Indore is the largest city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, situated on the banks of River Khan and Sarawati. These two streams merge together t the center of the city where a small temple named Sangamnath or Indreshwar exists. Situated on Malwa plateau, Indore is fast growing city of India keeping intact the ancient traditions and blending both creating a unique as well as distinct environment. The city also houses two premier institutions of India the IIT and IIM. The city is well-known for architectural magnificence that narrates the saga of the glorious past. Besides being a historical city, Indore is also the commercial capital of the state of Madhya Pradesh.
Geography and Climate
Located in the Malawa Plateau on the banks of Rivers Saraswati and Khan, which are tributaries of the Shipra River, Indore has an average elevation of 553m above sea level. It is situated on an elevated plain, with the Vindhyachal range to the south. The city is bounded by cities, namely Pithampur and Betma on the west, Hatod and Depalpur on the northwest, Ujjain with Sawer on the north, Dewas and Manglaya Sadak on the northeast, Kampel and Simrol on southeast and Khandwa, Mhow Choral and Manpur on the south.
Indore has a borderline humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cwa) and tropical savanna climate (Aw). Three distinct seasons are observed: summer, monsoon and winter. Summers start in mid-March and can be extremely hot in April and May. The daytime temperatures can touch 42 °C (108 °F) on more than one occasion. Average summer temperatures may go as high as 40 °C (104 °F) but humidity is very low.nWinters are moderate and usually dry. Lower temperatures can go as low as 4 °C (39 °F)-6 °C (43 °F) on some nights. Usually the temperature ranges between 8 to 26 °C during winters. Rains are due to southwest monsoons. The typical monsoon season goes from 15 June till mid-September, contributing 32–35 inches of annual rains. 95% of rains occur during monsoon season. The city gets moderate rainfall of 35 to 38 inches (890 to 970 mm) during July–September due to the southwest monsoon.
Demographics
As per provisional reports of Census India, population of Indore in 2011 is 1,960,631; of which male and female are 1,020,883 and 939,748, respectively. In education section, total literates in Indore city are 1,516,434 of which 827,975 are males while 688,459 are females. Average literacy rate of Indore city is 87.38% of which male and female literacy was 91.84% and 82.55%. The sex ratio of Indore city is 921 per 1000 males. It is home to the large Jain community outside Gujarat and Rajasthan. Ethnically, Hindi is the chief language of the city followed by Marathi, Punjabi, Sindhi and Gujarati. Indore is always ranked as the home to the highest number of billionaires in the state.
History of Indore
The history of Indore reveals that the ancestors of the founders of the city were the hereditary Zamindars and indigenous landholders of Malwa. The families of these landlords led a luxurious life. They retained their possessions of royalty, including an elephant, Nishan, Danka and Gadi even after the advent of Holkars. They even retained the right of performing the first pooja of Dussehra (Shami Pujan). During Mughal rule, the families were granted confirmatory sanads by the Emperors Aurangzeb, Alamgir and Farukhshayar, confirming their 'Jagir' rights.
Rao Nandlal Chaudhary Zamindar was the Chief Zamindar and received a special place in the emperor's court of Delhi. He was presented two jewel studded swords, which are now displayed in the Royal British Museum. He was also friendly with Raja Savai Jai Singh of Jaipur. He gifted him with a special "Gold Langar" which guaranteed a special place to him in all the Durbars of India. In 1713, Deccan plateau was handed over to Nizam. This renewed the struggle between the Marathas and the Mughals. Read on to know more about the historical background of Indore.
From time to time, Maratha invaders kept harassing the people of Malwa Rao Nandlal Chaudhary. Being the chief Zamindar, he had an army of 2000 soldiers. Once, while visiting the banks of river Saraswati, Rao Nandlal found a location surrounded by rivers on all sides. To protect his people from harassment by Marathas and Mughals, he started moving his people to this place and constructed the fort of Shree Sansthan Bada Rawala. This city was named Indrapur after Lord Indreshwar, and eventually came to be known as Indore.
In 1743 AD, Baji Rao Peshwa finally received the Viceroyalty of Malwa. However he was bound by a treaty from infringing upon the rights of Zamindars. Malhar Rao Holkar was one of the four signatories of the treaty. So, on victory, the Peshwas appointed Malhar Rao Holkar as a "Subhedar". This marked the beginning of Holkars' reign in Malwa. Indore also came under the rule of Maratha Maharajas of the Holkar dynasty. In 1733, the dynasty's founder, Malhar Rao Holkar (1694-1766), was appointed as the Maratha Governor of the region. By the end of his reign, the Holkar state was independent. He was succeeded by his daughter-in-law Ahilyabai Holkar (1767 - 1795). She ruled from a palace-fort at Maheshwar, situated to the south of Indore. Ahilyabai Holkar had a passion for architecture. She used to donate money for the construction of Hindu temples, across the Indian subcontinent. In 1818, the Holkars were defeated by the British in the Third Anglo-Maratha War and the Holkar kingdom became a part of the British Empire.
After the defeat in the Battle of Mahidpur, the treaty of Mandsaur was signed. According to which, the Cantonment town of Mhow was handed over to the British. The treaty also declared the shifting of the capital of the Holkar state from Maheshwar to Indore. In 1947, after India's independence, Indore, along with other princely states, became a part of the Indian state of Madhya Bharat. Indore was elected as the summer capital of the new state. Finally, on November 1, 1956, Madhya Bharat was merged into Madhya Pradesh.
Culture of Indore
The cultural heritage of Indore includes magnificent remains of its glorious past, soulful religious places and beautiful surroundings. Indore culture is a unique blend of various cultures from across the country. Owing to its rich cultural background, Indore Festivals are celebrated with great zest and are one of the main attractions of the city. Although the city celebrates western festivals such as New Year Eve and Friendship Day, Indore has not lost its traditional values and all Indian festivals are celebrated with grandeur.
Tourist Places in Indore
Indore has a rich cultural heritage and being ruled over by some of the greatest rulers, there are several historical monuments and religious places that grabs the attention of tourists. The city has a lot to offer to its visitors and with its architectural splendor, it is a major tourist destination of India. Some of popular tourist attractions are:
Transportation
Air
Indore is air connected to major cities in India by public and private domestic airlines and houses an airport named Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport, which is just 10 km from city centre. Indore is connected to places like Jaipur, Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Bhopal and Chennai. Taxi services are available from Indore airport to city. International travelers can get connecting flights to Indore from Delhi (800 km) or Mumbai (655 km) airport.
Rail
Indore Junction Railway Station is an important railway station in Western railway zone. It is well connected to all major railway stations in India. Direct train services are available to Bhopal, Pune, Malwa, Delhi and many other cities.
Roads
Indore is well connected by state road transport public bus services. Regular bus services are available from Ujjain (55 km), Delhi (800 km) and Mumbai (655 km) to Indore Ujjain. Super fast and Deluxe A/C buses are also available in these routes. Besides, these, Radio Taxis, Metro Taxi and auto rickshaws are available for local transportation around the city. There are also City Buses that ply to 36 Routes, with around 170 bus stop stations.
Geography and Climate
Located in the Malawa Plateau on the banks of Rivers Saraswati and Khan, which are tributaries of the Shipra River, Indore has an average elevation of 553m above sea level. It is situated on an elevated plain, with the Vindhyachal range to the south. The city is bounded by cities, namely Pithampur and Betma on the west, Hatod and Depalpur on the northwest, Ujjain with Sawer on the north, Dewas and Manglaya Sadak on the northeast, Kampel and Simrol on southeast and Khandwa, Mhow Choral and Manpur on the south.
Indore has a borderline humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cwa) and tropical savanna climate (Aw). Three distinct seasons are observed: summer, monsoon and winter. Summers start in mid-March and can be extremely hot in April and May. The daytime temperatures can touch 42 °C (108 °F) on more than one occasion. Average summer temperatures may go as high as 40 °C (104 °F) but humidity is very low.nWinters are moderate and usually dry. Lower temperatures can go as low as 4 °C (39 °F)-6 °C (43 °F) on some nights. Usually the temperature ranges between 8 to 26 °C during winters. Rains are due to southwest monsoons. The typical monsoon season goes from 15 June till mid-September, contributing 32–35 inches of annual rains. 95% of rains occur during monsoon season. The city gets moderate rainfall of 35 to 38 inches (890 to 970 mm) during July–September due to the southwest monsoon.
Demographics
As per provisional reports of Census India, population of Indore in 2011 is 1,960,631; of which male and female are 1,020,883 and 939,748, respectively. In education section, total literates in Indore city are 1,516,434 of which 827,975 are males while 688,459 are females. Average literacy rate of Indore city is 87.38% of which male and female literacy was 91.84% and 82.55%. The sex ratio of Indore city is 921 per 1000 males. It is home to the large Jain community outside Gujarat and Rajasthan. Ethnically, Hindi is the chief language of the city followed by Marathi, Punjabi, Sindhi and Gujarati. Indore is always ranked as the home to the highest number of billionaires in the state.
History of Indore
The history of Indore reveals that the ancestors of the founders of the city were the hereditary Zamindars and indigenous landholders of Malwa. The families of these landlords led a luxurious life. They retained their possessions of royalty, including an elephant, Nishan, Danka and Gadi even after the advent of Holkars. They even retained the right of performing the first pooja of Dussehra (Shami Pujan). During Mughal rule, the families were granted confirmatory sanads by the Emperors Aurangzeb, Alamgir and Farukhshayar, confirming their 'Jagir' rights.
Rao Nandlal Chaudhary Zamindar was the Chief Zamindar and received a special place in the emperor's court of Delhi. He was presented two jewel studded swords, which are now displayed in the Royal British Museum. He was also friendly with Raja Savai Jai Singh of Jaipur. He gifted him with a special "Gold Langar" which guaranteed a special place to him in all the Durbars of India. In 1713, Deccan plateau was handed over to Nizam. This renewed the struggle between the Marathas and the Mughals. Read on to know more about the historical background of Indore.
From time to time, Maratha invaders kept harassing the people of Malwa Rao Nandlal Chaudhary. Being the chief Zamindar, he had an army of 2000 soldiers. Once, while visiting the banks of river Saraswati, Rao Nandlal found a location surrounded by rivers on all sides. To protect his people from harassment by Marathas and Mughals, he started moving his people to this place and constructed the fort of Shree Sansthan Bada Rawala. This city was named Indrapur after Lord Indreshwar, and eventually came to be known as Indore.
In 1743 AD, Baji Rao Peshwa finally received the Viceroyalty of Malwa. However he was bound by a treaty from infringing upon the rights of Zamindars. Malhar Rao Holkar was one of the four signatories of the treaty. So, on victory, the Peshwas appointed Malhar Rao Holkar as a "Subhedar". This marked the beginning of Holkars' reign in Malwa. Indore also came under the rule of Maratha Maharajas of the Holkar dynasty. In 1733, the dynasty's founder, Malhar Rao Holkar (1694-1766), was appointed as the Maratha Governor of the region. By the end of his reign, the Holkar state was independent. He was succeeded by his daughter-in-law Ahilyabai Holkar (1767 - 1795). She ruled from a palace-fort at Maheshwar, situated to the south of Indore. Ahilyabai Holkar had a passion for architecture. She used to donate money for the construction of Hindu temples, across the Indian subcontinent. In 1818, the Holkars were defeated by the British in the Third Anglo-Maratha War and the Holkar kingdom became a part of the British Empire.
After the defeat in the Battle of Mahidpur, the treaty of Mandsaur was signed. According to which, the Cantonment town of Mhow was handed over to the British. The treaty also declared the shifting of the capital of the Holkar state from Maheshwar to Indore. In 1947, after India's independence, Indore, along with other princely states, became a part of the Indian state of Madhya Bharat. Indore was elected as the summer capital of the new state. Finally, on November 1, 1956, Madhya Bharat was merged into Madhya Pradesh.
Culture of Indore
The cultural heritage of Indore includes magnificent remains of its glorious past, soulful religious places and beautiful surroundings. Indore culture is a unique blend of various cultures from across the country. Owing to its rich cultural background, Indore Festivals are celebrated with great zest and are one of the main attractions of the city. Although the city celebrates western festivals such as New Year Eve and Friendship Day, Indore has not lost its traditional values and all Indian festivals are celebrated with grandeur.
Tourist Places in Indore
Indore has a rich cultural heritage and being ruled over by some of the greatest rulers, there are several historical monuments and religious places that grabs the attention of tourists. The city has a lot to offer to its visitors and with its architectural splendor, it is a major tourist destination of India. Some of popular tourist attractions are:
- Central Museum or Indore Museum
- Chhatris
- Lal Baag Palace
- Kanch Mandir
- Rajwada
- Town Hall or Mahatma Gandhi Hall
- Nehru Park
- Bada Ganapati
- Omkareshwar Temple
- Patalpani
- Geeta Bhawan
- Annapurna temple
- Gomatgiri
- Sukh Niwas Palace
- Bijasen Tekri
- Devguradia Shiva Mandir
Transportation
Air
Indore is air connected to major cities in India by public and private domestic airlines and houses an airport named Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport, which is just 10 km from city centre. Indore is connected to places like Jaipur, Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Bhopal and Chennai. Taxi services are available from Indore airport to city. International travelers can get connecting flights to Indore from Delhi (800 km) or Mumbai (655 km) airport.
Rail
Indore Junction Railway Station is an important railway station in Western railway zone. It is well connected to all major railway stations in India. Direct train services are available to Bhopal, Pune, Malwa, Delhi and many other cities.
Roads
Indore is well connected by state road transport public bus services. Regular bus services are available from Ujjain (55 km), Delhi (800 km) and Mumbai (655 km) to Indore Ujjain. Super fast and Deluxe A/C buses are also available in these routes. Besides, these, Radio Taxis, Metro Taxi and auto rickshaws are available for local transportation around the city. There are also City Buses that ply to 36 Routes, with around 170 bus stop stations.
Last edited by a moderator: