Planned & built by Rani Ahliyabai, the brave Holkar queen, Indore lies to the extreme west of the state on the banksof the rivers Saraswati & Khan. This bustling & vibrant city, 186 km from Bhopal, derives its name from the 18th century Indreshwar temple, & has some interesting monuments associated with the medieval Holkar dynasty.

Places of Interest

Lal Baag Palace
Lal Baag Palace is one of the grandest monuments the Holkar dynasty left Indore. A reflection of their taste, grandeur & lifestyle, it's construction began in 1886 under Tukoji Rao Holkar II & was carried out in three phases. The final phase was completed in 1921 under Tukoji Rao Holkar III. Many royal receptions were held here. It was a total area of 28 hectares, & at one time it had the reputation of having one of the best rose gardens in the country.

Bada Ganpati
Better known for its large size than antiquity, this temple houses perhaps the largest Ganesh idol in the world measuring 25 feet from crown to foot. Created as a result of the dream of an Avantika ( Ujjain ) resident, Shri Dadhich, it was built in 1875.

Kanch Mandir
This Jain tempe is an architectural marvel in glass. The walls, ceilings, floors, pillars & door knobs are entirely inlaid with glass. Even paintingsare done in glass. Atop is a special glass chamber which multiples the three statues of Lord Mahavira installed three into an indefinite number.

Town Hall
Made in 1904 & originally named King Edwards Hall, it was renamed Mahatma Gandhi Hall in 1948. Its architectural style is Indo - Gothic. Made in Seoni stone, its domes & staples are landmark of Indore today. It has a four-faced clock tower in front , because of which it is locally known as Ghanta Ghar.It is frequently the venue for the various book & painting exhibitions, fairs & festivals held throughout the year. The bulding also has a library, a children's park & a temple.

Central Museum
The Indore Museum houses the finest collection of Parmar sculptures from Hinglajgarh. The parmar style originated here, & is characterized by proportioned figures, carefully & ornately depicted in stone. The museum is also known for it's collection of coins, arms & armour. Museum opens everyday & Gazetted holidays.

Gita Bhavan
Adorned with many statues of gods of various religions, its construction is inspired by the Religious motto " many names to a God is after all of one God ".

Chhatris
Chhatris are the tombs or cenotaphs eracted in memory of dead Holkar rulers & their family members. The Chhatris picturesquely poised on the Khan river banks near Rajawada are incompaable in terms of Maratha architecture & sculpture of their period. At Chhatri Baag is the main collection of tombs housed in two compounds. Close by the beautiful Bolia Sarkar's Chhatri constructed in 1858 AD in memory of Sardar Chimanji Appa Sahib Bolia.

Annapurna
This temple was inspired by the Meenakshi temple of Madurai. Four life-sizes elephants hold an ornately decorated gate in plaster. Inside the temple of Annapurna Devi are also temples of Shiva, Kal Bhairava, Hanuman & a Pravachan Hall. The outerwall of the main temple is decorated with colourfl motifs from mythological stories.

Khajrana
The citizens of Indore have great faith in this Ganesh temple, built during the reign of Ahilybai Holkar. It is believed that all wishes are fulfilled by praying here. Nearby is the dargarh of Nahar Sayad. This is a important pilgrimage place for Maita Muslims.

Kasturbagram
8 km from Indore, The Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust was foundes by Mahatma Gandhi. Its headquarters were shifted from Wardha to Indore in 1915. The main objective of this trust is showing ways of improvement in the quality of village life & the welfare of rural women & children. Some of it's many commendable activities are : agricultural production, research, training, experiments in fruit orchards social forestry etc.

Rajawada
Synonymous with the heart of Indore city, it stands today as a mute witness to the bygone splendour of the Holkar rulers. This 200 year old seen-storey historic palace of the Holkars is built in a mixture of Muslim, Maratha & French styles. The lower three floors are made of stone & the upper floors are made od wood, which made it very vulnerable to destruction by fire in 1984 took the greatest toll. Today only the front facade remains.