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ABOUT INDORE:
This bustling and vibrant city, once the seat of the Holkar dynasty, today resembles a mini metropolis with quite a cosmopolitan population and culture. Though it has nothing of exceptional interest, the palaces of the Holkars provide a beautiful glimpse into the life and times of this dynasty.
Planned and built by Rani Ahilyabai, the brave Holkar queen, Indore lies to the extreme west of Madhya Pradesh, on the banks of the rivers Saraswati and Khan. 186 km from Bhopal, it derives its name from the 18th century Indreshwar temple. Blessed with a salubrious climate, Indore is the gateway to Pithampur, called the Detroit of India, as quite a few major automotive industries have their plants here. The fact that strikes one as one visits the different areas of the city is that the people have a peculiar sense of spellings, at least the signboard writers do. But jokes apart, Indore is emerging as an important centre of education in Madhya Pradesh and as such there is quite a lot of outstation student population here.
SIGHTSEEING:
Rajwada: This seven storeyed structure is an interesting blend of the Mughal, Maratha and the French styles of architecture. This old palace, standing in the heart of old Indore, is an example of the pomp and splendour of the Holkar dynasty. The lower three storeys of this palace are constructed in stone and the upper four in wood. This has made it very vulnerable to destruction by fire. There have been three fires in its 200 year old history, the worst being as recent as 1984. Since then it has been reduced to not more then a façade, the fire having caused large scale destruction.
Lal Bagh Palace: A beautiful example of the splendour and lifestyle of the Holkar dynasty, the construction of this grand palace was begun in 1886 and was completed in three phases, in 1921. The descendents of the Holkars still live in this palace, a part of which has been converted into a museum, which displays rare paintings and armoury from the olden times.
Bada Ganapati: A citizen of Avantika (Ujjain) had a dream, the result of which is the statue of Ganesh, known as Bade Ganapati. It seems to have got its name due to its size, measuring almost to 25 ft, and is perhaps the largest idol of Lord Ganesh. The statue has been constructed in with a very interesting mix of ingredients: bricks, limestone, masala made of gud (jaggery), methi dana, soil collected from the seven mokshapuris - Ayodhya, Mathura, Maya, Kashi, Kanchi, Avantika and Dwarka - mud from the stables of elephant, horse, cow; the powder of 'Panch Ratna': heera, panna, moti, manek and pukhraj (diamond, emerald, pearls, rubies and topaz) and holy water from places of pilgrimage. The metallic frame is made of gold, silver, copper, iron and brass.
Kanch Mandir: As the name suggests, this Jain temple has been constructed entirely in glass by Seth Hukumchand. At the top of the temple is a special glass chamber which multiplies the three statues of Lord Mahavira installed there into an indefinite number (said to be visible upto 21 times, corresponding to the 21 tirthankaras).
Other places of interest in Indore are the Gita Bhawan, Central Museum and the Town Hall.
GETTING THERE:
By Air: Indore is connected by regular flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Bhopal, Gwalior, Ahmedabad and Calcutta.
By Rail: Metre gauge as well as broad gauge lines link Indore to Bhopal, Ujjain, Mhow, Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta and Cochin.
By Road: Indore is well connected by road to Mumbai, Agra, Gwalior, Ahmedabad, Pune, Bhopal and Ujjain. Both the M.P. State Transport Corporation, along with other state roadways and private bus operators run buses to many cities besides the ones listed above.
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