Maheshwar tells a lucid story that is intricately woven by its traditional weaver community around the pious river Narmada and the glory of its most famous rulers, the Maratha-Holkar dynasty. With a great architectural heritage, one of India’s finest weaving traditions, and a serene Narmada flowing by, Maheshwar is a cultural hotspot in central India. In this article, I’m sharing these three distinct (yet integrated) aspects of Maheshwar that I love so much!
When HSBC agreed to partner with ACCESS on an ambitious project to revitalize the handloom sector in India, I got my first opportunity to visit this quaint little town on the banks of Narmada. I was there to study the issues of the weaver community so that we could work on a long term strategy to revitalize the handloom cluster. But I was up for a pleasant surprise, especially the sight of the fort by the river. Though I had heard about the place before, it turned out to be way beyond my expectations. Since then, I have been there a number of times, and each time, I have loved the vibes of the place.
If you are interested in more such off-beat travel experiences, read: Stepwells of India | Chiang Mai | Death Railway | Pink City Rickshaws | Hauz Khas Village | Kutch.
Glorious past of Maheshwar
Except for the fort side, Maheshwar doesn’t seem too ancient. It looks like any other small town in India, with small houses, unplanned neighbourhoods, and crowded market places. But the fort side is distinctly different with a lot of heritage monuments and the vibes that you get from the antiquity.
In fact, Maheshwar is so ancient that it has mentions in Hindu epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata as ‘Mahismati’ (yes, the same name as used in the blockbuster movie Bahubali). Through the ages, it came under all the greatest rulers of India, like the Mauryas, Guptas, Harshavardhana, Delhi sultanate, Mughals, Marathas and lastly, under the British. Of course, in the modern era, it falls within the boundary of newly created state of Madhya Pradesh.
In the late eighteenth century, Maheshwar rose to eminence when queen Ahilya Bai of the Maratha-Holkar dynasty chose to make it the capital of Malwa. She ruled from here between 1767 and 1795, and built the grand fort. She made it as much a center of power, as of culture and literature.
Ahilya Bai, the 'philosopher queen'
Though Ahilya Bai was not born in a royal family, she was destined to rule. When Malhar Rao Holkar (a commander in the Maratha Army) saw a young (8 years old!) Ahilya Bai engaged in charity work, he was so impressed that he married off his son to her. Unfortunately, her husband Khande Rao died in the battlefield in 1754, and she became a widow at 29. When Malhar Rao died in 1766, her son (and Malhar’s grand son) Male Rao took over the reigns of Indore. But Male Rao also died the next year at 19! It was then Ahilya Bai took the reigns in 1967. The story of her life is the stuff legends are made of.
The philosopher queen:
She was not only a brave ruler, but also a benevolent one and had very progressive policies for her time. Against the royal norms, she married off her daughter to a common man. She built several temples, religious institutions and public facilities all over India, irrespective of whether they came under her kingdom. Widows were allowed to inherit the properties of their deceased husbands. Art, craft, architecture, music and literature flourished in her reign. Indeed, it was a golden period in Indian history. Quite appropriately, British historian John Keyas called her the ‘philosopher queen’.
A poem by Joanna Bailliey:
For thirty years her reign of peace,
The land in blessing did increase;
And she was blessed by every tongue,
By stern and gentle, old and young.
Yea, even the children at their mothers feet
Are taught such homely rhyming to repeat
“In latter days from Brahma came,
To rule our land, a noble Dame,
Kind was her heart and bright her fame,
And Ahilya was her honoured name”.
Maheshwar Fort
One of the major contributions of Queen Ahilya Bai to Indian architecture was the construction or re-construction of Maheshwar fort or the Ahilya Bai fort. Though there is no strong evidence, it is said that the Maheshwar fort existed (to what extent?) before Ahilya Bai took charge of the kingdom. The earlier fort was built by Akbar, the great Mughal king in early seventeenth century.
After assuming power in 1767, she invited two architects (brothers- Bhujdar and Gajdar) from Rajasthan to rebuild the Maheshwar fort. That’s why the architecture of the present day fort resembles many of the forts/ palaces of Rajasthan.
The fort complex:
Situated on the north bank of Narmada river, it’s quite an impressive structure. The whole fort complex constitutes two cenotaphs, two temples, and a grand palace. Here is an interesting read on the architecture of the fort- ‘Cenotaph complex‘. One of the cenotaphs belongs to Ahilya Bai and the other to Vithoji. Ahilya Bai’s cenotaph houses a Shiva linga inside; so, it’s also called Ahilyeshwar Shivalaya.
Part of the fort complex now houses a heritage hotel (Ahilya Fort Heritage Hotel) run by the royal family. Apart from the royal rooms, one of the major attractions of the hotel is its food menu, straight out of the famous Cook Book of Prince Richard Holkar.
Narmada, the lifeline of western India
Rivers are indeed cradles of civilization, and have been elixir of life through the ages- from the Mesopotamia to the Indus, from the Niles to the Amazon. However, nowhere are they revered the way they are in India. Rivers are very much an inherent part of the spiritual and cultural life of India. From Ganga and Yamuna in the north to Brahmaputra in the north east, Mahanadi in the east, Krishna, Kaveri and Godavari in the south. Narmada gains a very special place in the hearts of the people in western India as it’s the only major river draining the region. (of course, there is Tapti and a few other smaller rivers)
Narmada, western India’s lifeline
Originating in the Amarkantak hills in the Eastern Ghats mountain range, Narmada flows westwards (route) covering 1312 kms to drain into the Arabian sea. It is the longest west-ward flowing river that drains parts of four major states of India- Madhya Pradesh (origin), Chhatisgarh, Maharashtra and Gujarat (terminus). Interestingly, it serves as a natural dividing line between north and south India.
Like the Ganga, Narmada is worshipped as a Goddess and revered as a Mother in India (in fact, some consider it holier than the Ganga!). Because it gives life and livelihoods to millions of people residing on its banks, and even far away places too. The only reliable source of water (for drinking and irrigation) for millions of households in western arid Gujarat is the Narmada. This is precisely why the Narmada multi-purpose dam project was such a huge socio-political burning issue in Gujarat. It gives birth to some of the important towns/ cities in central and western India, viz. Jabalpur, Omkareshwar, Bharuch and Maheshwar.
Narmada Ghats at Maheshwar
There are four main ghats on the Narmada- Ahilya ghat, Peshwa ghat, Mahila ghat and Phanse ghat. I love the staircase from the fort descending to the ghats on the southern side of the fort. They look like a grand pavilion, a stage for performance. The panoramic view of the fort, the Ghat (embankment) and the river make for an extraordinary sight. On two separate occasions, I have witnessed this sight at sunrise and sunset, both best times.
I noticed striking similarities between the ghats in Varanasi and in Maheshwar. On researching a bit, I got my answer. Ahilya Bai had actually funded the construction of a few ghats in Varanasi, and used them as inspiration for constructing the ghats in Maheshwar.
Eternal charm of the ghats:
Both in the morning and the evening, the ghats fill up with hundreds of devotees and tourists. So, they become places of myriad activities, as much religious rituals as mundane daily routines like taking a bath or washing clothes. The ghats look like extensions of households, out in the open!
I vividly remember an evening listening to these two devotional street musicians singing bhajans while playing their traditional instruments. They were sitting in front of the Shivalay at the western end of the ghats, and the sun was just setting behind them. A serene evening, and the beautiful music made the atmosphere so spiritual that I got totally immersed in the moment.
Sahastradhara:
At just 6 kilometers down the line from Maheshwar town is an interesting place called Sahastradhara where the Narmada river splits into a thousand streams due to a rock bed formed by volcanic eruptions.
Early one morning, my colleagues took me to this place. Watching the sun rise in the horizon over Narmada was a surreal experience. Standing over a high platform on the rocky river bed, I felt like in another planet!
Weaving tradition of Maheshwar
Last but not the least, the fine weaving tradition of Maheshwar. On my first visit, my colleague took me to visit the Rehwa Society. From the stairs overlooking the Narmada ghats, I could clearly hear the distinctive clatter of the handlooms. As we drew closer, the clatter felt rhythmic, and became a sweet music to the ears.
Being in India, it is unlikely that one wouldn’t see a loom till one is in midlife. So, I had seen looms in action beforehand. However, it was really the first time I had a close interaction with the weavers, and saw the looms up close. While the technique of weaving is pretty simple to understand, the weaving process is quite lengthy, intricate and time consuming. It requires loads of patience and passion to come up with a piece of Maheshwari saree, a work of art. Interacting with the weavers was a spiritual experience rather than a technical learning.
History of Maheshwari weaves:
Maheshwari weaves, popular for their sarees are among the oldest and finest weaving clusters of India. Though there is thin evidence, it is said that the tradition originated in the 5th century AD. However, it was Ahilya Bai Holkar who flourished the tradition with her personal touch. She brought in weavers from Mandu, Gujarat and Hyderabad to give impetus to the local handloom industry.
However, in the post-independence era, the weaving tradition declined with pressure from the power loom industry that produced cheap clothes. Slowly, from common people’s daily wear, the handloom moved to the rich people’s closets. And as there weren’t too many rich people around, handloom products found few takers.
Maheshwari sarees:
In the beginning, Maheshwari sarees were made of fine cotton yarns only. The designs were inspired by the motifs taken from the temples, the river and the Maheshwar fort. Today, the weavers use silk yarn along with cotton, and motifs include diamonds and flowers (viz. cotton flower, jasmine, swan). Predominant colours include grape green, mango-pulp golden yellow and deep brown.
Revival efforts
Rehwa Society
Things started to change for the better in 1979 when Sally Holkar, the wife of Prince Richard Holkar noticed beautiful sarees and termed them as a ‘treasure that is not viewed as a treasure’. They endeavored to revive the rich handloom tradition of Maheshwar by establishing the Rehwa Society, a non-profit organization that works towards the betterment of the weavers and the weaving tradition. (click here to watch a nice video on their efforts). They brought in a much needed change in the designs of the sarees. Instead of an overtly Marathi design, they introduced generic designs in congruence with a pan-India ethos.
Women Weave
Later, Sally set up another institution towards this cause- the Women Weave Charitable Trust with two flagship programs- Gudi Mudi (meaning scrunched cotton) and the Handloom School. Fortunately, I could meet Sally in person at her workplace on my first visit to Maheshwar. It was especially heartening to see her eye for details and her deep involvement with not only the weaving process, but also the weavers’ lives. Indeed, her efforts have made the Maheshwari sarees come to the national limelight once again.
Living Looms of India
ACCESS Development Services, my organization has recently joined hands in the developmental efforts. Through our flagship program called the “Living Looms of India“, we aim to work in 20 handloom clusters of India to revitalize the sector. We work through a market-led approach by infusing contemporary designs, and sustained marketing efforts.
ACCESS runs a retail outlet in Maheshwar, situated in front of the hotel Devraj palace. The weavers directly sell their products at this shop. So, here one gets to buy authentic handloom products and an opportunity to contribute to the revival of the handloom industry, and thereby positively impact the weavers’ lives.
There are a few more organizations like EDII who are also working in Maheshwar to improve the lot of the handloom industry in Maheshwar. So, things are looking good for the weavers now.
Temples of Maheshwar
Maheshwar is also called the temple town because of quite a number of popular temples across the town. Some of the important ones are:
Near the fort: Kashi Vishwanath temple (east end of Maheshwar ghats) | Ahilyeshwar Shivalay (inside fort) | Narmada temple (Shiva temple, west end of Narmada Ghat; near Laxmi Bai Chhatri).
Away from the fort: Jwaleshwar Mahadev | Kaleshwar Mahadev | Baneshwar Mahadev | Kadambeshwar Mahadev | Rajrajeshwar temple |
Festivals of Maheshwar
Traditional festivals:
- October/ November: Diwali, the festival of lights (as popular through out India)
- February/ March: Maha Shivaratri, day of Lord Shiva. This is perhaps the most popular in Maheshwar.
- March: Holi, the festival of colours (as popular through out India)
Modern festivals:
- Nimar Utsav, a 3-day cultural extravaganza is held in November on the eve of Kartik Purnima.
- Sacred River Festival is held in February. The concept is developed by prince Richard Holkar himself.
Maheshwar : Travel Tips
Best time to visit:
- November to March (winter) are the best times with pleasant temperatures; summers are difficult months.
- However, Narmada looks full in the monsoon! July- September is the time if you like the look of a full river.
How to reach:
- Nearest airport is in Indore, some 90 kilometers away; one can take a taxi from there.
- Nearest railway station is also in Indore; regular buses are available from Indore to Maheshwar.
Where to stay:
- For luxury seekers: Ahilya fort heritage hotel run by the royal family (tariff: > INR 25,000/ night)
- For budget travellers: Narmada retreat (MPTDC) | Kanchan recreation | Panchwati palace | Devraj palace | Hansa heritage | Raj palace | Labboo’z cafe and lodge.
Where to eat:
- Hotel Chintamani | Labboo’z cafe | Devraj palace | Indian heritage food | Guru kripa food
- Indori poha and Paan at Pakeezah for local flavours.
How to move around:
Maheshwar is a very small place, and all the places of interest are at close proximity to each other. So, it’s best to walk around and explore the heritage places. One can take an autorickshaw to Sahastradhara.
Where to buy authentic handloom:
- Rehwa society (near the fort)
- Women Weave (200 meters from the fort)
- Living Looms of India (in front of Devraj hotel)
Interesting things not to miss:
- Sunrise/ sunset at Narmada Ghat
- Sunrise at Sahastradhara
- Lingarchana puja at the Ahilyeshwari Shivalaya every morning from 8.30 to 9.30 AM
- A boat ride in the Narmada.
A concluding note...
Maheshwar is one of my favorite offbeat destinations with rich history and culture. I thank my job for sometimes providing me with opportunities for visiting exotic locations like this one. However, while on work, you have hardly any time to explore a place at slow pace. I would love to visit this place sometime without worrying about reporting to my workplace. I like walking around historic places and talking to the elderly people about their memory of the place decades ago.
Have you been to Maheshwar? If yes, please share your experience. What did you like the most? And if you have not been there, you may reach out to me, in case the travel tips in this article are not enough.
Jayvanti Einjen
Very nice
stampedmoments
Thank you 🙂
Soumen Chatterjee
1st of all Maheshwar tells a story that is intricately woven by its traditional weaver community around the pious river Narmada and the glory of its most famous rulers, the Maratha-Holkar dynasty. With a great architectural heritage, one of India’s finest weaving traditions, and a serene Narmada flowing by, Maheshwar is a cultural hotspot in central India. Interesting to know that Maheshwar is so ancient that it has mentions in Hindu epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata as ‘Mahismati. Great to know that facts of Ahilla bai, She was not only a brave ruler, but also a benevolent one and had very progressive policies for her time and was named as Philosopher Queen.
One of the major contributions of Queen Ahilya Bai to Indian architecture was the construction or re-construction of Maheshwar fort or the Ahilya Bai fort. The architecture is quite impressive,situated on the north bank of Narmada river.The whole fort complex constitutes two cenotaphs, two temples, and a grand place.
Next is Narmada, the lifeline of western India, it gains a very special place in the hearts of the people in western India as it’s the only major river draining the region.There are four main ghats on the Narmada- Ahilya ghat, Peshwa ghat, Mahila ghat and Phanse ghat. There are striking similarities between Varanasi ghats and Maheswar ghats.Both in the morning and the evening, the ghats fill up with hundreds of devotees and tourists. So, they become places of myriad activities, as much religious rituals as mundane daily routines like taking a bath or washing clothes. The ghats look like extensions of households, out in the open.
Next Maheswar is known for its weaves, Maheshwari weaves, popular for their sarees are among the oldest and finest weaving clusters of India. It was Ahilya Bai Holkar who flourished the tradition with her personal touch. She brought in weavers from Mandu, Gujarat and Hyderabad to give impetus to the local handloom industry.
Gained a good amount of knowledge about Maheswar sari and revival efforts made
Maheshwar
Maheshwar is also called the temple town because of quite a number of popular temples across the town. There are lot of festivals that is celebrated across Maheswar some are tradition some are modern.
Truely said Maheswar is really an off beat destination which has rich cultural and heritage . An excellent read 🙂
stampedmoments
I appreciate your unfailing interest in following our blog posts.
This is so endearing! Thank you 🙂
Sara Hevia
Fantastic report
I hope someday visit this place, looks so beautiful, the temples, the archiquecture, i loved the sunrise
Many thanks for your tips
stampedmoments
Thanks a lot, Sara.
Your India visit is still pending, and most welcome.
Pratap
beautiful pics
stampedmoments
Thank you 🙂