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Indore has hundreds of places. Hang out joints, Food Plazas, shopping complexes and so on... This article will introduce you to some of the best places in and Around Indore - the old and the new. New fun spots in Indore include Treasure Island, Mangal City, Mayank Blue Water Park and many more.
Old visiting places and tourist spots of Indore remain the same, evergreen and worth visiting: Lalbaugh, Bijasan, Meghdoot, Krishnapura, Annapurna etc.
Treasure Island:
A 21st century hangout place. TI, as its called today, is the latest place to find the young and old crowd. Its a full fledge shopping mall, with movieplex, McDonalds, Foodcourt, BigBazzar and the other brand showrooms, and most interestingly, the horror house.
TI is situated on MG Road, walking distance from 56 shops, and Palasia square. Treasur island holds something for everyone.
The architecture of mall itself is worth seeing, and the continuously flowing water stream from 4 to ground floor is eye catching. Its always full of colorful crowd - students, tourists, families, kids and marketing guys.
McDonald, Pizza Hut, and other food shops will give you a "feel at home" eating syndrome. You can get continental - I tried the Burrito - and the Samosa is also available. So its a deal in all.
How to reach Treasure Island Indore?
Take a bus to MG Road from anywhere - there any many routes of Indore City bus that will take you here. If you are driving though, from New Indore or Mhow/Rajendranagar, take AB Road and then MG Road to Reach Treasure Island. From the Old indore, take Jawahar Marg to MG Road. Treasure Island is on the MG Road in Tukoganj area.
Mangal City AB Road, Indore: Mangal City Indore is one of the cool hangout places in Indore. Its located right on A B Road near the press complex. It has the BIG (Adlabs) Cinema if you are in a mood to watch a flick. Mangal City indore has a lot of branded shops and supermarkets. From Cambridge, Peter England and others to Salasar market, its all here.
Good food, great shops and cool babes (ofcourse, sweet hunks too)...makes Mangal City a nice chill out place for all ages. Annapurna Mandir:
Inspired by the Meenakshi temple of Madurai, four life-size elephants holds an ornately decorative gate in plaster. Inside the complex, apart from the main temple of Annapurna Devi are also temples of Shiva, Kal Bhairav, and Hanuman. There is also a pravachan hall.It is situated near Dashahara Maidan.The huge mother Annapurna Temple has idols of gods and goddesses which are worth seeing.
Inside the temple complex, apart from the main temples of Shiva, Kal Bhairav, Hanuman and Pravachan Hall.The fourteen and half feet high idol of God Kashi Vishwanath in Padmasanath position in Annapurna temple is not only matchless and rare in India but in whole world. The outer wall of the main temple is decorated with colourful reliefs from mythological stories.
Lalbaugh Palace:
The Lalbagh Palace of the Holkars on the banks of the Khan river is one of the grandest monuments the Holkar dynasty left to Indore City. A reflection of their taste, grandeur and life style, its construction began in 1886 under Tukoji Rao Holkar II, and was carried out in three phases, the final phase completed in 1921 under Tukoji Rao Holkar III. It is a blend of the baroque and renaissance styles, and in its days was one of the most elegant residences in India. The Government of Madhya Pradesh is developing it as a cultural center. The main attraction is the splendidly proportioned and furnished rooms, with frescoed ceilings and guilded ornamental mouldings.
The architecture and decoration of this palace, inhabited by the Holkars till 1978 reflect the highly westernized aesthetic sensibility of the later Holkars. Tukojirao III was the last incumbent of this magnificent palace. The whole complex has a total area of 28 acres and at one time had one of the best rose gardens of the country. Though simple to look from outside, the magnificent interior takes one into a dreamland of past glory. Lavishly decorated in the style of Versailles Palace, its Italian marble columns, grand chandeliers, rich Persian carpets, flying nymphs on the ceiling, Belgium stained glass windows, Greek mythological reliefs, Italian style wall paintings, stuffed leopards and tigers are breathtaking. The ballroom has wooden floor on springs for extra bounce. The kitchen was built on the opposite bank of the river and was connected to the palace by a well-lighted underground tunnel. The imposing gates of the palace are unique in Asia. A replica of the gates of Buckingham palace (London), about twice their size, were moulded in cast iron and shipped from England. They carry the Holkar state emblem that means, "He who tries will succeed".
Krishnapura Chhatris:
The Krishnapura Chhatris: These are exquisite cenotaphs of the three later Holkar rulers. These memorials in stone are gracefully poised on the banks of the Khan river with their pyramidal spires tapering into soaring kalashas. These are memorials built on the cremation spots of the Holkar rulers of Indore. Facing west is the cenotaph built over the ashes of another woman ruler of Malwa, Maharani Krishnabai.
The other two Chhatris are of Tukoji Rao II and Shivaji Rao, father and son, and are linked by a common oblong prayer hall with ornately carved arches and pillars on a high platform along the garbha grihas containing life size statues of these rulers. A breathtaking sight at night when illuminated, the Chhatris glow etherally against the dark of the sky. An artificial lake is created in this stretch of the otherwise dry Khan River, complete.
Bada Ganapati:
Better known for its size than antiquity, this temple houses perhaps the largest Ganesh idol in the world, measuring 25 ft. from crown to foot. Created as a result of a dream to an Avantika (Ujjain) resident Shri Dadhich, it was built in 1875. The idol has a most interesting configuration of ingredients: bricks, lime stone, masala made of gud, methi dana, soil collected from seven moksha puris: Ayodhya, Mathura, Maya, Kashi, Kanchi, Avantika, and Dwaraka, mud from stables of horse, elephant and cow, the powder of Pancharatna : heera, panna, moti, manek and pukhraj (diamond, emerald, pearl, ruby and topaz) and the holy water from all major places of pilgrimage. The metallic frame is of gold, silver, copper, brass and iron. Twice a year in the 'Bhadwa' and 'Magh' months 'chola' of pure ghee and 'Sindoor' is applied to Ganesh idol. Idol is believed to be miraculous.
Rajwada:
The Holkar Palace (Rajwada) is close to the Chhatris, in the main square in the heart of the city. It is a seven storied building (only facade remains) built over two centuries ago. This historic palace of the Holkars is built in a mixture of Maratha, Mughal and French style. The gopura-like monumental stone and wood structure, flanked by bastions and studded with balconies and windows, is a testimony of the past grandeur of the Holkars. Its lofty entrance archway above a huge wooden door encrusted with iron studs, leads into a vast courtyard enclosed by galleried rooms, and the arcaded Ganesh Hall where state and religious functions were once held.
It is now used for art exhibitions and classical music concerts. The lower three floors are made of stone and the upper floors are made of wood, which made it very vulnerable to destruction by fire. Rajwada was burnt three times in its history, and the last one in 1984 was the most devastating. The charred rubble of the rear portion has now given way to a symmetrically laid out garden featuring fountains, an artificial waterfall and some superb pieces of eleventh century sculpture.Synonymous with the heart of Indore city, it stands today as a mute witness to bygone splendour of the Holkar kings.
Kanch Mandir(Glass Temple):
This is a jain mandir (temple) is a marvel in glass. This temple was built by the "Cotton King" Sir Hukamchand Seth in the early 20th century. The walls, ceiling, floor, pillars, doors are entirely inlaid with glass. The mirrorwork reflects minute detailing. There are paintings done in coloured glass which depict stories from Jain scriptures. At the top is a special glass chamber which multiplies the three statues of Lord Mahavir installed there, into an infinite number.
The Krishnapura Chhatris: These are exquisite cenotaphs of the three later Holkar rulers. These memorials in stone are gracefully poised on the banks of the Khan river with their pyramidal spires tapering into soaring kalashas. These are memorials built on the cremation spots of the Holkar rulers of Indore. Facing west is the cenotaph built over the ashes of another woman ruler of Malwa, Maharani Krishnabai. The other two Chhatris are of Tukoji Rao II and Shivaji Rao, father and son, and are linked by a common oblong prayer hall with ornately carved arches and pillars on a high platform along the garbha grihas containing life size statues of these rulers. A breathtaking sight at night when illuminated, the Chhatris glow etherally against the dark of the sky. An artificial lake is created in this stretch of the otherwise dry Khan river, complete with a fountain, well laid gardens on both banks and boating facility.
Mahatma Gandhi Hall: This is one of the prettiest buildings in Indore. Built in 1904 and originally named as King Edward Hall, was renamed as Mahatma Gandhi Hall in 1948. This Indo-gothic structure is made in seoni stone and its domes and steeples are a landmark of Indore city. It has a clock tower in front, due to which it is also known locally as Ghanta Ghar. The central hall has a capacity for 2000 people and is frequently the venue of book / painting exhibitions, sales, and fairs throughout the year. Gopal mandir: This is a Krishna temple built by Krishna Bai Holkar in 1832. Situated on the right wing of the Rajwada, it has a big central hall with stupendous pillars bearing a massive roof which is elaborately decorated. Its systen of lighting in the form of huge glass chandeliers is eye catching
Indore Museum: The Indore museum houses the finest collection of Parmar sculptures from Hinglajgarh. The Parmar style originated here and and is characterized by proportionated figures, carefully and ornately depicted in stone. The museum is also known for its collection of coins, arms and armours.
Nehru Park: This is the oldest and most centrally located park in Indore. Built by the Britons as Biscow Park, it was open to only British in the pre independence days. It was renamed as Nehru Park after independence. It has a variety of roses, library, swiming pool, children's hobby centre etc. It also operates miniature train to ride around the park. It also has battery operated cars.
Meghdoot Upavan: Newest and the largest of the gardens situated on the outskirts of the city, about four kilometers from Palasia. It has sprawling lawns, lighted fountains, Musical fountains, landscaped gardens. It has been extensively renovated in 2000-01. There is an amusement park Mangal Merry Land adjacent to it. Ice cream parlours, milk parlours, Chaat gali are on the outside. Gomatgiri: In 1981, the M.P. government donated a hillock to the Jain Samaj, who constructed a 21 feet statue of Gomateshwar, a replica of the Bahubali statue of Shrawanbegola in Karnataka. Also built are 24 marble temples with shikars, for each Tirthankar. Gomatgiri is approached by a lovely picturesque drive 10 minutes from the city airport. It also has a guest house, a dharamshala and a restaurant. Bijasen Tekri: This hillock (tekri) has a small temple of Bijasen Mata, built in 1920. Every Year a Mela is held here during Navaratri. This place is two minutes drive from the airport and about nine kms from the railway station. From this hill, one gets a magnificent view of the sunset and a breathtaking view of city at night. Perched on top of the hill was a guest house of the Holkars, now converted into a Border Security Force Arms Museum. Surrounding area is being developed into gardens with a small lake.
Deoguradia:
In a small picturesque village of Deoguradia, 8 kms from Indore, on Nemawar road, stands the monolithic rock temple built in 7th century and redone in 18th century by Ahilya Bai Holkar. Also known as Garuda Tirth, it has a water outlet in the shape of of Gomukh from which water flows out almost as in Abhishek. The original Shivalinga is 12 ft under water in a sunken temple above which the present temple is constructed. On every Shivratri, a fair is held in honour of the diety - Shri Gutkeshwar Mahadeo. Kasturbagram:
8 km from Indore, the Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust was founded by Mahatma Gandhi. Its headquarter were shifted from Wardha to Indore in 1915. The main objective of this trust is showing ways of improvement in the quality of village life and the welfare of rural Indore is a paradise for shoppers and those who are fond of good and tasty food. one can find the wide varity of snacks to eat. Chhappan Bazar and Sarafa are places to visit. Chhappan Bazar has many shops selling mouthwatering "Chaat" and related stuff. Sarafa, which as the name suggests, is a jewelry market during day time. But at night, when the jewelry shops close, the place is magically transformed into a large indian fast food centre selling rabri, rasmalai, kulfi, and an amazing array of vegetarian snack foods and namkeens. This narrow mile long road (close to Rajwada) is packed with people through most of the night and has a carnival atmosphere. Nakhrali Dhani/ Chokhi Dhani: This is a new concept in entertainment which is fast catching roots in Indore. These are sort of heritage villages with rustic Rajasthani atmosphere. There are camel / horse / goat / bullock rides, train ride, puppet show, magic show, monkey show, bioscope, etc for the kids in addition to boating facility, rajasthani dance cum entertainment show, a public dance hall (disko!) etc. There is also a spacious indian style dining hall where hot, tasty meals are served. The whole area is nicely landscaped and kept clean and well maintained. Open full day on week ends and in the evening till night on working days. There are currently two such villages, Nakhrali Dhani at Rau in the souther suburb and Chokkhi Dhani on Khandwa road in the eastern suburb. These provide a very good means of family outing in the evenings Bijasen Tekri
A 2 minutes drive from the airport leads you to a hillock on which was perched a guest house of the Holkars, now converted into Border Security Arms Museum, as well as a small temple of Bijasen Mata, built in 1920, which has a magnificent view of the sunset. A mela (fair) is held during the Navratri. A good picnic spot, with a breathtaking view of
Indore city by night. Gomatgiri
The Jain Samaj has constructed a 21 feet statue of Lord Gomateshwar, a replica of the Bahubali statue of Shravanbelagola. Also built here are 24 marble temples with shilars for each tirthankar. Indore Zoo:
If you like wild life, you must visit Indore Zoo. Its right near navlakha square and chhawni, on AB Road Indore. For a minimal fee, the full day zoo entry gives you a lot to see.
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