Weekend in Indore

23 - 26 Jan

Madhya Pradesh is one of the states I had yet to visit. As I researched the state, it became clear that it would need to be broken into at least three visits to cover the important regions properly.

This trip was Part 1 — using the opportunity of a long weekend to combine culture, divinity, and food, while also celebrating our 19th anniversary.

You will want to go to the end of the post for a full summary of everything we ate, with pictures, if you need convincing to plan a trip to Indore.

As always, clicking on the links will take you to the google reviews with more pictures and details.

Day 1 - Bangalore - Indore - Indore Local sightseeing.

A 6:00 am flight meant a 3:45 am start to the airport. We reached at about 4:20 and zipped past security thanks to DigiYatra.

We departed on time and landed in Indore at around 8:15 am. With no check-in bags, we were out quickly and met our driver and guide, Balram. Hotel check-in was some time away, breakfast was a must!

Welcome to Indore

We were taken to Apna Sweets, a stone’s throw from our hotel. Two helpings of fresh Indori poha (excellent), 100 grams of jalebi shared between us, and a milky, sugary ginger tea to get the day started.

(Four poha, three teas, and 100 g of jalebi — under ₹125!)

The variety of farsan and sev — nearly 24 types — was unbelievable. We made a mental note to return on the last day to stock up, which we eventually did. After dropping our bags at the hotel and freshening up, we set out to explore Indore.

"Sev" City - Apna Sweets

Dropped the bags at the hotel, freshened up and we started on our day exploring Indore.

Our first stop was the Khajrana Ganesh Temple. It was Basant Panchami, the deity was beautifully adorned. The temple is well maintained and managed by a wealthy trust. I was pleasantly surprised to see that such a large temple also had free car parking.

The world's most expensive shop

Next was Rajwada Palace, the administrative seat of the Holkars. It offers a concise but informative overview of Holkar history, including Ahilyabai Holkar. About 25–30 minutes is sufficient for the visit.

The Garden outside the Palace

The Facade

From there, we headed to Annapurna Temple, which has recently undergone a major renovation. The entrance features a South Indian–style vimana, while the main shrine reflects North Indian and Jain architectural influences in marble. One of the rarer temples dedicated to the goddess of food.

The Annapurna Temple

Our next stop was Lal Bagh Palace, the former royal residence. Well maintained and expansive, it gives a vivid sense of the opulent lifestyle of the Holkars, with rooms reflecting French, Greek, Indian, Italian, and other European influences.

The Royal Seal - On Glass

Royal Reception Room

The Entry Facade

We then walked to Kanch Mandir, a Jain temple with silver flooring and intricate glasswork on the walls and ceilings. Jain teachings are laid out throughout, and despite its ornate appearance, it remains a place of active worship. Well worth the visit. (no pictures allowed)

By now it was around 2:00 pm. Before lunch, we drove past the Krishnapura Chhatri — the royal cenotaphs. While atmospheric and serene, the site could benefit from better maintenance, particularly with pigeon droppings and dust. It makes for striking photographs, which explains its popularity for photoshoots — one was in progress during our visit.

Lunch was at Chappan Dukaan, a modernised open-air food court with many well-known vendors. It is lively, has its own FM station, and is well managed — clean toilets, wash areas instead of tissues, and good crowd flow.

After sampling a few of Indore’s famous eats (details at the end), we headed back to our hotel — WOW Crest, IHCL SeleQtions. (a wonderful stay!)

A post-lunch nap, a slow evening with T20 cricket, and a quiet night in preparation for a long day ahead.

Indore unquestionably deserves its tag as the cleanest city in India — the cleanliness is visible everywhere, and the pride residents take in it is evident.

24 Jan - Indore, Omkareshwar Jyotirling, Maheshwar, Indore

I had pre-booked Sheeghra Darshan at Omkareshwar for the 10:00 am–12:00 pm slot. We left the hotel around 6:45 am, stopped en route for poha and chai, and reached Omkareshwar (82 km away) by 9:45 am. Road widening is underway, but once complete, this will be a much faster drive.

From the drop-off point, we took a shared auto to the Mamleshwar Temple bridge. Signage is largely in Hindi, but the information centre guided us to the darshan management counter. Aadhaar verification was quick, and we received barcode bands for the Darshan.

We crossed the bridge, deposited our footwear, and were guided through the special darshan line. Inside the sanctum, the lines merge briefly, but the darshan was smooth — completed in about 20 minutes.

After crossing back over the bridge, we visited Mamleshwar Temple, which was more crowded, taking about another 20 minutes.

In all, Omkareshwar was completed in roughly 75 minutes. Balram picked us up, and we headed towards Maheshwar.

Blessed

Omkareshwar Temple, Narmada River below

After a tea break, we continued on the 90-minute drive. Lunch was at Hotel Devraj Palace, where we had a simple, clean, and satisfying Malvani thali.

Since the afternoon sun was still strong, we completed our Maheshwari saree shopping first, stopping at Chouhan Handloom Showroom on the highway. We spent about 90 minutes there and made several purchases.

By 3:45 pm, we reached Ahilya Devi Maheshwar Fort, dramatically situated on the banks of the Narmada. The fort has appeared in many films, including key sequences from Ponniyin Selvan.

We spent about 90 minutes exploring. We hired one of the resident photographers — a good way to support local livelihoods and gain access to the best viewpoints. Despite the long-weekend crowds, we managed some lovely pictures.

The sunset boat ride was excellent. At ₹50 per person for a shared boat or ₹500 for a private one, it was well worth it. We opted for the private boat and enjoyed the breeze and the fort views from the water.

After chai near the fort, Balram suggested a short drive to Sahasradhara to see the Narmada in full flow. While Sapna took photographs, I used the opportunity for a short nap.

We drove back to Indore non-stop, arriving around 9:00 pm — just in time for Sarafa Bazaar. Though the food stalls were still setting up and the night was cold (without jackets), we sampled a couple of dishes before deciding to return another day.

Back at the hotel, a small celebratory cake awaited us. A shower and straight to bed after a long, memorable day.

Readiness for Republic Day

The Creator and his creations.

The Famous Joshi Dahi Vada House

Day 3 - Indore - Mandu - Indore

With only Mandu on the agenda, we took it easy. Breakfast at the hotel (poha again) and a 9:00 am departure saw us reach Mandu by 11:15 am.

Mandu, the former capital of the Malwa Sultanate, is rich in history and architecture and famously associated with Rani Roopmati and Baz Bahadur. Balram arranged a senior guide, Mr. Kamaluddin Khan — an excellent decision.

We began at Roopmati Pavilion, built so the queen could worship the Narmada at sunrise and sunset. It is also said to be where she sang while Baz Bahadur listened from his palace below.

Sun Rise and Sun Set view of the Rewa (Narmada)

Baz Bahadur’s Palace followed — less well maintained, but essential to complete the narrative. We even tested the acoustics, recreating the legend of Roopmati singing Raag Malhar in response to Baz Bahadur's Raag Deepak.

Roopmati's Pavilion in the background

Next came Jahaz Mahal and the surrounding complex, including Hindola Mahal and Jal Mahal. Situated between two water bodies, Jahaz Mahal appears like a ship afloat. Mr. Khan’s storytelling made the extensive walking feel effortless.

A Miniature of the Jahaz Mahal, Taveli Mahel complex

Terrace of Jahaz Mahal

Kapoor Talab

A Pool on the second floor

Hammam

Mr Khan - our guide

Hindola Mahal

Jahaz Mahal - Facade

Fortunately the wintry clouds had kept the sun at bay, so it was very comfortable to cover most of the site. It was about 2:30 and we decided to try a local dish at lunch (Dal Paaniye, a maize flour version of Dal Baati). Satisfying, yet light meal.

Hoshang Shah's Tomb

After this, we visited the Jami Masjid and Hoshang Shah’s marble tomb, said to have inspired the Taj Mahal. We bade farewell to Mr. Khan, thanking him for his wonderful company and elevating our experience of Mandu. We started our return trip at about 4:00 pm and returned to Indore by 6:15 pm.

After resting, we headed back to Rajwada for shopping and a second attempt at Sarafa Bazaar. The MP State Emporium, Mrignayani, had limited art and handicrafts, so we moved on. We head back through the Bazaar and walked down to Sarafa from the Bartan Bazaar (parallel road).

This time, Sarafa was in full swing. Being a Sunday, the stalls had opened early, allowing us to sample nearly all of Indore’s signature dishes before the crowds peaked. Clean, fresh, and thankfully not over-cheesified — if you know, you know. The jackets that we had worn helped us stay warm in the cool winter night.

We returned to the hotel by 10:30 pm, discovering the Indian chase in the T20 against NZ had wrapped up in just 10 overs.

Day 4 - Indore - Mahakaleshwar (Ujjain) - Indore airport - Bangalore.

With a 10:00 am darshan booked at Mahakaleshwar (Ujjain, a 90 min drive), we checked out early, packed the car, and made one final stop at Apna Sweets for savouries to take back home.

The Mahakaleshwar Jyotirling is one of the more popular and more visited ones - It was a monday, a holiday, so i was prepared for crowds. Due to the Chief Minister's engagement at the temple, our car was stopped much ahead and we had to walk for about a km to get to our check in counter. To add to the crowds, unlike Omkareshwar, they were giving the Sheegra Darshan tickets for the day here as well and there were many in line looking to buy them.

On the Mahakal Corridor

Mahakaleshwar from outside

We made our way to Gate 4 where the Sheegra Darshan starts and were checked in. The Darshan took about 20 minutes and offered an excellent view of the Shivling during morning abhishekam.

Harsiddhi Mata Temple

After some confusion finding the footwear stand, we also visited Harsiddhi Mata Temple ( A Shaktipeeth) before walking back to the parking area. We skipped the Kal Bhairav temple, which is also popular, given the crowds and our lack of time, perhaps another day.

Lunch with friends in Ujjain followed — a generous meal of Dal baati and churma — before driving back to Indore and reaching the airport by 4:15 pm and goodbye to our friend and guide Balram.

Indore airport is compact, we cleared security quickly. The flight departed on time, landing in Bangalore at 8:15 pm, though taxi queues meant reaching home closer to 9:45 pm.

Some Tips

1. Always book Sheeghra Darshan where available — Omkareshwar opens slots two months in advance, Mahakaleshwar about 15 days ahead.

2. UPI is widely accepted, but carry some cash. (Joshi Dahi Vada did not take UPI.)

3. We had a great experience with our driver-guide Balram, booked via Udhav Travels.

4. November to February/March is ideal weather-wise. Mandu would be spectacular during the monsoon.

5. Tea without sugar is available on request, but given how milky and spiced it is, it is underwhelming without sugar.

Another state checked off, and hopefully a couple more trips to Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in the future — to cover Orchha, Gwalior, national parks, and more.

The Food

Pictures and short descriptions of the Food that we tried on this Trip