Crowning Glory: Peerless Royal Capitals

Route & Distance: Indore—94 km/2 hr 15 min—Mandu (Mandav)—38 km/1 hr 30 min—Maheshwar —95 km/2 hr—via Dhamnod to Indore.

Day 1 INDORE-MANDU

A stepped water tank inside Jahaz Mahal, the Ship Palace in Mandu, is a study in
symmetry

Abhinandita Mathur

Mandu’s architectural gems like the Jal Mahal and Jahaz Mahal are best enjoyed in the
monsoons when the adjacent waterbodies are full

Abhinandita Mathur

The Lal Baag Palace museum is set in a sprawling garden, just south of Indore city

Anurag Mallick

Start the morning in Indore, royal city of the Holkars. Grab a quick bite at Chhappan Dukan and then visit Rajwada, the seven-storey palace of Ahilyabai Holkar, with a museum dedicated to her on the first floor. While driving out of Indore, stop off at Lal Baag Palace, an opulent mansion-turned-museum set in a 28-acre garden in the south of the city. Continue via NH-52 to the medieval capital of Mandu, grabbing lunch en route or at Hotel Gurukripa in town. Cover the two most important clusters in a half-day tour: Rewa Kund, Baz Bahadur’s Palace, and Roopmati’s Pavilion to the south, as well as Jahaz Mahal, Hindola Mahal and other structures in the vast royal complex. Overnight at Malwa Retreat or the slightly better Malwa Resort, located on Roopmati Road near the Sagar Talab group of monuments, which include the Mosque of Malik Mugith, the Caravanserai, and Dai ka Mahal.

Day 2 MANDU/MAHESHWAR

Amidst the profusion of typically ethnic stone sculptures inside Maheshwar’s
Ahilyeshwar Temple, is a rare depiction of an English officer in costume

Anurag Mallick & Priya Ganapathy

Visit Mandu’s remaining sights like Ashrafi Mahal, Jama Masjid, and Hoshang Shah’s mausoleum, the first marble tomb in India. As you begin your descent from Mandu, stop and savour the view of the valley from Nilkanth Mahadev, a dramatic Shiva temple in a shikargah (hunting lodge) built by Akbar. The drive to Maheshwar is fairly short. After paying your respects at Ahilyabai’s statue and gadi (royal seat) inside Ahilya Fort, visit the Ahilyeshwar Temple with steps leading down to the ghats of the Narmada. If time permits, enjoy a short boat ride before returning to Indore.