TEMPLES IN INDORE

GANESH TEMPLE

Khajrana Ganesh temple is located in the heart of Indore city. There are several shrines dedicated to numerous Gods in the temple complex. The temple was originally built by Ahilya Bai Holkar which was later renovated and reconstructed by different personalities. In the past, the deity was hidden in a well to protect it from Aurangzeb and in 1735, it was taken out from the well and a shrine was constructed by Ahilya Bai Holkar.

The temple is famous for housing the 8 mt tall idol of Lord Ganapati. The idol is made up of a mixture of limestone, jaggery, bricks, mud, holy soil and water from the major pilgrim places. Deity’s frame is made of precious metals, which looks amazingly wonderful.Khajrana Ganesh temple is an important pilgrimage destination where devotees gather to offer their prayers, especially on Wednesdays and Sundays. Initially, this holy place was a small hut which later became a huge structure. According to the legend, Mangal Bhatt, a local priest had a dream in which he saw this idol of Lord Ganesh. He narrated his dream to Rani Ahilya Bai Holkar. She asked her servants to dig out the idol. Later the idol was installed in a shrine. A pond can be seen at the place from where the Ganesh idol was recovered.

The main gate, the outer walls and upper walls of the Garbha griha are made of Silver and different moods and festivals are displayed on it. The eyes of the deity are adorned with diamonds which were donated by a devotee.

From a small hut to a huge structure, the temple has developed a lot over the years. The temple is equally famous in India abroad. The temple regularly receives money, gold, diamonds and other precious jewels in the form of donation.The gate, the outer and upper walls of the Garbhagriha are made of Silver and different moods and festivals are depicted on it. The eyes of the deity are made of diamonds which were donated by a business man of Indore.

ISKCON RADHA KRISHNA TEMPLE

Shri Radha Krishna Mandir is a temple dedicated to Lord Krishna and Goddess Radha. The beautiful idol of the deity placed at the centre of the temple catches your attention. Every year thousands of devotees from across the country visit this temple to seek blessings of the almighty. You can also sit at the premises of this temple and spend some time meditating.

Sri Sri Radha Govind Dham (Hindi: श्री श्री राधा गोविन्द धाम), commonly known as the ISKCON Ahmedabad Temple, is a well known Vaishnav temple of Lord Krishna and Radharani in the form of Radha Govindji. Opened in 1997, the temple was available for public viewing[1] near the Sarkhej Gandhinagar Highway, located near the satellite area of Ahmedabad, India. It is one of the busiest tourist attractions that is visited in Ahmedabad. It is not just a temple but also a Vedic Learning Center in very scientific way

OMKARESHWAR TEMPLE

Omkareshwar is a holy town situated at a distance of 77 km from Indore. It derives its name from the sacred Hindu symbol of Om. The place is a pilgrimage site, as there are a number of Hindu temples and Jain temples located here. It is basically an island, in the shape of Om, on the confluence of the rivers Narmada and Kaveri. The island is divided into north and south by a deep gully and is linked by a bridge. A boat ride in Narmada River around the island of Omkareshwar is quite enjoyable.

On completion of pilgrimage all the Hindus come to Omkareshwar and offer the holy water to Omkareshwar only then there visit to other pilgrimage is considered to be complete.

In the medieval period Mandhata Omkareshwar was ruled by the aboriginal Bhil chieftains under the suzerainty of the Parmars of Dhar, the sultans of Malwa , the Scindia of Gwalior , who in turn handed over Mandhata to the British in 1824. The last Bhil chieftain Natthu Bhil fell out with Daryao Gosai a powerful priest of the place. The latter approached the king of Jaipur to set right Natthu Bhil .

The king sent his brother Bharatsingh Chauhan , then Subedar of Jhalarapatan on the border of Malwa . Finally the entire tussle ended with the marriage of Bharatsingh and the only daughter of Natthu Bhil . Bharatsingh along with some of Rajput associates who also married other Bhil girls settled in Mandhata in 1165 A.D. Their progeny is called Bhilalas . Bharatsingh’s descendants ruled Omkareshwar sinch then. During the British rule the Rajas (Officiallly known as Raos) had Mandhata Omkareshwar as their Jagir rights, all abolished now. Baratsingh’s direct descendants are called Rajputs.

GOMATGIRI TEMPLE

Gomatgiri is a sacred place for the devotees belonging to the Jain religion. Located just 10 minute drive away from Indore airport, this small hillock houses a 21 ft statue of Gomateshwar. This statue is a replica of the Bahubali statue, which stands at Shravanabelagola. Gomatgiri comprises 24 marble temples, each of which is dedicated to 24 Tirthankaras of Jain religion. This pious place is constructed on the hillock, which was donated to the Jain Samaj by the government of Madhya Pradesh in 1981.

Gomatgiri is a small hillock near Indore. It is situated amidst picturesque surroundings. Just 10 minutes drive from the Indore airport, Gomatgiri is a pious place for the Jain religion devotees. There is a 21 feet statue of Gomateshwar built here. It is a replica of the Bahubali statue of Shrawanbegola. There are also 24 marble temples with shikhars. Each one of these temples is dedicated to the one of the 24 Tirthankaras of Jain religion. This hillock was donated to the Jain Samaj by the M.P government in 1981. For the convenience of the visitors, there is a guest house, a dharamshala and a restaurant here.

This place is so serene and calm. It's about 20 km from Indore. There is a jain mess which provides jain food in noon and before evening.

ANNAPURNA TEMPLE

Annapurna fed the whole world along with her consort Shiva, who was begging for food on account of a whim created by her. Annapurna is usually depicted as a youthful goddess having red complexion with a face round like full moon, three eyes, high breasts and four hands. Though Annapurna is a popular deity, there are few temples dedicated to her, the most prominent being the Annapurna Devi Mandir and the Kasi Viswanath Temple in Varanasi. She is glorified in various sacred and religious literature from the Vedic period with mention in religious texts like Rudrayamala, Sivarahasya, Annapurnamantratsava, Maha Tripurasiddhanta, Annapurna Kavacha, Annapurnahavamti,

Annapurna or Annapoorna is derived from Sanskrit meaning the giver of food and nourishment. Anna (अन्न) means "food" or "grains" and pūrṇa (पूर्ण) means "full, complete and perfect". She is an avatar (form) of Parvati, the wife of Shiva. Food is considered the lowest of all primitive substances. It is believed that Mount Annapurna in the Himalayas is named after the deity as she is believed to be one of the daughters of Himavat, the king of the mountains. The Western world name her the "Hindu God of Cooking" considering her association with food items. Akshaya Tritiya is considered the birth date of Annapurna and is believed to be very auspicious for buying gold jewellery. The other names of Annapurana are

In font of Lord Shiva’s statue, the statue of his vehicle “Nandi Maharaj” and jet water from the dreadlocks of Shiva is the major attraction. Another cause of attraction to the Kachnar City and the temple is the regular celebration of “Arti” in the evening which is one of the religious ritual of worship in Hinduism. The temple also have the idols of the Lord Ganesha and Saptarishi which makes the people charmed.

• Viśālākshī (Sanskrit: विशालाक्षी)
• Viśvaśakti (Sanskrit: विश्वशक्ति)
• Viśvamātā (Sanskrit: विश्वमाता)
• Sṛṣtihetukāvaradānī (Sanskrit: सृष्टिहेतुकावरदानी)
• Bhuvaneśvarī (Sanskrit: भुवनेश्वरी)
• Annadā (Sanskrit: अन्नदा)

BIJASAN MATA

The small temple of Bijasen Mata is popularly known as Bijasen Tekri as it is at the top of a hill or Tekri. The panoramic view of the city that is lying below is breathtakingly beautiful. The guest house for the Holker royalty was converted as a Border Security Force Arms Museum. The lush green region that surrounds the temple is converted into beautiful gardens and a small lake.

The Bijasan Tekri is actually the temple of a goddess. It is not basically in the main city Indore. That is just 40 kms away from Indore. The best time to come here is during navratras. One has to climb up more than 300 staircase to reach the temple as it is been built on a hill top. People believe that goddess answers their prayers here and all they have wished for comes true.

Initially, it used to be a hunter-gat Once the hunting took place, the members of the royal family went to this temple, and in 1920 there was a permanent temple constructed. Every Navaratri fills the fair in the temple. The panoramic view of the city from the top of the teakri is visible. Near the temple, there are sacred Jain places named Gomatagiri and Hridayakariri on other panels. Here every year Jainamuni

Chaitra Navaratri is the voice of the whole country. There are long queues of devotees in the temple of Mata. Webdunia is also appearing in Dharmayatra of Bijasan Mata of Indore. Nine days of Chaitra Navaratri in temple There are continuous centenary of Mahayagya. To get Yajnavla, here devotees become impatient from here onset. The stone statues of the Mother are seated in the temple.

KANCH MANDIR

Kanch Ka Mandir (Hindi: काँच मंदिर), literally Temple of Glass, is a famous Jain temple in Indore, built by Sir Seth Hukumchand Jain. The construction began sometime around 1903.Sir Seth Seth Hukumchand Jain was a prominent trader and one of India's industrial pioneer. He built a mansion at Itwaria Bazar[2] called Shish Mahal and adjacent to it the Kanch Ka Mandir, both elegantly built using a white stone. Externally, the temple is built as a medieval mansion complete with a canopied balcony and a shikhara.

The interior of Kanch Ka Mandir is entirely covered by glass panels and mozaics; including the floor, columns, walls and the ceilings.[3] Seth Hukumchand hired craftsmen from Jaipur and some even from Iran to work on the temple. The ornamentation follow the old and medieval Jain style, with the major innovation being the use of multicolored glass and mirrors.

In font of Lord Shiva’s statue, the statue of his vehicle “Nandi Maharaj” and jet water from the dreadlocks of Shiva is the major attraction. Another cause of attraction to the Kachnar City and the temple is the regular celebration of “Arti” in the evening which is one of the religious ritual of worship in Hinduism. The temple also have the idols of the Lord Ganesha and Saptarishi which makes the people charmed.

Festival

Jain festivals are celebrated with great enthusiasm at the Kach Ka Mandir. On Sugandh Dashami, special mandalas are constructed using multi-colored rice-powder.Collective kshamavani (festival of forgiveness) in Indore is organized here as a central institution, even though it is also celebrated at other Indore Jain temples.Annual rath-yatra on a golden palaki is taken our from here

In the main Garbhagriha, the idols of the Tirthankaras are flanked by mirrors on both sides, thus their images are seen infinite times.

• Stories from Jain tradition
• jain concepts like ashta-karma, sapta-vyasan etc.
• Samosharan of Lord Jina and Nadishwar dvipa
• Depiction of major Jain tirthas
• Historic events - consecrecation of the temple with portraits of the family members of Seth Hukumchand.

Photography of the interior is generally prohibited.

The temple serves as a central institution for Indore Jains, some processions start or terminate at the Kach Ka Mandir.

MAHAKALESHWAR TEMPLE

Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga (Hindi: महाकालेश्वर ज्योतिर्लिंग) is one of the most famous Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingams, which are supposed to be the most sacred abodes of Lord Shiva. It is located in the ancient city of Ujjain in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. The temple is situated on the side of the Rudra Sagar lake. The presiding deity, Lord Shiva in the lingam form is believed to be Swayambhu, deriving currents of power (Shakti) from within itself as against the other images and lingams that are ritually established and invested with mantra-shakti.

As per the Shiva Purana, Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu once had an argument over who was supreme in the creation.To test them, Shiva pierced the three worlds as an endless pillar of light, the jyotirlinga. Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma decide to travel along the pillar downwards and upwards respectively, to find the end of the light. Brahma lied that he had found the end, while Vishnu conceded his defeat. Shiva appeared as a second pillar of light and cursed Brahma that he would have no place in ceremonies while Vishnu would be worshipped till the end of eternity. The jyotirlinga is the supreme partless reality, out of which Shiva partly appears. The jyotirlinga shrines, thus are places where Shiva appeared as a fiery column of light

In the precincts of the Mahakaleshwar temple is Shri Swapaneshwar Mahadev temple, where devotees pray to Shiva as Mahakaal, to realize the most important dreams of their lives. Sadashiv Mahadev is so empathetic, benevolent and easy to please that devotees are sure to be granted the boons they wish for with a pure heart in this temple, it is believed. Here Mahadev is Swapaneshwar and Shakti is Swapaneshwari. The temple is open from 4 am to 11 pm

The temple is also glorified in 7th century.C.E, Tamil tevaram hymns of tirugnanasambandar, sundarar, tirunavukkarasar, and they refer to the same as tiru oonjai maakalam, oonjai being Tamil name of word ujjain.