Indore was planned and built by the Holkar queeen Rani Ahilya Bai who was one of the foremost Maratha personalities and an extraordinary woman ruler of India. Her cherished desire was to promote the prosperity of the region and its people. She was one of the few Indian rulers to be deified in her lifetime. Though Ahilya Bai loved Indore immensely, it was only after her death that the State capital was shifted from Maheshwar to Indore in 1811 AD. Today, her statue adorns the centre of the city.

Present day Indore doesn’t offer too many charms. The buildings worth seeing are all from the 18th and 19th century, and are situated within the busy heart of the city. The Old Rajwada Palace of the ruling Holkars is at a busy crossroads in the old part of the city.

Also of interest in the old city is the ‘Kanch Mandir’ a Jain temple whose walls are made entirely out of small pieces of different coloured glass.

But perhaps the most fascinating of Indore’s sites is the 19th century Lalbagh Palace which is a dazzling mixture of Renaissance, Palladian and Baroque styles. This new residence of the Holkars was used by the royal family up to 1978 and was essentially a tribute to the British crown.