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My travelogue this week takes you to two picturesque places located on the banks of holy river Narmada. Among them, Omkareshwar is one of the important Jyotirlingas. The other is the historic ancient city of Maheshwar. It was the capital of Holkar ruler Ahilyabai Holkar in the 18th century. One can not appreciate Maheshwar without knowing the ancient mythological linkages to this place known as Mahishmati,
MAHESHWAR:
Maheshwar has a rich history associated with it. In addition, an umpteen number of mythological stories & legends are associated with river Narmada. They lend a touch of spirituality, mystery and sanctity to these places. As they make an interesting read, I shall narrate them in brief here.
Legends of river Narmada:
“नर्मदायै नम: प्रात: नर्मदायै
नमो निशि। नमोस्तु नर्मदे।।’
(Salutation to Narmada in the mornings & evenings. O, Narmada, the River Goddess, I salute you.)
Narmada originates at the beautiful location of Amarkantak (border of Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh) and flows westwards (unlike all other major rivers). It is flanked by Vindhyas in the north and Satpuras in the South and is considered as natural boundary between North & South. It traverses a distance of 1250 kms before meeting the Arabian Sea near Bharuch in Gujarat. Jabalpur, Hoshangabad, Omkareshwar, Maheshwar and Bharuch are the important places on its banks. As no large industrial town is located on its banks, Narmada is the least polluted river of India.
Narmada is considered to be the holiest among all the holy rivers of India. According to 3 Puranas (Matsya, Agni & Shiv), she is the only river that is indestructible. It is believed that it would continue to flow for ever. She is considered to be so sacred that the other holy rivers Ganga & Yamuna come to bathe in her waters once a year to purify themselves. According to ancient Hindu texts, a dip in the river Ganga or a dip for a week in Yamuna would wash away one’s sins. But just the sight of Narmada is enough to clean the soul and body (Ecology of Narmada by K Sankaran Unni).
Mythological narration of Narmada: Narmada is also known as Shankari. It is said that once Shankar was so deep in meditation that perspiration formed on his forehead and few drops fell. Narmada formed from those drops. Hence Narmada is also referred to as daughter of Shiva. According to another legend Narmada was formed when a teardrop fell from the eye of Brahma on the ground !!
Vedic linkage of Mahishmati (Maheshwar):
Kartavirya Arjuna (Sanskrit: कार्तवीर्य अर्जुन, Kārtavīrya Arjuna; also known as Sahasrabahu Arjuna or Sahasrarjuna) was a legendary king of an ancient Haihayas kingdom with capital at Mahishmati. He is also referred to simply as Arjuna (not to be confused with Arjuna of Mahabharata). He is described as having a thousand hands and a great devotee of god Dattatreya. One of the several accounts states that Sahasrarjuna conquered Mahishmati city from Karkotaka Naga, a Naga chief and made it his fortress-capital. As per mythology, Sahasrarjuna had defeated Ravana in a dual and was kept as a prisoner in Mahishmati for six months.
History of Maheshwar:
Maheshwar finds mention in both Ramayana and Mahabharata. Even historical evidence points to the fact that the area around Maheshwar has been continuously inhabited during the last two millenniums. Maheshwar has been part of the kingdoms of Mauryas, Guptas and Harshavardhana. Later it came under the control of Paramara followed by Delhi Sultanate and in 1562 it became a Mughal province under Akbar. After Aurangzeb’s death in 1707, it was taken over by Marathas.
Malhar Rao Holkar (1693-1766) was the commander in the army of Peshwa Baji Rao I. In recognition of his conquests, Peshwa awarded him the region of Malwa including Indore, Maheshwar & Omkareshwar. His son Khanderao Holkar was married to Ahilyabai. Khanderao died in 1754 in a battle and 12 years later Malhar Rao Holkar died. A year after that Ahilyabai took over the reigns of the kingdom. She shifted the capital from Indore to Maheshwar and ruled from there for 28 years from 1767 till her death in 1795. As she did not have a son, after her death, the mantle of the kingdom fell on Tukoji Rao Holkar who was her commander.
Reign of Ahilyabai – the golden period:
There have been quite few female rulers in India but their achievements pale in comparison to what Ahilyabai accomplished in her 28 years of rule. Her rule of Malwa is often cited as a model for effective and model government. She is known as an able administrator, benevolent ruler and a brave warrior who led her army into battles. She was a devotee of Shiva and a pious lady. A well read lady with modern outlook, she dispensed justice with a firm hand. During her reign there was absolute peace in the Malwa region and she commanded absolute affection and respect from her people.
Ahilyabai led a simple life. Her palace in Maheshwar known as Rajwada is spartan and devoid of all luxurious amenities. She never used public funds for personal use. On the contrary, she used the personal wealth that she inherited for public use. During her rule, Indore developed from an obscure village to a large, prosperous trading centre. She encouraged and rewarded poets, musicians, craftsmen. She was responsible for establishing and developing handloom industry at Maheshwar. It is said that she had only three sarees which had been woven by her !!
Not many know that Ahilyabai was a great builder and built temples, tanks, baolis and dharamshalas across the length and breadth of the country. She built the present Kashi Vishwanath Temple and several ghats in Varanasi including Ahilya Ghat. She gave grants and funds for the upkeep of all the Jyotirlingas and several other temples in India. They included Kedarnath/ Badrinath from the North to Rameshwaram in the South and Jagannath Puri in the East to Somnath in the West.
Many Britishers, historians and scholars have written in her praise. If we read them, we are bound to get the feeling that we as a nation have not given her due recognition that she truly deserved. Recently a TV Serial on this great queen is being shown which I believe is a good attempt to take her story to the masses. While we sing eulogies about other kings & emperors, we have failed to tell our children about this magnificent woman who was an able & great ruler!
The following lines penned by the Scottish English poet Joanna Baillie in 1849 is an eye-opener:
“ 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,
…………
To rule our land, came this noble Dame,
Kind was her heart and bright her fame,
And Ahilya was her honoured name”
There is no doubt that in Malwa region and many parts of Maharashtra, Ahilyabai was revered as a Saint. In Indore & Maheshwar, her memory is cherished with deep reverence even till this date.
Maheshwar – a delightful experience
Maheshwar is a town of temples & ghats on the Narmada. The lives of about 40k residents of Maheshwar revolve around Narmada, ghats, temples & weaving of Maheshwari Sarees. Ahilyabai built majority of the 28 ghats, temples & shrines that line the town’s 1.5 kms long waterfront. Among the ghats, the better known are Ahilya, Peshwa & Phanase ghats. Ahilya ghat is the most impressive of all with an imposing gate that leads to the Fort & Rajwada. For majority of the people of Maheshwar, the day starts with a dip in Narmada and a visit to one of the several temples skirting the ghats.
A boat ride in Narmada is a delightful experience as it gives a panoramic view of the fort (built by Akbar), ghats and the several temples. We can see holy men robed in saffron chanting mantras or performing rituals, women washing clothes or carrying brimming pitchers of water and children frolicking in the water. The boat also takes you to Baneshwar Shivalaya, a small temple in the middle of the river. This is an ancient temple believed to have been built in the 9th/10th century. According to the Vedas, a line from the North Star passes through this temple to the earth’s centre. As per mythology, it is believed that Banasur had done severe penance at this particular spot to please Shiva. Pleased with his devotion, Shiva granted him a boon.
In so many ways Maheshwar gives the feel of being a miniature version of Varanasi (Kashi/Banaras). They have so many things in common – both are ancient towns, Shiva is the presiding deity of both the towns, both Ganga & Narmada are holy rivers. Both have river front dotted with ghats & temples.
Several Hindi & Marathi movies have been shot in Maheshwar. In recent times the movie ‘Padman’ starring Akshay Kumar was filmed in Maheshwar.
Ahileshwar Shivalaya:
The most imposing & striking structure of Maheshwar is the tall Ahileshwar Shivalaya which visitors often mistake to be a Shiva temple. It is actually Ahilyabai’s Chattri. Ahilyabai’s daughter Krishnabai built it in her honour after her death in 1795. Its garbagriha contains a shivlinga and a marble statue of Ahilyabai.
Vithoji’s Chattri:
This beautiful Chattri (cenotaph) and temple stand opposite Ahileshwar Shivalaya in a large premises. Vithoji Rao was the younger brother of king Yashwant Rao Holkar and was a brave commander & warrior. The Chattri is built on a high plinth and has two bulbous domes. It has majestic elephants carved on its plinth. The compound walls are carved with figures of Krishna, musicians, dancers, couples and even some figures resembling Europeans.
Rajwada:
Rajwada (the royal residence) was built at one end of the fort overlooking the Narmada after Ahilyabai decided to move the capital from Indore to Maheshwar. Keeping with the simple tastes of Ahilyabai, Rajwada was bereft of all embellishments often seen in other royal palaces. In the Rajwada there is a throne room which has a simple gadi on a wooden frame that was her throne. A life-size marble statue of Ahilyabai is seated there. Being a pious & spiritual lady she had a private temple which had a golden swing and hundreds of Shivlings. One portion of the Rajwada has been converted into a heritage hotel called Ahilya Fort Hotel.
Labboo’z cafe: This is a quaint little cafe within the fort/palace complex. We got excellent tea served in tea pots with french fries & paneer pakoras. They also have lodging facility.
Maheshwari Sarees: Traditional Maheshwari sarees woven with silk yarn from Bangalore and Varanasi and super fine cotton yarn from Coimbatore is popular all over the country. Earlier only vegetable dyes were used to colour the sarees but now chemical dyes are also being used to bring down the cost. The unique feature of Maheshwari sarees is that it is reversible i.e. it can be worn from both the sides. Maheshwari sarees are very soft and the cotton sarees are perfect for the summer months. The price ranges from Rs 1500 to Rs 10000.
The Holkars established the Rehwa Society in 1978. This has revived the centuries-old handweaving tradition of Maheshwar. Today in addition to sarees, Rehwa also makes kurtas, shawls, stoles & table linen. In places like these, one has to be prepared to loosen the purse strings! My wife picked up 4 sarees at one local store near the Rajwada, one for herself and three for gifting!
OMKARESHWAR:
Omkareshwar or Onkareshwar is an important Jyotirlinga located on the banks of river Narmada in a picturesque setting. The small town is at a distance of 85 kms from Indore and the drive is pleasurable & scenic as it passes through the hills, valleys & teak forests. Omkareshwar temple along with scores of other temples is located on a cliff in an island that overlooks the river, The island is in the shape of OM or AUM, the holy symbol of Hindus. This has given the name Omkareshwar to the place.
The pilgrims & tourists have two options to reach the island from the other side of the river. One has to walk a km from the parking area to the temple. On the way, one has to cross a cantilevered foot-bridge. The other option is to go down to the river and take one of the several boats regularly plying between both the sides. One can also hire a boat to take a round in the river. We chose the foot-bridge. We had to make our way from the parking to the bridge through a stone paved street. There were shops selling flowers, sindoor, coconuts, shivlingas and idols of gods & goddessses. While crossing the bridge we were reminded of Lakshman Jhula & Ram Jhula of Rishikesh. The view of the temple shikharas & jharokas of the rest houses from the bridge looked scenic & inviting.
We had darshan of the Jyotirlinga and thereafter did the special abhishek puja in a hall overlooking the river. As we were running short of time we didn’t go around the other temples in the town.
Both Maheshwar & Omkareshwar are easily accessible from Indore. We covered both the places in the space of a day. Though if you want to explore Maheshwar and some nearby attractions, a night’s stay in Maheshwar could be planned.
Next week we travel to Indore & Ujjain.
I have clicked all the pics.
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Disclaimer: I have made sincere efforts to provide you the correct information about all the places that have been culled out from various sources. I do not take any responsibility for any errors that might have crept in the narration. There is no intention to hurt the faith or religious sentiments of any person or community.
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