19th October, 2021 – 20th October, 2021
The first thing that comes to our mind today on Indore is that it won the cleanest city of India award for the 5th consecutive time and that’s no mean feat.
Its one place that is also known as the commercial capital of Madhya Pradesh, the most populous city in that state, for its historic monuments , amazing street food and of course the history.
History
Indore was founded in 1715 as a trade market on the Narmada River valley route by local landowners, who erected Indreshwar Temple (1741), from which the name Indore is derived. It became the capital of the Indore princely state of the Maratha Holkars, and it was the headquarters of the British Central India Agency and the summer capital of Madhya Bharat (1948–56) state before its incorporation into Madhya Pradesh. Krishnapura chhatris (cenotaphs) situated on the bank of the Khan River are dedicated to the Holkar rulers of the city.
Places of cultural interest in the city include Indreshwar and Harsiddhi temples; Bada Ganapati Temple, with a 26-foot-tall replica of Lord Ganesh, the Hindu elephant god; the Kanch Mandir, a Jain temple built of glass inlays and mirrors; the Lal Bagh Palace, constructed during the Holkar dynasty; and Rajwada, a seven-story Holkar palace. Mahatma Gandhi Hall (built in 1904 and originally named King Edward Hall) has a notable clock tower. The Indore, or Central, Museum houses a fine collection of Paramar sculptures. Well-known Indian painters Narayan Shridhar Bendre and MuqboolFida Husain attended the Vishnu Deolalikar Art School in Indore, one of the oldest art schools in the country. Indore is also a centre of Hindustani classical music. Nehru Park, the oldest park in the city, has a swimming pool, library, and recreation centre.
Attractions
Gomatgiri
Just outside the city is Gomatgiri, a major pilgrimage site with a cluster of 24 marble temples and a 21-foot statue of Lord Gommateshvara, a replica of the Bahubali statue of Shravanabelagola. Also nearby is Patalpani, a hilly area with a 250-foot waterfall.
MHOW (Military Headquaters of Warfare)
17 kms away from Indore is the city of MHOW ( Military Headquarters of Warfare) from where you can take a heritage train. A journey that is more of a nature trail, you will be enthralled sitting at leisure in the dome train enjoying the wandering trees, shrubs and waterfalls. The journey is pretty “cool” in the sense that no one is in a hurry, not even the railway staff who would come and chat with you.
Sarafa Bazaar & Chappan Dukan
Indore is no less than a food paradise for foodie tourists. Its signature dishes like Poha Jalebi, MawaBati&Bhuttekikees are popular across the nation. A visit to Indore is never complete without having scrumptious food at citie’s Sarafa bazaar &Chappan Dukan.
When we were in Indore, we were fortunate enough to meet up with Ranjit Singh, the moon walking policeman, who manages traffic by grooving. A true patriot, he thoroughly enjoys his work and tells youth to work towards nation building.
We met Joshi, the owner of the Joshi wadabhandar at Sarafa, that has the best dahiwada in the town. While the curd has the just right sweet and sour taste, he has a special skill in adding spices to the wada. 5 spices are held in one hand and he will put each one by one using the thumb and forefinger. He will then toss the dahiwada plate into the air and get it back and serve the delicacy to you.
We also met an entrepreneur who is addressing a major issue prevalent all across India and that is providing washrooms in crowded places. He runs a small store called “Lootel” that provides soft drinks, cookies, chocolates etc in the crowded Sarafa bazaar where each evening hundreds come to savour delicacies. Lootel has built a toilet that is super clean, state of the art if that’s the right word and charges Rs. 10 to use it. This Rs.10 is reimbursed if anything is bought from the store. This way they are addressing 2 major issues: one providing convenience at crowded places, and two, encouraging public to use loos. Not for nothing is Indore winning the Cleanest City award for years now.
