A person derives power from his conduct, actions and his overall persona. Rani Ahilyabai Holkar the Maratha queen of the 18th century who ruled over Malwa region in central India is one such character from history. Forced to take reigns of the kingdom due to untimely death of her father in law and her young husband. She proved to be a worthy successor to her illustrious father in law who established Holkar dynasty in Malwa.
The humble queen was a powerful
ruler yet she choose to live an austere life. She lived in a humble Rajwada
built besides the more imposing Fort and Palace complex in Maheshwar. The
picture depicts the place in her rajwada where she held court and received
other royals and officers and carried out much of her affairs. A glimpse into her
small yet beautifully maintained rajwada makes us think if a seat of power of a
towering ruler can be more humble than this...
A great Shiva devout, she shifted
her capital from Indore to Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh in the middle of 18th
century. This powerful maratha queen was revered as a goddess by her subjects
for the work done by her during her lifetime. She built forts, palaces,
temples, ghats, encouraged commerce in her kingdom. A handloom
textile industry centre was set up in Maheshwar at her behest which turned
the the sleepy town into a fledging textile centre in central India.
Idyllically situated on the banks of river Narmada, Maheshwar has
the magnificent Ahilya Fort complex consisting of rajwada, fort, palace,
administrative buildings, numerous temples with exquisitely intricate carvings
and ghats.
The monuments are built in maratha
style with mostly plain outer facade. However the outer walls of the buildings
inside the complex have some intricate carvings depicting different scenes from
every day life. The minutely carved sculptures is sure to take your breadth
away. The fort complex opens into the ghats through a flight of steps
descending into the ghats below. The imposing steps of Maheshwar ghats have
often been used as a backdrop in many a song sequence of hindi movies and
television serials.
Maheshwar
ghats
Maheshwar's other claim to fame
is the world famous Maheshwari sari. Hand woven and hand made from natural
fibre, these sarees are made by the members of Rehwa Weavers
Society most of which are women. Available in vibrant colours with gold
borders they are a delight to wear and gift and a must buy item when in
Maheshwar. Rehwa Weavers society which produces most of these sarees has a
production unit inside the Ahilya fort complex. One can actually see these
beautiful sarees being made by women on the handlooms installed in
the premises. There is an outlet of Rehwa Weaver's Society in the
complex itself where one can buy these sarees and dress material at a
reasonable cost.
Maheshwari Sarees
Where to stay: There are various places were one
can stay in Maheshwar ranging from a modest motel or lodge or a dharmashala.
Narmada Retreat by M P Tourism provides accommodation at reasonable
rates. Located on a small hillock overlooking the mighty Narmada river, Narmada
retreat is an idyllic place to spend a weekend with your family. Lush green
garden, lovely pool to enjoy the evenings splashing around with your family, a
restaurant overlooking Narmada offering a spread of delicious breakfast makes
your stay complete in @Rs 3500/- per night.
Narmada Retreat, Maheshwar
For someone looking of a piece
of history and a royal experience, they can opt for staying in the heritage
hotel within the palace complex. Though the rates are on the higher side
at @Rs 22000/- per night but it is compensated by the simple yet royal feel of
the place. One can also stay at Laboos a well maintained hotel within the
palace complex at @13,000/- per night.
Best time to visit Maheshwar is from July to
March. Temperature during most of the year is around 30 degrees Celsius. It is
advisable to wear loose cotton clothes and dress conservatively keeping Indian
sensibilities in mind.
How to reach: Maheshwar can be reached by train
from Indore, Bhopal and Nagpur. It is 91 kms from Indore by
road, around 500 kms from Nagpur and around 290 kms from Bhopal. Nearest
airport is Indore.
Nearby places of tourist interest: Indore, Mandu, Dhar, Bagh
caves, Omkareshwar and Hanutwantiya water and adventure sport destination on Indira
Sagar dam on Narmada river.
For more details and bookings please contact M P Tourism, Nagpur on - 0712 2442378
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