Madhya Pradesh | 2022 | Maheshwar and Mandu

I was bored of short day rides and needed something big, big in terms of distance so that I can sort myself out. Short rides don’t excite me anymore. It’s the thrill of driving for hrs throughout the day which keeps my blood pumping. I needed a variety in landscape, people, and culture. The right opportunity came as I got 3 days and I knew where to head.

Maheshwar had been in my mind for a long and so this time I decided to visit the place. It was close to 550kms from my home in the state of Madhya Pradesh, nestled on the banks of the Narmada River.

In the late eighteenth century, Maheshwar served as the capital of the great Maratha queen Rajmata Ahilya Devi Holkar. She embellished the city with many buildings and public works, and it is home to her palace, as well as numerous temples, a fort, and riverfront ghats (broad stone steps which step down to the river).

Being a History lover, I love traveling to historical places of significance. The last I read about Ahilya Devi was during my school days. It was time now to witness everything in practical.

It was going to be a long riding day and so I started early and left home around 7 am. I had packed some pairs of clothes and was carrying my toolkit along with my hydra pack. I had packed very light which was in contrast to what I generally do.

The route was via Nashik, crossing Malegaon, Dhule, Shirpur, Sendhwa, and finally Maheshwar. It was my first time using this highway towards Nashik and the build quality was superb. After riding continuously for more than 3.5 hrs, I stopped for breakfast just before Sinnar. I found a roadside Dhaba and had ‘Aloo Paratha’.

The heat was intense which required frequent stops for hydration. The stretch between Nashik and Dhule was great, both in terms of roads as well as scenery. The landscape was dotted with Grapevines and Onion plantations. The vines were ready for the harvest and I could see many farmers harvesting their produce and packing them in plastic crates. The onions were not yet ready for harvesting. It is said and heard that most of the produce in this belt is exported outside India.

At around 2:30 pm, I stopped for lunch at a roadside hotel just after crossing Dhule. Lunch consisted of Masala papad, Sev Bhaji, and Roti! The road continued to be great as I entered Madhya Pradesh. At around 5:30 pm, I set my eyes on the Narmada river over a bridge. The setting sun had cast an orangish hue everywhere, even changing the river color to shining golden. The river was flowing calmly over the rocks and its girth was huge. I prayed before moving on.

I entered Maheshwar around 6:15 pm and immediately started to look for stay options. I first head to the ‘Narmada Resort’ managed by the Madhya Pradesh government but the rates were high and also they were out of beds. Thinking, It’s best to ask the locals, I headed towards the tea joint which I had crossed along the way.

I found some locals having tea there and I also ordered one. I found a good gentleman sipping tea who told me that he knew a budget hotel where I could get accommodation for around 500 rs for the night. He phoned the hotel ahead of our visit and told them that we were on our way. They both know each other well and after our tea was finished we headed to the place which was just 500 mtr ahead. The hotel’s name was ‘Shree Radha Krishna Palace” and I was greeted by a smiling boy at the reception.

After settling in my room and getting fresh, I headed out to explore the city. I went straight to the ghat, the directions being told to me by the reception boy. It was hardly a 1 km walk. People could be seen everywhere and the streets were dimly lit.

It was just a recce walk getting to know the things around. The next complete day was kept for exploring the place. Before sleeping, as I was reading about the history of the place, one of the blog posts suggested a visit to ‘Mandu’ as it was nearby and so that place too was added.

The next morning, I started early and armed with my camera headed straight to the ghats. The sun had already come up and it was a beautiful sight to see. I didn’t expect so much crowd as it was Monday. I spent some time at the Ghats followed by a visit to Kashi Vishwanath temple, Maheshwar fort, Ahilya temple, the palace of Queen Ahilya bai Devi where she used to stay.

I spent quite of time inside the fort as there was a lot to see. The detailed masonry work was a treat to the eye. The detailed work on the stones was just from another world. There are many such places around and one will need a sharp eye to find them.

Maheshwar is also known for Maheshwari sarees which are a blend of Silk and Cotton. This work is purely done physically using traditional handloom machines. It takes 3-4 days to make 1 saree and this industry dates back to the 5th century. It was promoted and introduced to Maheshwar by Ahilya Bai Devi.

It was 10 am by the time I was finished seeing everything and it was time for some eating. I went to Labbooz cafe, which I had read about the other night. It is managed by the Holkar trust. The ambiance and the location were just splendid. Lush green trees all around flanked by a fort wall on one side. A scooter was hung up on the fort wall with the cafe’s name below it. I still don’t know who “Labbooz” was.

After breakfast, I went to see the ladies making the saree by hand and it was really a great experience watching them weave. The sound of Click-Clack filled the courtyard. After spending some more time at the fort and feeding some food to the fishes of the Narmada, I retreated back to the hotel to freshen up and to get ready for ‘Mandu’.

Baobab trees are not native to India and I was surprised to see one along the way. I had heard of this tree in the books which I had read about travels in Africa. The tree was huge and it clearly dwarfed my big bike. This tree is a lifeline for many in Africa.

Upon reaching Mandu, I could see old Muslim architecture-type buildings all around. Some intact and some broken and in dilapidated condition. It was for visiting these buildings, I had come to this place. It was confusing to begin the exploration at first but soon I purchased a travelers guide for Mandu. The leaflet told all the important places around Mandu. Most of the buildings here were built by the Mughals around the 14th and 15th centuries. The biggest Mosque ever built “Jama Masjid” was situated here. All the monuments at Mandu are protected by the Archeological Survey of India. The city was originally founded by Raja Bhoj.

Mandu was ruled over by many dynasties. Parmar, Tuglakh, Khilji, Mughal and Marathas. It is said that one should visit Mandu during Rainy Season as it gives a completely new picture of the city of Mandu.

Places to Visit while in Mandu:

1. Ashrafi Mahal.
2. Jami Masjid.
3. Rupmati Mahal.
4. Baj Bahadur Tomb.
5. Hindola Mahal.
6. Jahaj Mahal.
7. Champa Baoudi.
8. Hammam.
9. Nilkanth Mahadev.
10. Hoshag Shah Tomb.

Things to try and takeaway from Mandu:

1. Baobab tree Fruit (Mandu ki Imli).
2. Khirni.
3. Custard Apple.

I started the exploration around noon and didn’t quite expect it would take that much time to cover the place. There were just too many things to see here, even more buildings than Maheshwar. The noticeable part was the architecture and a marvel in masonry work similarly which was seen in Maheshwar. I gave justice to each one of the buildings and tried to cover as many buildings as possible before heading back to Maheshwar. There were still some things left to do back in Maheshwar.

I started my return journey back around 5 pm and along the way stop to admire the beautiful sunset. The golden wheat fields shining and swaying with the wind. Madhya Pradesh is the largest producer of Wheat in India.

On the way back, I stopped to visit the Narmada’s Sahastradhara which was recommended to me. I reached Maheshwar around 6:30 pm following which I again went to the Ghats for a quick stroll and to say a final goodbye to the river until I meet here again. On the way back, I dined at Banke Bihari’s hotel and got some really tasty home-cooked food. Unlimited thali at 70rs.

Back at the hotel room, it was time for rest and to prepare for the long journey back home the next day.