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Elephant carving at Ahilya Fort |
Maheshwar ain't far away from Mandu. We reached this peaceful, riverside town of Malwa region by around 13:00 hrs. The ride was smooth and we spotted many goats and camels on the way.
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Shepherd in Rajasthani attire managing herd |
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Statue of Ahilyabai |
Settled by Narmada river, Maheshwar has rich history and culture. As per legend, it was known as Mahishmati and was mentioned so in Mahabharata and Ramayana while as per history it developed under the reign of Queen (Rajmata) Ahilya Bai, a great pioneer. She had built many Hindu temples and Dharamshala throughout India. It is believed that once Lord Shiva came in her dream post which she had Kashi Vishwanath temple built in 1777. She also built the famous Vishnupad Temple in Gaya, Bihar. She made Maheshwar a centre of literary, musical and cultural enterprise. The palace in Maheshwar along with many other monuments were built under the reign of Holkar Queen Ahilya Bai in the fort complex.
There are a lot of places to see in this small town which includes Ahilya Fort & temple complex, Archaeological Museum, Laxmi Bai's Chattri, Sahastrarjun Temple, Rajrajeshwari Temple, Royal ghats, Kaleshwar Mahadev Temple, Ahilyeshwar Temple, Sahasradhara to name a few.
Here are postcards from Maheshwar from my visit way back in 2014.
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Entrance to Ahilyabai fort complex |
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Intricate Carvings on one of the doors / doorways in Ahilyabai Fort Complex |
Vithoji Rao Cenatoph Ahilyabai Cenatoph
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Doorway to Ghats of river Narmada |
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Maheshwar / Ahilya Ghat |
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Temples by the Ghat |
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Baneshwar Temple, river Narmada |
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A glimpse of Ahilyabai Fort. You can have a full view from the other side of Narmada river |
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When in Maheshwar don't forget to try some red pulp Guavas |
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Entrance to the residence of Ahilyabai which is now an Archaeological Museum |
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One of the preserved items in the Museum |
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Landscape of adjoining Ahilya Heritage Hotel |
Tips and Tricks
- We explored only Maheshwar Fort and Archaeological Museum, then left for Omkareshwar to get 3 places covered viz Mandu, Maheshwar and Omkareshwar in one day. If you wish, you can explore more of Maheshwar and then head straight to Indore skipping Omkareshwar or stay back in Maheshwar leaving for Omkareshwar the next morning followed by Indore.
- Do explore handlooms and don't forget to buy one or two Maheshwari sarees which are in fact globally known. We made our purchase from Hemant handloom.
- Don't forget to click lot of pictures.
I am sure you will be amazed too by Maheshwar's irresistible charm. A must visit.
For next leg of journey. Click here.
Trail of Western Madhya Pradesh at a glance:
Beautiful Clicks:)
ReplyDeleteThank you Anjali :)
DeleteVery well written.Helpful for a tourist
ReplyDeleteThank you :)
DeleteVery well written.found it helpful in many ways.
ReplyDeleteThank you :)
DeleteNever been to Maheshwar. Looks like a lovely place. It sure needs more promotion.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. Thank you :)
DeleteBeautiful clicks! There's lot to explore in this region .. not much is known to common traveler.
ReplyDeleteYou are right. Thank you :)
Delete