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Planned and built by Rani
Ahilyabai, the brave Holkar queen, Indore lies to the extreme west of
Madhya Pradesh on the banks of the rivers Saraswati and Khan which unite
at the centre of the city. The bustling and vibrant city, 186 km from
Bhopal, derives its name from the 18th century Indreshwar temple.
The history of Indore is
inseparable from the history of the Holkar State. The founder of the
House of Holkars was Malhar Rao Holkar, born in 1693 AD. His soldierly
qualities brought him to the forefront under the Peshwa and he was
rewarded with the gift of territories comprising the Indore region.
Malhar Rao was succeeded by his grandson, on whose death, without issue,
his mother, Maharani Devi Ahilya Bai ascended the throne.
Ahilya Bai was one of the
foremost Maratha personalities and an extraordinary woman ruler of
India. Her cherished desire was to promote the prosperity of the region
and its people. She was the rare Indian royalty who was deified in her
lifetime.
Though Ahilya Bai loved
Indore immensly, it was only after her death that the State capital was
shifted from Maheshwar to Indore in 1811 AD. Today, her statue adorns
the centre of the city, Rajwada. Indore continued to be the State
capital until the formation of Madhya Bharat State in 1948.
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