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Maheshwar, former capital of Malwa • Madhya Pradesh, India

Discover Maheshwar in less than 4 minutes: a historical gem on the banks of the Narmada. Once the capital of the Holkar kingdom, this town enchants with its Ahilya Fort and textile traditions. Dive into the history and culture of this lesser-known jewel of India.
00:00 • intro | 00:43 • on the banks of the Namada River | 01:42 • Maheshwar fort

Personal creation from visual material collected during my trip India - Kumbh Mela • Madhya Pradesh • Maharashtra • Goa (2018)

Maheshwar

About a hundred kilometers from Indore, on the banks of the Narmada river, there is a small town of about 30,000 inhabitants. On the scale of India, Maheswhar is therefore a very small town.

It was however the capital of Malwa. Malwa is a synonym for the old state of Madhya Bharat, created at the time of India's independence in 1947, before its merger with Madhya Pradesh in 1956. It was also around this time that the status of capital was kidnapped in favor of Indore.

It was not, however, the first time that Maheshwar had the honor of being a capital. Queen Ahilyabai had already made it the capital of the state of Holkar at the end of the 18th century. But it was not the first time that the status of capital was transferred to Indore either. It had already happened in 1818 ...

It is from this time that the textile tradition of Maheswhar dates back, whose quality of saree making still attracts many customers today. Maheswar had also become a center of literature and art during the reign of this sovereign.

This queen also built the magnificent palace which is located on the banks of the Narmada river in Maheshwar, the Ahilya palace, or Fort Ahilya.

Maheshwar Fort: Ahilya Palace

Ahilya Bai built her magnificent palace within the walls of Mughal fortifications dating from the 16th century. In fact, in this enclosure are several interwoven constructions.

At the foot of the fortress are various temples and places of prayer. Several linga (or lingam), phallic symbols of Shiva are found on the bank of the river. Often accompanied by a small sacred cow statue.

Spoken comments in the film: 

Small stop on the road to Mandu, Maheshwar is a small town that is really worth the detour. Maheshwar is a small town in the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India, which has less than 40,000 inhabitants. It is located along the Narmada River which is one of the 7 sacred rivers of India. This relatively unknown city was the capital of the Holgar dynasty which ruled the Mahata Empire until the 19th century.

Akhileshwar temple, Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh • India
Narmada river, Maheshwar • India • Madhya Pradesh

Narmada river

lingas on the ghats, Maheshwar • India • Madhya Pradesh

lingas on the ghats

the fort, Maheshwar • India • Madhya Pradesh

the fort

the fort entrance, Maheshwar • India • Madhya Pradesh

the fort entrance

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