River Narmada — the name evokes memories of one of the longest and most debated social movements in the country’s recent history. Far from the unrest and bitterness that surrounds the dam on the river, Narmada is a picture of calm. Overlooking the north bank of this river, near Indore, the holy town of Maheshwar features on the itinerary of the Hindu pilgrim. It is mentioned in both the Mahabharata and Ramayana under its old name, Mahishmati, as King Kartvirajun’s ancient capital.
Well off the ‘package tour’ trail that is so popular in Madhya Pradesh, Maheshwar enjoyed a golden age in the late 18th century under Holkar queen Ahilyabai, a formidable ruler who built a palace in a towering fort and many other monuments. Highly revered in the Malwa region, Ahilyabai — a child bride who was widowed at the age of 29 and then went on to rule Malwa for 28 years — also built countless Shiva temples, bathing ghats, chhatris, water tanks and dharamshalas.
This is also the town which gave us the Maheshwari sari. The legend of this sari, too, has the Ahilyabai stamp. The queen invited weavers from Gujarat to live in Maheshwar, asking them to create a weave that reflects its architectural heritage. That explains why the sari, with delicate zari borders, has motifs of bricks, spires and diamonds.
Maheshwar’s colourful streets display brightly painted wooden houses with overhanging balconies. But the Narmada and its crowded ghats is where you will experience the real Maheshwar.
Ayan Ghoshis a writer-photographer based in Kolkata