History
Indore is situated on the Malwa plateau at an altitude of 553 m above sea level, on the banks of two small rivulets - the Saraswati and the Khan. They unite at the centre of the city where a small 18th century temple of Sangamnath or Indreshwar exists. The name Indore is due to this deity. It is the largest city in Madhya Pradesh state in central India. It is among the million+ population cities of India and it is the commercial capital of the state of Madhya Pradesh. Indore city presents a happy blend of historical past and promises of rapid future modernization.
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Indore is well connected by road, rail and air with the Agra-Mumbai highway passing through the city. It is strategically located, being in close proximity to Mumbai (593 km) and Delhi (807 km) both of which are connected by daily flights operated by Kingfisher Airlines, Jet Airways and Indian Airlines.
Indore is the most developed city of Madhya Pradesh. Due to its location on the southern edge of the Malwa plateau, it makes an excellent tourist destination, during the day a cool breeze starts which makes the evenings quite pleasant. No wonder poets have deemed Shab-e-Malwa (the night of Malwa) exquisite beyond compare. The city also has many good tourist spots in its vicinity. Mandav is a city of palaces and lakes very close to Indore. This is a beautiful and a very good tourist destination.
Places to visit
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 seven-storey historic palace of the Holkars is built in a mixture of Muslim, Maratha and French styles.
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The lower three floors are made of stone and the upper floors are made of wood, which made it very vulnerable to destruction by fire. Rajwada was burnt three times in its history; the last fire in 1984 took the greatest toll. Today only the front facade remains. Recent renovations have recreated some of the old glory of this beautiful palace.
Lal Baag Palace Lal Baag Palace is one of the grandest monuments the Holkar dynasty left Indore. A reflection of their taste, grandeur and lifestyle, its construction began in 1886 under Tukoji Rao Holkar II, and was carried out in three phases.
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The final phase was completed in 1921 under Tukoji Rao Holkar III. Many royal receptions were held here. It has a total area of 28 hectares, and at one time it had the reputation of having one of the best rose gardens in the country.
Bada Ganpati Better known for its 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 temple is an architectural marvel in glass. The walls, ceilings, floors, pillars and door knobs are entirely inlaid with glass. Even paintings are done in glass. Atop 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).
Town Hall Made in 1904 and 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 and staples are a landmark of Indore today. It has a four-faced clock tower in front, because of which it is locally known as Ghanta Ghar.
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It is frequently the venue for the various book and painting exhibitions, fairs and festivals held throughout the year. The building also has a library, a children's park and a temple.
Central Museum The Indore Museum houses the finest collection of Parmar sculptures from Hinglajgarh. The Parmar style originated here, and is characterized by proportioned figures, carefully and ornately depicted in stone. The museum is also known for its collection of coins, arms and armour.
Chhatris Chhatris are the tombs or cenotaphs erected in memory of dead Holkar rulers and their family members. The Chhatris picturesquely poised on the Khan river banks near Rajawada are incomparable in terms of Maratha architecture and sculpture of their period.
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At Chhatri Baag is the main collection of tombs housed in two compounds. Close by is the beautiful Bolia Sarkar's Chhatri constructed in 1858 AD in memory of Sardar Chimnaji Appa Sahib Bolia.
Khajrana Ganesh Temple The citizens of Indore have great faith in this Ganesh temple, built during the reign of Ahilyabai Holkar. It is believed that all wishes are fulfilled by praying here. Nearby is the dargah of Nahar Sayed. This is an important pilgrimage place for Maita Muslims.
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Gomatgiri Situated on the hill about 10-12 km away from the heart of the city, the Jain Samaj has constructed a 21 feet statue of Lord Gomateshwar, a replica of the Bahubali statue of Shravanbelagola. Also built here are 24 marble temples with shilars for each tirthankar. This place offers a breathtaking view of Indore city by night.
Sarafa If you are a food lover this is the place to be. No visit to Indore is complete without Sarafa visit in the evening. The place bustles in the night with plethora of food stalls offering the best chats of India. You will indulge in food like you have never done before. It has Indore specialities like sabudana khichri (best in the country), aloo tikiya, and others like pav bhaji, dosas, samosas. Savuory sweets like jalebi, malpua, rabdi, gulab jamun like you have never tasted before.
Shopping Areas
Indore is known as "The Commercial Capital" of the state. Trade & Commerce at Indore has a close resemblence with Mumbai. Being well connected to Mumbai by Rail/Road/Air every business trend be it new fashion , technology or just the business culture, comes in very fast to Indore. Hence sometimes also called "Mini-Bombay". Apart from having big shops & showrooms of all the national & international brands (Company outlets), a big cloth market industry has flourished at Indore. More
Indore is also known for its leather toys and Maheshwari & Chanderi are some very interesting ornate sarees and brocades to offer. There is a lot of zari work coming out of Madhya Pradesh, and the Maheshwari sarees have particularly gained in popularity of late. Besides the fabrics, there is a variety of local carving crafts to choose from. For shopping in Indore there are main places as under.
- Kothari Market, A paush market with all big showrooms like Louis Phillipe, Raymond, Bombay Dying etc.
- Topkhana having big showrooms for readymade garments like Agrawal stores, and Fantasy a big and popular backery shop.
- Heritage Market, Palasia for big Show rooms loke Nike, Lee, Arrow, Van Husain, Allen Solly, Grasim, Woodlands etc.
- GLOBUS, A huge departmental store by Raheja's on MG Road.
- R.N.T. Marg for Big Departmental stores like Avani, Sanskar Dress materials.
- Jail Road, A place mainly for Electrical items & Tailors.
- Khajuri Bazar : A big market for all types of Books , stationery items.
- 56 Shops : A popular area for 'chaat' , sweets , 'lassi/jiuce' , big showrooms of Titan, HCL, Internet Parlours.
Eating out
Indore is famous for its cuisine. It's a must visit place for the ones who love to eat. You'll relish the savories of the place and will never be able to forget the mouth watering delicacies served by its restaurants. There are many eating places in Indore, where you can pamper yourself with food. Indore people are great foodies. The restaurants in the city offer a wide variety of food items to choose from. From vegetarian to non vegetarian, North Indian to South Indian, Chinese to Mughlai, you will find all the flavors of the world here. More
Indore is also famous for its namkeens and sweets. Don't forget to taste the typical Malwa food items which are a specialty of the place. Daal Bafla, a Malwa dish, is an all time favorite here. You can also give a treat to your taste buds with the appetizing Gujarati platter and complete the feast with Bengali sweets. Indo-Chinese restaurants are also good options for eating out in Indore. The well known snack food of the city is Poha-Jalebi.
Late night in Indore, you will find people enjoying themselves in the Sarafa market, which comes alive at 11:00 PM. It is located in the heart of city and is a favorite gourmand hangout of the people. Here, you can enjoy after dinner delicacies like - 'Gajak', 'Bhutte ka Kis', 'Gulab Jamun', 'Garadu', 'Rabri', 'Aloo Tikiya', 'Halwa, Ice creams and Milkshakes. Finally, you can have a tasty 'paan' to end your delicious day. 56 Shops (Palasia) is another such place where you can have Samosa , Kachori , Patties, Ice cream, Khaman and South Indian food.
Some of the notable restaurants in the city
Citrus Cafe
Lemon Tree Hotel, Indore
Phone: 0731 4423232
The bright and inviting multi-cuisine coffee shop (open 18 hours) offers an eclectic all day dining menu including Indian, European, American and pan-Asian cuisines.
Slounge
Lemon Tree Hotel, Indore
Phone: 0731 4423232
At Slounge guests are invited to have a go at the playstation, enjoy a game of chess, or shoot pool as they listen to music and sip the drink of their choice. The decor is cosy and 'chilled out'. The 'sloungilicious' menu offers pan-Asian and international cuisine.
Kebaberie
Lemon Tree Hotel, Indore
Phone: 0731 4423232
A specialty restaurant with a uniquely warm ambience. The cuisine takes you on a journey across different regions of the Indian Subcontinent through its selection of popular dishes.
- Nafees Restaurant
Old Palasia, Betma, Indore
Phone: 0731 2565542
Nafees is one of the best restaurants interms of nonveg food. Their chicken biryani is simply unparallaled by any other restaurants in indore and only a couple of restaurants in hyderabad can give some competition.
- Great Food Co (GFC)
Old Palasia, Indore
Phone: 0731 4005000
The only resturant that doesnt rush you out of there once you have finished your meal and they are very welcoming. The atmosphere is lovely, full of happy people enjoying their food and no loud background music in the background so you can hear yourself talk.
Did You Know
- The gates of Lalbagh Palace, Indore, are replica of the gates of Buckingham Palace, London.
- They were casted in England and then shipped to Indore.
- Indore has a huge concrete Cricket Bat statue with names of the players of the Indian team which won the 1971 series against Gary Sobers' West Indies team. There many not be many of its kind in the world!
- Rajwada at Indore is the only 7 storeyed entrance of a Palace.
- 40 feet high Idol at Bada Ganapati is the largest Ganesh Idol in the world.
- CAT ,The Center for Advanced Technology is India's main Research center on Laser Technology.
- Indore's main Software Export Oriented Units - Policy Management Systems,Impetus Computing Systems ,Suvi Information systems, Thyron.
Great Personalities associated with Indore
- Swar Kokila Lata Mangeshkar born in Indore.
- Great Singer & Actor Late Shri Kishor Kumar was a student of Christian College Indore.
- Narendra Hirwani highest wicket taker in single test, belongs to Indore.
- C.K. Naidu & Mustaq Ali, the cricket legend of India also belong to Indore.
- Famous comedian Jhonny Walker, & today's hot star Salman Khan, belong to Indore.
- M.F.Hussain and N.S.Bendre, famous painters spent some years in Indore studying art with Vishnu Deolalikar.