MAHESHWAR

Maheshwar was a glorious city at the dawn of Indian civilization when it was Mahishmati, capital of king Kartiyarjun. This town of temples on the banks of river Narmada find mention in the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata. Revived to its ancient position of importance by the Holkar queen Rani Ahilyabai of Indore. Maheshwar's temple and mighty fort complex stand in quiet beauty. Today, Maheshwar is also known for its distinctive handwoven sarees called Maheshwari.

MANDU

Perched along Vindhya ranges at an altitude of 2000 feet, Mandu, with its natural defense, was originally the fort capital of the Parmar rulers of Malwa. Towards the end of the 13th century, it came under the sway of the Sultans of Malwa, the first of whom named it Shadiabad- 'City of Joy'. And indeed the pervading spirit of Mandu was of gaiety; and its rulers built exquisite palaces like the Jahaz and Hindola Mahals, ornamental canals, baths and pavilions, as graceful and refined as those times of peace and plenty. Each of Mandu's structures is an architectural gem; some are outstanding like the massive Jami Masjid and Hoshang Shah's Tomb, which provided inspiration to the master builders of the Taj Mahal centuries later. Mandu is a celebration in stone, of life and joy, of the love of the poet-prince Baz Bahadur for his beautiful consort, Rani Roopmati. The balladeers of Malwa still sing of the romance of these royal lovers and high up on the crest of a hill, Roopmati's Pavilion still gazes down at Baz Bahadur's palace, a magnificent expression of Afghan architecture. Under Mughal rule, Mandu was a pleasure resort, its lakes and palaces, the scenes of splendid and extravagant festivities. The glory of Mandu lives on, in legends and songs, chronicled for posterity.

OMKARESHWAR

Omkareshwar, the sacred island, shaped like the holiest of all Hindu symbols, 'Om', has drawn to it hundreds of generations of pilgrims. Here, at the confluence of the river Narmada and Kaveri, the devotees gather to kneel before the Jyotirlinga (one of the twelve throughout India) at the temple of Shri Omkar Mandhata. And here, as in so many of Madhya Pradesh's sacred shrines, the works of Nature complements those of man to provide a setting awe-inspiring in its magnificence.

UJJAIN

Ujjain is the modern name for Ujjaini. Legend has it that in the hoary past, the God like king Shiva of Avanti commemorated his victory over the demon-ruler of Tripura or Tripuri on the banks of the Narmada by changing the name of his capital. Avantipura is Ujjaini (one who conquers with pride). The magnificence and awesome spectacle of the bathing ritual at Simhastha defies description. Beginning on the full moon day in Chaitra (April), it continues into Vaishakha (May), until the next full moon day. Ujjain turns, amidst a riot of colors into an India in miniature. Modern Ujjain is situated on the banks of the river Kshipra, regarded since times immemorial as sacred. The belief in the sacredness of Kshipra, has its origins in the ancient Hindu mythological tale of churning of the Ocean by the Gods and Demons, with Vasuki, the serpent as the rope. The ocean bed first yielded fourteen gems, then Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth, and finally the coveted vessel of Nectar. Then began the wild scramble for immortality with the demons chasing the Gods across the skies and in the process, a few drops were spilt and fell at Haridwar, Nasik, Prayag and Ujjaini. Hence the sanctity of the waters of the Kshipra. The names of Kalidasa and Ujjaini are inextricably linked together in the Indian traditions, It is in Meghdoot, a poem of a little over hundred verses, describing the anguish of a Yaksha, separated from his beloved by a curse, sending a message to her in the city of Alaka through a rain cloud from his exile in Ramagiri (now identified as Ramtek near Nagpur) that Kalidasa's love of Ujjaini finds full expression.