Indore in Madhya Pradesh

Drove down from Mandu to Indore - the commercial capital of Madhya Pradesh.

Our first stop was the Shree Malhari Martand Mandir which is a museum of sorts built and maintained by the 

erstwhile royalty of Indore – Holkars. It is located just behind the Holkar Rajwada or Palace.

Nothing much to do in the palace as one can just roam around in the courtyard for a fee to take pictures which one can by standing at the entrance itself.

The Holkars are Hindus of the Shaivite sect and their principal deity is Khande Rao (Khandoba or Malhari Martand) of Jejuri, near Pune.

The emblem of the Holkars consists of a sun under a royal umbrella, a broad-sword crossing a lance over a wheat and poppy field in which a seated Nandi and a horse rearing are depicted.

Sun is the emblem of the Suryavamsi clans of Udaipur from whom the Holkars claim descent. The umbrella, besides being an emblem of State also refers to a legend bearing on the early life of Malhar Rao I, the 

founder of this house, according to which a cobra once sheltered him from the sun, while asleep, by expanding its hood over his head. Nandi is the sacred bull of Shiva who is specially adored by the Holkars. The horse and sword being similarly emblematic of the warrior-god Khade Rao, an avatara of Shiva, and the tutelary deity of the family, whose chief temple stands at Jejuri near Pune. The Spear was the favorite weapon of the founder of this dynasty, while wheat and poppy were the principal products of the State.

A few minutes drive away is the beautifully maintained Nehru centre that originally was the Lalbagh Palace of the Holkars.

All the delving into the past had our stomachs growling for food and what better place in Indore than 

Chhapan Dukan which is a street lined with 56 shops selling savouries, snacks and sweets!

Indulged our taste buds and satiated our hunger.

How to reach

By air: Indore is air connected to major cities in India by public and private domestic airlines.

By road: Indore is well connected by state road transport public bus services. Regular bus services are available from Ujjain (55 km), Delhi (800 km) and Mumbai (655 km) to Indore Ujjain.

By rail: Indore Junction Railway Station is an important railway station in Western railway zone. It is well connected to all major railway stations in India.