---

India Trip - 2016 - Maheshwar - page 1

Maheshwar is a pleasant change from the tourist track that takes you to Delhi - Agra - Jaipur - Jodhpur and Udaipur

Here is a comment from the Lonely Planet:

The peaceful, riverside town of Maheshwar has long held spiritual significance – it’s mentioned in the Mahabharata and Ramayana under its old name, Mahishmati, and still draws sadhus and yatris (pilgrims) to its ancient ghats and temples on the holy Narmada River. The town enjoyed a golden age in the late 18th century under Holkar queen Ahilyabai, who built the palace in the towering fort and many other monuments. Away from the ghats and historic buildings, Maheshwar’s colourful streets display brightly painted wooden houses with overhanging balconies. It’s a mesmerising place that packs a lot of punch in a very small area around the ghats, palace and temples – a sort of refined, spit-shined Varanasi in miniature

Monument to the Holkar queen Ahilyabai

Chhatri of Vithoji - part of the Maheshwar Fort

Maheshwar has been a centre of handloom weaving since the 5th century. Maheshwar is the home of one of India's finest hand loom fabric traditions. These cotton saris are weaved with distinctive designs involving stripes, checks and floral borders. The hand looms also make fabric material used for making kurtas and other clothing.

Maheshwar is noted as a centre for weaving colourful Maheshwari sarees

Sue in fabric heaven.....