This city was planned and built by Rani Ahilyabai, the brave Holkar queen; Indore lies to the extreme west of Madhya Pradesh on the banks of the Rivers Saraswati and Khan which unite at the centre of the city. The bustling and vibrant city is 186 kms. from Bhopal. Its name was derived from the 18th century Indreshwar temple.

The history of Indore is inseparable from the history of the Holkar State. The founder of the House of Holkars was Malhar Rao Holkar, born in 1693 AD. His soldierly qualities brought him to the forefront under the Peshwa and he was rewarded with the gift of territories comprising the Indore region. Malhar Rao was succeeded by his grandson on whose death without any issue his mother Maharani Devi Ahilya Bai ascended the throne.  A nice blend of industry and architecture is rich and is preserved over centuries in the city's temples and palaces.

Indore is popular as ' Mini Mumbai ' of India.

The main tourist attractions in Indore are some of the temples and palaces of the Holkar dynasty. They are mentioned below.

This is a temple at the vicinity of the city, mainly used for worshipping. The Bada Ganpati Temple is located at Indore, the former Holkar Dynasty ruled over the city for a long time. It had been the most prestigious and worthwhile visiting places of India, since the temple of Sri Ganesh is located there. Ganesh is considered as a God who is benevolent and most exquisite looking with the tusk of an elephant. In South India he is one of the most worshipped Gods. Specially, Lord Ganesh is being revered in each and every house so that the blessings of the Lord help the members to find the path to success and they may also progress in this world without obstacles. Lord Ganesh is a kind hearted God but according to mythology he loves to eat. So, during the Ganesh Chaturthi, the lord is given numerous sweets and other preparations so that mankind may be blessed by him wholeheartedly.

Ganesh Chaturthi is a special kind of Indian Festival when Lord Ganpati is worshipped with elegance and tremendous wealth is displayed and the poor and the destitute are given clothes and food.

The Bada Ganpati is a worthwhile site at Indore. It consists of a huge statue of Lord Ganesh, perhaps the largest in the world, which is approximately 25 feet tall and the color of the statue is Bright Orange.

The Bada Ganpati was built in the year 1875. According to the mythology, one of the residents of the city of Avantika or Ujjain dreamt of Lord Ganesh in his sleep. So, he rose up on the next day and prepared the enormous statue of Lord Ganesh, and the Lord blessed him. Bada in hindi means "large", so the temple is known as Bada Ganpati Temple, since it encloses the large statue of Lord Ganesh.

You can reach Indore by train or plane. After that get hold of the bus or car that ply in the city and they would enable you to reach the Bada Ganpati, Indore.

This is also a kind of temple. It is decorated with Kanch or glass, so it has been named the Kanch Mandir.This Jain temple is an architectural marvel in glass with three statues of Lord Mahavira installed at the top of the structure.

Town Hall is an important place in the city of Indore

A museum is a place that holds many kinds of attractions and the Central Museum is enriched with numerous Holkar King's possessions like their swords, shields and also their attires that they used to wear during warfare.

This temple is dedicated to mother Goddess Annapurna, who is supposed to be the Goddess of food.

Rajwada: This palace is built in a mixture of Maratha, Mughals and French style. The incomparable Maratha architecture and sculpture, the Chhatri Bagh, is the main collection of tombs housed in two compounds.

"Memory is a man's real possession...In nothing else is he rich, in nothing else is he poor." - Alexander Smith dedicated this phrase in the memory of the dead rulers of the Holkar Dynasty.After the death of the rulers their tombs were erected and now these tombs are collectively known as
" the Chattri " The Marathas have been very skilled in the field of architecture and so, they built numerous domes and structures to establish their literacy in this field, so that the Chhatris display rare skill in the field of architecture.

Originally the Chhatris or the Cenotaphs are the tombs that have been constructed in commemoration of the Holkar Kings. The tombs have been constructed by them on the banks of the River Khan, near Rajwada. There is also a place called Chhatri Bagh. Here two compounds are present. In memory of Bolia Sahib, there is a splendid Chhatri that was constructed after his demise near this Chhatri Bagh.

In the ancient times, the Holkar Dynasty ruled over a large area of Madhya Pradesh. They were good rulers and gained tremendous support and prestige from the people. But the British established their supremacy in India, during the year 1858, when the East India Company transferred all its powers to the Queen, who became the formal queen of India too. So, the Holkar, after being defeated by the British in a battle had to submit their kingdom to them, and so, a large part of their kingdom was lost. It was a fact that they also lost their capital. In order to make up for the loss they had to select a profitable place. So, it was named as Indore. Indore derives its name from the two renowned temples namely Indreshwar and Indrapur. The kings of the Holkar dynasty were very respectable and they made sure that their position in history is never degraded. So, the Chhatri displayed dedication and care from the part of the builders and also from the part of the rulers.