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Indore is known as the
city of the Holkars. The city was built by a Holkar Rani Ahilya Bai, one
of the famous queens of India. Located in the Narmada River valley in the
western part of the state of Madhya Pradesh, Indore is an important
industrial city of India. It is also the centre of trade and textile
industry and home to many historical monuments and temples. A must visit,
Indore is also affectionately called 'Mini Mumbai'.
History
Indore is a city steeped in history. It was the capital
city of the erstwhile Holkar rulers. The Holkars were of peasant origin
and are believed to have migrated from the Mathura district of Uttar
Pradesh to the village of Hol, about 65 km from Pune in Maharashtra. The
founder of the dynasty was Malhar Rao Holkar (1694-1766), who was
appointed the chief general of the Peshwas in 1724 because of his valour
and courage. In 1733, the Peshwa gifted him the Indore area, thereby
making him the ruler of a vast area stretching from the Deccan to the
Malwa plateau. After his death, his daughter-in-law, Ahilya Bai Holkar,
succeeded him.
Ahilya Bai ruled Indore from 1767 to 1795 from a palace fort at Maheshwar
on the northern bank of the Narmada River. Although she never stayed in
Indore, it is during her reign that Indore grew up into a big and powerful
city. She constructed several religious edifices in various parts of
India, the Kashi Vishwanath or Visheshwar temple at Varanasi being the
most notable among them.
Tukoji Rao Holkar was the commander of Ahilya Bai's armed force. On his
death in 1797, his son Jaswant Rao seized power of Indore. Jaswant Rao
Holkar was a brilliant guerrilla leader. He defeated the Scindias of
Gwalior in 1803, and took on the British forces and besieged Delhi. He
was, however, defeated at Dig and Farukhabad in November of 1804 and was
compelled to make peace a year later. Soon after, in 1811, he became
insane and died. In 1818, the Holkar kingdom became a part of the British
Empire, after the British defeated them at Mahidpur.
Indore played an important role in the first Indian War of Independence of
1857 (popularly known as Sepoy Mutiny). The Sepoy Mutiny began on the
first day of July in 1857, when 39 English subjects were killed. The then
British resident at Indore, Colonel Henry Durand, who had brushed aside
the possibility of an uprising, fled the city. But, the British finally
managed to recapture power and, after a few months, Saadat Khan, who led
the mutiny, was tried and sentenced to death.
Indore remained a princely state until 1947, and when India became
independent, it became a part of India along with the other states.
Best Season, Climate and Clothing
The climate of Indore is extreme because of its location (76°E, 23°N) in
central India away from the sea. Winters (November to February) are cold
with temperatures dipping down to around 10°C. During summer (April-June),
the days are quite hot (35-40°C) with daytime temperatures reaching a high
of 45°C. However, unlike other places in central India, the summer nights
in Indore are quite pleasant because of the cool evening breeze, popularly
referred to as Shab-e-Malwa. Indore experiences south-western monsoon
rains in July-September. The best time to visit Indore is between October
and March.
Indore is known as the city of the
Holkars. The city was built by a Holkar Rani Ahilya Bai, one of the famous
queens of India. Located in the Narmada River valley in the western part
of the state of Madhya Pradesh, Indore is an important industrial city of
India. It is also the centre of trade and textile industry and home to
many historical monuments and temples. A must visit, Indore is also
affectionately called 'Mini Mumbai'
Visiting Indore means a visit to some of the famous
historical monuments and religious centres inside the town. Famous for its
glass bangles and jewellery, Indore has some of the best architectural
marvels that belong to the Holkar dynasty. The Rajwada or the Old Palace
(a major centre of attraction), Lalbagh palace, (another architectural
wonder), Kanch Mandir (a marvellous Jain temple), Chattri Bagh (the
memorial with some canopies) and the Bada Ganapati (the largest Ganapati
statue in the world) are some of the attractions you must visit in Indore.
Moreover, Indore is famous as a shopper's paradise. The Khajuri Bazaar
offers you unique shopping options of gold and silver work, cloth, leather
work and traditional garments. Moreover, there are the Sarafa Market that
specialises in snacks and jewellery and the Kasera Bazaar that specialises
in metalwork where you can indulge in the variety displayed for selling.
The Chanderi and Maheshwari silks of Indore are the other famous
attractions of this city
Planning a trip to Indore? Enjoy the best of tour packages. Indore is
known as the city of the Holkars. It is also the centre of trade and
textile industry and home to many historical monuments and temples. A must
visit, Indore is also affectionately called 'Mini Mumbai'. Go through our
tour offers for Indore and decide which one is the best for you. If you
are not looking for the one given here, call us. We will create the best
package according to your needs and interest. TouristPlacesinIndia.com
also offers all inclusive tour packages for Indore and other places in
India. Please contact us for the same
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