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Indore
Excursion
[ Lal Baug Palace | Bada Ganpati
| Kanch Mandir | The Mahatma Gandhi
Hall | Central Museum | Gita Bhavan
| Chhatri Bagh | Rajawada | Nehru
Park | Annapurna Temple | Khajrana
| Kasturbagram | Bijasen Tekri
| Gomatgiri | MHOW | Patal
Pani | Dhar | Jhabua | Nemawar
]
Lal Baug Palace
Lal
Baug palace lies on the southwest of the city surrounded by gardens.
It was built between 1886 and 1921 under the construction of Tukoji
Rao Holkar II and was carried out in three phases. The final phase
was completed in 1921 under Tukoji Rao Holkar III. It has a total
area of 28 hectares, and at one time it had the reputation of having
one of the best rose gardens in the country. Currently, this is
the residence of Usha Raje, direct descendent of the Holkars. It
is one of the grandest monuments of the Holkar dynasty.
Much of the furniture and ornamentation is in the late regency
in the early Georgian style. It's Italian marble columns, grand
chandeliers, rich Persian carpets, flying nymphs on the ceiling,
Belgium stained glass windows, Greek mythological relief's, Italian
style wall paintings, a wooden ballroom floor mounted on springs,
stuffed leopards and tigers are magnificent. The whole complex has
a total area of 28 acres and at one time had one of the best rose
gardens of the country.
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Bada Ganpati
Better known for its size than antiquity, this
temple resides 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 like bricks,
limestone, masala made of Gud and methi Dana. Even soil collected
from seven moksha puris: Ayodhya, Mathura, Maya, Kashi, Kanchi,
Avantika, and Dwarka, 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.
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Kanch Mandir
As
the name suggests, the full temple is made up of coloured glasses
also known as 'Kanch'. The "Cotton King" Sir Hukamchand,
built this Jain temple in the early 20th century. Inside this Jain
temple thousands of mirrors adorn the walls, floor and ceilings,
supplemented by brightly patterned ceramic tiles, Chinese lantern-type
glass lamps and cut glass chandeliers. The use of glass beads and
raised figures produces a pleasing 3-D effect. The paintings are
done in coloured glass, which depict stories from Jain scriptures.
There also exists a special glass chamber on top, which multiplies
the three statues of Lord Mahavira.
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The Mahatma Gandhi
Hall
This is one of the prettiest buildings in Indore.
Built in 1904 and originally named as King Edward Hall, it was renamed
as the Mahatma Gandhi Hall in 1948. This Indo-gothic structure is
made in seoni stone and its domes and steeples are the 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. The building also has a library,
children's park and a temple.
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Central Museum
The Indore Museum houses the finest collection
of Parmar sculptures from Hinglajgarh. The Parmar style originated
here, and is characterized by proportioned figures, carefully and
elaborately depicted in stone. The museum is also known for its
collection of coins, arms and armour.
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Gita Bhavan
It is adorned with many statues of Gods of various
religions. Its construction is inspired by the religious motto "many
names to a God is after all of one God." It is open to all
people, irrespective of caste, creed, and religion, with a provision
for devotes to pray separately. Central hall is decorated with wall
paintings from the Puranas, Ramayana, and Mahabharata and is also
used for religious discourses or Pravachans.
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Chhatri Bagh
It is on the banks of the river Khan. Chhatris
are the tombs or cenotaphs erected in memory of dead Holkar rulers
and their family members, but the inner sanctums are locked. The
largest and most impressive Chhatri is that of Malhar Rao Holkar
I. These Chhatris, which are picturesquely poised near Rajawada,
are incomparable in terms of Maratha architecture and sculpture
of their period. At Chhatri Bagh is the main collection of tombs
housed in two compounds. Close by is the beautiful Bolia Sarkar's
Chhatri constructed in 1858 AD, in memory of Sardar Chimnaji Appa
Sahib Bolia.
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Rajawada
The
Rajawada with its 7-storeyed gateway faces the main square. A mixture
of French, Mughal and Maratha styles, the palace has caught fire
nearly three times in its 200-year history. Its lofty entrance archway
above a huge wooden door encrusted with iron studs leads into a
vast courtyard enclosed by galleries' rooms. The lower three floors
are made of stone and the upper floors are made of wood. After the
serious conflagration in 1984, it's now not much more than a facade.
The new palace still remains on the north side.
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Nehru Park
It is the oldest and most centrally located park
in Indore. Built by the British, initially known as Biscow Park,
it was open only to them in the pre independence days. It was renamed
as Nehru Park after independence. It has a variety of roses, library,
swimming pool, children's hobby centre etc. It also has battery-operated
cars and a miniature train to ride around the park.
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Annapurna Temple
The
Meenakshi temple of Madurai inspired this temple. Four life-sized
elephants hold a lavishly decorated gate in plaster. Inside the
temple of Annapurna Devi are also temples of Shiva, Kal Bhairava,
Hanuman and a Pravachan Hall. The outer wall of the main temple
is decorated with colourful motifs from mythological stories.
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Khajrana
The citizens of Indore have great faith in this
Ganesh temple, built during the reign of Ahilyabai Holkar. It is
believed that praying here fulfills all wishes of the people. Nearby
is the Dargah of Nahar Sayed. This is an important pilgrimage place
for Maita Muslims.
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Kasturbagram
Mahatma Gandhi founded the Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust,
which lies 8 km from Indore. Its headquarter was 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 women and children. Some of its many commendable activities
are the agricultural production, research, training, experiments
in fruit orchards, social forestry, new renewable sources of energy,
gobar gas, better water management, rural institute for girls, village
sanitation programmes.
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Bijasen Tekri
A two-minute drive from the airport leads you to
a hillock that was a perched guesthouse of the Holkars. But, which
is now converted into Border Security Arms Museum. It also leads
to 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. It
is a good picnic spot, with a breathtaking view of Indore City by
night.
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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 Tirthankara.
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Military Headquarters
of War (MHOW)
23 km from Indore is the Military Headquarters
of War (MHOW), which was supposedly the war management centre of
the British during the World War. It is presently one of India's
most prestigious military training establishments for senior and
higher commands and the entire cantonment is beautifully landscaped.
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Patal Pani
36 km from Indore, this place is famous for its
waterfall. Here, water falls from a height of 150 feet into a kund,
but the depth of place is still a mystery. It is believed that the
bottom of this cryptic kund reaches Patal (netherworld), hence the
name Patal Pani. It is a popular picnic spot.
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Dhar
64 km from Indore on the Indore-Ahmedabad road is Dhar, the capital
of Parmar Kings, among whom Raja Bhoj was the most prominent. During
the Muslim rule, Dhar was under the Sultans of Delhi. In the monuments,
one can see the combination of Hindu, Afghan and Mughal architecture.
Bhoj Shala, Laat Masjid, the Fort and the lakes are the main tourist
attractions.
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Jhabua
151 km from Indore on the Indore-Ahmedabad highway,
this place is the home of the tribal Bhils and Bhilalas.
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Nemawar
128 km from Indore, this is situated on the other
side of the bank of the Narmada, and was the place where Jamdagni,
the father of Parasuram, meditated. The temple of Renukaji is situated
near the village, the ancient temple of Siddhanath is also situated
to Nemawar.
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Information on Tours & Travel excursion of Indore city of
Madhya Pradesh - India
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