We came to
Maheahwar at 7 pm and took rest in Room.
Next day early morning we went to Narmadha Ghat Maheshwar.It is A temple town
on the bank of Narmada River, Maheshwar is situated in Khargone district of
Madhya Pradesh.
It is believed that Lord Shiva is worshiped where the Narmada
flows because he is the only idol of inner peace to calm her. It’s a small
riverside town and has an amazing beautiful heritage of great Maratha queen
Rajmata Ahilya Devi Holkar and she was the queen of Malwa region.
In early morning we
went to Narmada Ghat to take a holy bath. The view of the river from this Ghat
is breath-taking.
Since it flows through the entire state, Narmada holds an
inseparable position in the hearts of the people of Madhya Pradesh. The ghats
of Maheshwar with the backdrop of majestic Ahilya fort has to be one of the
most scenic waterfront of India. Ahilya fort looks amazing.
In the late
eighteenth century, Maheshwar served as the capital of the great Maratha queen
Rajmata Ahilya Devi Holkar. She embellished the city with many buildings and
public works, and it is home to her palace, as well as numerous temples, a
fort, and riverfront Ghats.
The Rajwada, Ahilya Fort, Shiv Temple and the Ghats
are all part of one big complex. Our visit began at the Rajwada. The Rajwada,
this is where Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar stayed, a simple affair.
As you enter the
premise, you are confronted with a nicely sculpted statue of Maharani Ahilya
Bai Holkar. A large gate leads the way to the Ghats from where you can view the
exteriors of the fort and also visit the Shiva Temple.
A courtyard with
greenery in the middle and few rooms above just like those old style houses
with tiled roofs welcomed me. One side is the durbar hall which is the
ministerial affairs proceedings corner, it has diwans and a seat for Devi
Ahilyabai, which I cannot even call as a throne. On the other side are some of
the artifacts and paintings. Photography is strictly prohibited inside her
home, however cheeky fellows were taking pics.
Outside there are
life-size images of an elephant, a horse, and a bull. The bull represents the
Shiva’s vehicle, Horse the Kuldevta of Holkars and Elephant a sign of royalty.
Simplicity is the keyword at Ahilya Bai’s Rajwada or palace.
The simplicity of the
queen can be further seen at her so-called durbar hall, where she conducted the
affairs of the state and held audiences with the average person. Located on the
verandah in her wing of the palace, it is nothing but a white mattress covering
the floor with a low, wooden throne at one end of it. These days, a white
marble image of the queen can be seen on the throne.
Shivalinga Puja at Ahilya
Fort
The Lingarchan puja
conducted in the courtyard at 8.30 a.m. is a practice initiated by Ahilyabai
Holkar in 1766 for the well-being of her subjects. River mud from the Narmada
is ritually shaped into a thousand miniature Shiva lingas on a wooden board,
before being immersed back in the waters
It was a unique
ritual that was put in place by Rani Ahilya Bai herself and that continues till
date – unbroken or Akhand as we say in India. In her days,
108 Brahmins used to create 125,000 miniature Shivalingas every day from black
earth, worship them and then offer them to Narmada River. Today, 11 Brahmins
create about 15,000 Shivalingas every day, worship them and then offer them to
Narmada waters. Every day between 8-10 AM you can witness this Puja.I was totally
fascinated by it.
Adjacent is another
small museum kinds which include her pooja room and a small golden swing, the
swing must have essentially been used to place God figurines during festivals
or in her pooja room. And other simple items of yesteryears.
The steps leading to
this cenotaph complex has unique carvings like below. This one below, though it
looks like link of chains, it was written that it is the intertwined body of
snake and that it is one continuous thing.
A double storeyed gateway, directly
opposite the main entrance to the Rajwada leads to a flight of steps leading
down to a cluster of buildings on the banks of the Narmada. It is from this
gateway that you get your first glimpse of this holy river, which at this point
is over a mile wide!
At the foot of the
flight of stairs, to the right is another gateway, which opens into a compound
at the centre of which lies the Chhatri (mausoleum) of Vitoji Rao Holkar. He
was the younger brother of king Yashwant Rao Holkar (1798-1811). Built on a
high plinth and sporting two bulbous domes, this chhatri is known for its
exquisite carvings, especially that of a row of caparisoned elephants on its
side.
Facing the entrance to the Chhatri of Vitoji is a gateway to yet another
enclosure which houses the Ahilyeshwar Shivalaya. Although it sounds like a
Shiva temple, and is definitely built like one, it is actually the chhatri of
Ahilya Bai Holkar. Built by the queen’s daughter Krishna Bai, this towering
structure combines the north Indian nagara style of temple architecture with
the Maratha style.
From the enclosure
that houses the two chhatris, another gateway leads to yet another flight of
stairs that forms the main ghat of Maheshwar. Almost two kms of the riverfront
of Maheshwar has been paved in stone to give rise to a series of ghats.
Besides, Maheshwar is known for its spiritual importance, which is mentioned as
Mahishmati in the famous Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. In addition to
all these, Maheshwar is popular for making unique and delicate cotton and silk
blend handloom saris. It is recognized for its huge production of Maheshwari
sarees and this makes this popular tourist destination a perfect paradise for
shopaholics.
Walking out of the
Ahilyeshwar temple door leads to a flight of steps leading to the Narmada Ghat.
It is the pattern with which these steps are made that makes this fort unique,
picturesque and a popular movie location spot. This is also one of the gates to
the fort called Paani Darwaza as the entrance is from the Narmada river.
The
Narmada ghat that is immediately outside the Ahilya fort is popularly called as
the Ahilya ghat. This is like the happening ghat with vendors selling stuff and
boats plying to take you for a ride around the river. There are also normal row
boats that seems to be taking people between the banks of the river.
A divine and serene
place to sit by yourself and feel the tranquility around. Situated on the banks
of river Narmada, Maheshwar appeals to both, the pilgrim as well as the tourist
in you. The town possesses a treasure trove of beautiful temples that calm the
soul, alongside man-made creations that please the eyes. . The daily chores
along the ghats add to the flavor of the place. Both Sunrise and Sunset can be
seen from the ghats, which is really scenic.
Walking down the
stairs, I caught a glimpse of the Narmada between the Fort Walls and the
imposing Sahastrarjun Temple. on the steps of the ghat, the cool winds ruffling
my hair got me energized again.
Whether it was the elegance of the Maratha
structure, or the aura of the bygone era,
I settled slowly along the ghats
watching the undulating waves as they rose upward and then slowly dissolved
away.
The golden hues spreading on the river and it looks like gold is flowing
down, egrets and lapwings flying above you, tiny sparrows trying to peck the
corn left over by kids it is just an awesome experience to sit and watch the
simple things.When my son was busy in clicking Pics and My hubby was chatting withhis bro. I don’t even know how much time I spent there doing absolutely
nothing but soaking in the feel of this quaint town and occasionally glancing
the half drowned temple in Narmada.
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