bank of the river and that's how the food used to be supplied to the pantry and then to the banquet hall by a Dumbwaiter.

Lalbagh Palace

Lalbagh Palace

The Palace was designed with great detail and considering even the minute factors. On the ground floor of the palace, one can see the Library, State office, Lounge, Billiards room, Crown hall, Council and Dining hall, Banquet hall and the Wooden dancing hall. On the first floor, one can see the Study room, King's Bedroom, Queen's Bedroom with attached bathroom. Apart from the architecture, the palace has a wonderful garden as well which used to be the highlight for the variety of flowers and trees planted in Tukoji Rao's period. The design of the palace has the influence of European Architecture. I always enjoy exploring the historical places and Lalbagh Palace is one such place that's wonderfully maintained by the State Archaeology of Madhya Pradesh. However, the worst part is that people mostly come here for a picnic and they hardly spend time and effort in getting to know about this majestic palace.

Rajwada, Indore

Next place on our agenda was Rajwada, a place that reflects the history of Holkars. It's one of the oldest monuments in Indore and worn many stories under its sleeve that are to be told.

Rajwada, Indore

Rajwada, the seven-storey structure was first built by Subedar Malhar Rao Holkar I, about two centuries ago for residential purpose. Later in 1801 it was destroyed by the Commander-in-chief of Scindias and then again was rebuilt by the Holkars in 1818. If we go by history, Rajwada was burnt down thrice in 1801, 1834 and recently in 1984. The palace is located in the heart of the city and is surrounded by the main street market. It has a magnificent 7-storey gateway in front and a park ahead of the structure with Devi Ahiliyabai's statue installed in the middle of it. As we make way through the entrance, the pigeons welcome us with the chirpy sound and to the courtyard that comprises of Ganesha hall on ground floor and Darbar hall (a perfect example of French style architecture) above it on the first floor. The architecture of the monument is of Maratha style. Rajwada is a State Archaeology protected site and the history of Holkars and Indore can be seen through the pictures exhibited in one of the halls located on the first floor of the 7-storey structure.

Ganesh Hall and Darbar Hall, Rajwada

Window (Mughal style architecture)

Rajwada showcases the life of the city that it once was in the era of Holkars. It's for sure a place that is a must-visit when in Indore. Also, on the rear side of the monument, one can also visit the temple and garden located around the Tulsi Kund.

Temple, Tulsi Kund.

Now, my favorite section of the post. I'm going to talk or rather just share pictures of/about food, food and loads of food.When it comes to street food, Indore is a heaven! Though I'm not from Indore but the taste that touched my heart when I was only 4 years old is still intact. I still remember the Shahi samosa, Khopra pattis, Shikanji, Dhokla, Dahi vada, Sweets and what not. So, this time around, I had in my mind from the very first day that I'm not going to miss out on having a street food tour.

Staple food of Malwa region

Poha-Jalebi (a deadly combo)

As there was time crunch and I had to make a decision to choose either Sarafa or Chappan. I contemplated and chose Chappan over Sarafa. Chappan, especially for Khopra pattis, Shikanji, Sweets and Johny Hot Dog.

Khopra Pattis esp. with chutni (World famous hai ji)

And the tour started with Khopra pattis, Samosa chaat, Kachori chaat, Rabri, Ras malai to name a few...

Dahi Samosa Chaat

Dahi Kachori Chaat

Ras malai

Rabdi

Garma garam aloo tikiya

I've several other food pictures as well but I really don't want to torture my readers just by giving them a virtual experience. Though I'd admit that the experience of tasting all these things was far more consuming than posting pictures to re-create the same.

How to reach Indore from Bhopal....

Bhopal → Sehore → Ashta → Dewas → Indore




Previous Posts from this trip:

Hidden Gems of Madhya Pradesh - Dhar

Mandu - A place that resonates with history..

Walk the talk with city of Maheshwar...

Omkareshwar- A sacred land of Shiva..





Note: Few details have been taken as a reference from State Archaeology's monuments guide.

Omkareshwar- A sacred land of Shiva..

Omkareshwar Temple (in left)

After getting the taste of hundreds of years old historical places, we finally thought of coming out from the prehistoric era and delve ourselves into devotion of Lord Shiva. Yes, we finally reached the mystical land of Shiva i.e. Omkareshwar (one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines in India). It took us around 2 hours to reach Omkareshwar from Maheshwar. The road was fine and the distance was around 70km. It was a hectic day already and I seriously needed some energy for revival. And there couldn’t be a better place than Omkareshwar to redeem my being. The divinity in the air provided me the much-needed peace and calmness which I was looking for.

Walk over bridge

Lord Shiva

Sacred land of Shiva

A recap of where we started our journey from and what all we covered:

Bhopal → Dhar → Mandu → Maheshwar → Omkareshwar → Indore → Bhopal

We started from Maheshwar at 2 pm and reached Omkareshwar around 3:30-4 pm. Despite being a hectic day, my mother and father were still looking as refreshing as when we started from Mandu in the morning. Maybe, I was driving, hence the excuse can be considered, No? Though I won’t take away the fact that my parents are actually fitter and much more proactive than me. Well, the weather was comparatively good in Omkareshwar and that made our life much easier. The cool breeze had a lot of good vibes and a sense of welcome to the humble abode of Lord Shiva. There are two main temples of Lord Shiva, one is on the island i.e. Omkareshwar temple and other on the mainland i.e. Mamleshwar. Many say that Mamleshwar is the actual Jyotirlinga as it is stated in the sloka on Dwadash Jyotirlingam. But despite all the contradiction over the main jyotirlinga, most people consider both temples as equally sacred.

Omkareshwar Palace

Shops en route to Omkareshwar Temple

Keyrings and Lockets

Omkareshwar temple is situated on the island in the Narmada River. So, there are two ways to reach the island, either by boat or by walk over the bridge (well connected to the island). We started walking from the parking point and crossed the Narmada River through the bridge. Some people also prefer to go by boat but that requires more time. Since we had to complete the darshan before evening, we opted to walk. It hardly takes 20-25 min to reach the main temple if it’s not the peak season. During Shivratri, the same 20-25 min walk turns into hours. 

Flowers, Garlands, and Prasad

Colors of Sanctity

En-route to temple, one can also find many shops along the street selling Pooja related articles. As we reached the temple, we deposited our shoes/sandals at the shoe stand. Luckily, there were hardly 20-30 people standing in the queue for darshan. Hence, there was no pushing and all to make the experience unpleasant. We completed the darshan and sat in the temple for some time. All the positive energy that was flowing in the air embarked our journey from thoughts to wisdom. It was blissful! After spending much needed peaceful time in the temple, we left for the Mamleshwar temple. Also, to add there is a Gufa (Cave) Mandir ‘Govindeshwar Gufa’ near the entry gate of Omkareshwar Temple. It’s believed that Aadi Shankaracharya took yog lekh shiksha (Education) from his Guru Govind Bhagvad in Omkareshwar. And the place where Guru Govind Bhagvad used to live was a gufa (cave), now known as Govindeshwar Gufa Mandir.

Abhishek to Lord Shiva

Gomukh Ghat

View from the Omkareshwar Temple

Mamleshwar temple is situated in the heart of the city. It can also be seen from the Island where Omkareshwar temple is located. Mamleshwar temple was earlier named Amleshwar in the 10th century during Parmara period. Not only it looks older than the Omkareshwar temple but it also has beautiful pre historic carved sculptures on the structure of the temple. People in Omkareshwar consider both the temples on island and mainland as jyotirlinga. So, if you ask anyone for the directions, first they will ask you which jyotirlinga you want to visit? I was a bit confused when I heard it for the first time. My father then explained me the whole story that why the locals consider both places as equally sacred. Well, the questions were answered. Hence, we went ahead for the darshan. Comparatively, the Mamleshwar temple was less crowded than the Omkareshwar temple. There was hardly any queue for darshan and in no time we reached the inner sanctum.

Mamleshwar Temple

One of the temples at Mamleshwar shrine

Sculptures at Mamleshwar Temple

The whole experience of visiting the greatly revered place like Omkareshwar was quite enchanting. I was really happy that I visited this place and realized a great deal about how we are ruining our lives in big cities, running after things that are materialistic in nature. It’s true that some trips make memories for a lifetime! This was one such trip. :)

City of Temples

Do you want to take a boat ride?

Best Season...

July to March


Where to Stay...

Narmada Resort (MP Tourism).


How to reach Omkareshwar via Mandu and Maheshwar from Bhopal...

Bhopal → Sehore → Dewas → Indore → Pithampur → Dhar → Mandu → Dhamnod → Maheshwar  → Barwaha → Omkareshwar
 

Previous Posts from this trip:

Hidden Gems of Madhya Pradesh - Dhar 

Mandu - A place that resonates with history.. 

Walk the talk with city of Maheshwar...



I'm taking my Alexa rank to next level with BlogChatter #MyFriendAlexa.

Walk the talk with city of Maheshwar...

Ahilya Fort and Ghat

I haven't been writing much lately and the series of posts (from the last year road trip) which I had to complete a long back are still pending. Though it's difficult to recollect everything, I'm trying to post at-least what I have remember from the trip.

A colorful house on the street

About Maheshwar...

In the last post, I shared my experiences of my visit to Mandu. The trip was planned well in advance and we were going as per the plan, so the next place in our itinerary was one of the oldest cities of Madhya Pradesh i.e. Maheshwar. Maheshwar is located at a distance of 40-45 km approx from Mandu. It used to be known as Mahishmati and mentioned in the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata under its old name. Does the name ring a bell? Mahishmati from the epic 'Bahubali' series. Well, if you have started relating things then please don't go further and pull back your thoughts. It ain't the same Mahishmati but the city has great significance in the Indian history.

Doorway

Maheshwar is situated on the banks of the holy river Narmada. It's a small town but is known for many great things.In the 18th century, Holkar Queen Rani Ahilyabai of Indore revived the soul of the city and shifted the Holkar capital from Indore to Maheshwar. Under her reign, the city witnessed a great transformation; a lot of buildings were built and public works were completed. Since Ahilyabai was a great devotee of Lord Shiva, she built many temples and ghats across the country, including the Lord Shiva Temple on the ghats of Narmada. The temple has astounding architecture and since it's built adjacent to the Ahilya Fort, the view one gets from the top of the fort is surreal.

Temples on the Maheshwar Ghat

One of the many temples along the ghats of Narmada

Ahilyeshwar Temple (Top View)

Now, a recap of where we started our journey from and what all we covered. Here's the itinerary-


Bhopal → Dhar → Mandu → Maheshwar → Omkareshwar → Indore → Bhopal

Ahilyeshwar Temple

Our Journey...


Our plan was quite tight and we had to cover the remaining monuments in Mandu then Maheshwar and Omkareshwar on the same day. Therefore, we started early and reached Maheshwar at twelve noon. Though it was winter season, the sun was belching fire.We all were hungry and tired. I thought it would be better to fill the tummy first and then explore the ghat and temples. While I was parking the car my father noticed a board alongside road:  'Shudh Saatvik Pavitra Bhojan' and the rest I'm unable to recollect that what all I ate that day. I was hungry like a Sher - 'Bhooka Sher'. :P 
And the feeling of  'Bhagwan sabke dil ki baat sunte hai' was proved 100% true!!

Carved artwork on the doorway

  After the meal, we walked down to the Ahilyeshwar Temple and spent some time at the Ghat. Since it was quite hot we couldn't manage to take the boat ride.


Apart from the majestic Ahilyeshwar Temple, there is a Chhatri (Cenotaph) of Vithoji adjacent to the temple in the precincts of the Maheshwar Fort. The artwork on the Chhatri (Cenotaph), Temple, Jharokhe, Windows, Overhanging balconies and Doorways tells a great story about the place and the artisans employed for carving spectacular designs on the Windows and Doorways of Fort.  Devi Ahilyabai had a great vision and all the works completed in her reign proves that.

Chhatri of Vithoji Rao Holkar

Entrance of Ahilyeswar temple

After visiting the temple, we went on to visit the Rajgaddi and Rajwada (of Devi Ahilyabai) built within the Fort complex. Within the complex, there are other collectibles of the Holkar Dynasty that are kept in other rooms for public display.

As we had to leave for Omkareshwar the same day, we started from Maheshwar at 2 pm. Maheshwar is also very famous for Maheshwari Silk and Cotton Sarees, so before leaving my mother did some shopping and then we left for the holy city of Omkareshwar.

Carved overhanging balconies and the doorway

 

Also, it would be wrong if I do not mention that Maheshwar is one of the few cities of Madhya Pradesh that has attracted the Film Industry many-a-times. There are many movies and TV shows that have been shot in Maheshwar. Ashoka, Yamla Pagla Deewana, Tevar, Bajirao Mastani and Jhansi Ki Rani to name a few.

Royal Palace

 

Devi Ahilyabai's statue

Maheswari Sarees

Best Season... 

July to February


Where to stay...


Narmada Retreat (MP Tourism)


How to reach Maheshwar via Mandu from Bhopal...

Bhopal → Sehore → Dewas → Indore → Pithampur → Dhar → Mandu → Dhamnod → Maheshwar

Previous Posts from this trip: 

Hidden Gems of Madhya Pradesh - Dhar 

Mandu - A place that resonates with history..  

Note: Few details have been taken as a reference from Incredible Madhya Pradesh.

I am taking my Alexa Rank to the next level with Blogchatter #MyFriendAlexa.  My current Alexa rank is 24,75,895.