Our stay in Indore was for ten days but I personally didn’t get bored because there was so much to do. Whenever we got the time, we ran to Indore City which had a lot of amazing things to do.
We first went to the Kanch Mandir. The Kanch Mandir, as the name suggests, is a temple which is entirely made up of glass and mirrors. It is also known as the Seth Hukamchand Temple, as it was built by the Cotton King, Sir Hukamchand Seth in the early 20th century. It is primarily a Jain temple. As I entered, I instantly fell in love with it. It was the most beautiful temple I had ever been to. The entire temple looked radiant because of the glass and mirrors. According to me, it seemed like an incredible way of returning the wealth Sir Hukamchand made. The temple had all the gods in it and every morning, the Jains of Indore would do pooja to all of them. After that it would be opened to the public. The temple had a sense of peace and tranquility to it. I could spend the entire day there just looking at the mirrors all around. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take pictures.
After feeling a sense of calmness, we walked down to the market. The market, like any other, had shopkeepers trying to sell their products and as you walked past them, each one of them would mumble and ask you what you wanted. It was fascinating to see so many colours everywhere. From dupattas to saris to kurtas, anything you could possibly think of was available. It was refreshing to see everyone busily doing their shopping. It gave a sense of normality after all the chaos at the Yatra.
We were exhausted after our day and decided to head back but whenever we got the time, we would rush to the city. What was amazing was that there was a different market for everything - a books market, a clothes market, a cutlery and crockery market, jewelry market which at night became a street food market.
We also went to Rajwada. Rajwada is the historical palace of the Holkars. It was built about two centuries ago and is located near the Chhatris in the main square. It is a seven storied structure, which serves as the living example of the splendor of the Holkars. Rajwada stands in the centre of the city. It definitely gives you the essence of what the city is like.
We happened to go there at night and it looked absolutely gorgeous. We were actually headed to the food market. I thought the concept behind it was pure genius. During the day, it was a jewelry market but as night approached, it would become a food market where you would street food including jalebi, dahi wada, chaat, kulfi, gola... there were unlimited things to eat. It was hard to resist most of the things but as most of the food was fried in ghee, a person would feel stuffed even before trying half the things. With this sort of a concept, it would give jewelry shop owners security also as the food stall were set up in front of the jewelry shops.
Another interesting thing I got to do was go trekking. It was near the ground where the Nirmal Bharat Yatra took place in Indore, at Devguradiya hill. It was an amazing experience. We decided to see the sunset from the hill top. Going uphill was a little tiring but it was completely worth the effort. The entire city looked wonderful. You can clearly see the urban and rural divide. Watching the sun go down from the hill top was an 'out of this world' experience. There was a chill in the air which made it all the more better.
The overall experience in Indore was amazing and the city has so much to offer. The people in Indore are kind and ready to help. This was the first time that we actually stayed in the tents and I actually enjoyed it. I will always remember Indore for new experiences and also for a completely enriching experience. Thanks to the Nirmal Bharat Yatra, I got to experience things which I never that I would experience. I am looking forward to what the other stops have to offer. For mem Indore will always hold a special place in my heart.
By Aneesha Menon, Fellow, India Water Portal , Arghyam
For full coverage by India Water Portal of the Nirmal Bharat Yatra, click here.