Indore diaries: How I toured the city in just one day

Spots I covered during my brief visit to India's cleanest city.

View of Sayaji Square, Vijay Nagar, Indore, at night.

I recently made a short trip to Indore along with my family to attend a relative's wedding ceremony. Since our primary goal of the visit was the function, we barely had any time to explore the place. But from whichever spots that locals had highly recommended, we shortlisted a select few and managed to squeeze them into our tight travelling schedule. 

True to its laurels, Indore is indeed spic and span. For the uninitiated, Indore has ranked first in the list of cleanest Indian cities for two years in a row. Wherever we went, clean roads greeted us, and this was something that I felt should be emulated even by my beloved hometown Mumbai.

Also read: Places to visit in Pondicherry: A Complete Guide

An aerial view of Indore, the clean city.

How I reached my destination: 

Indore is well-connected to several domestic destinations by air. We too reached there from Mumbai via flight. It is approximately a one hour journey. Alternatively, one can go there by rail as well.

Weather: 

I went in the first week of February, and the average temperature was 18°C. The days were warm and the nights were pleasantly cool but it was definitely not the sweater-wearing kind of cold climate that we were forewarned about. It was the onset of summer when I visited so the daytime temperatures kept soaring with every passing day. Ideal time to visit should be December-January which is the peak winter season.

Where I stayed: 

Hotel OYO Eco Stay, Vijay Nagar, Indore.

We stayed at OYO Eco Stay by Chang's Legacy. The hotel is situated opposite Sayaji Square in Vijay Nagar, which is one of the prime locations in Indore, with easy access to important sightseeing spots. It was around 21 kilometres away from the airport, about half an hour's distance. The hotel is great for those travelling on a budget - tidy room with adequate facilities, well-equipped bathroom with hot and cold water, tasty breakfast, and impeccable housekeeping and room service - you shall get it all at economical prices. It also has an in-house Chinese restaurant which offers scrumptious oriental delicacies. The attitude of the whole staff was very positive which made our stay there a wonderful experience. (Not being paid to promote; just a genuine recommendation from my end.)

Tea time at the hotel room.

How I travelled within the city: 

Online cab service providers Uber and Ola operate in Indore, and I mostly booked my rides through them. Or else one could hail auto-rickshaws too.

ABOUT THE CITY

Indore is the financial capital of Madhya Pradesh, the state which is fondly called 'The Heart of Incredible India' as it is located in the central part of the country. It is a city that is famed for its food culture, palaces, temples, and of course, cleanliness. History lovers, pious devotees, and epicureans alike have quite a lot to discover here. Now without much ado, here are the places that we visited which our friends had said we certainly shouldn't skip:

1. Khajrana Ganesh Mandir

Khajrana Ganesh Mandir.

Khajrana Mandir is the most famous Ganesh temple in Indore. The temple is spread over a vast area and though its presiding deity is Lord Ganesha, there are several smaller temples dedicated to numerous other Hindu Gods and Goddesses on its premises. We were lucky since we got to participate in the evening aarti when we visited. We didn't realise how quickly the time had passed touring each and every temple on the grounds. After the darshan, we spent a few moments sitting there in peaceful silence. The Mandir is a must-visit for all devotees.

2. Digamber Jain Kaanch Mandir

Digamber Jain Kaanch Mandir.

[Photo Credits: By Bernard Gagnon - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32797941]

You should go and see this place for its sheer regality. Alhough the Kaanch Mandir is actually a place of worship of the Digamber Jain sect, it appears more like a grand palace. Kaanch is a Hindi word for glass, and according to the name the interiors of the temple are made entirely of glass. The shrine houses the idols of Lord Mahavir, the twenty-fourth Tirthankara of the Jains, in his Digamber (naked) avatar. Apart from the idols, there are various paintings and artifacts on display. Clicking of photographs inside is strictly prohibited.

3. Sarafa Bazar

A stall at Indore Sarafa Bazar.

The Indore Sarafa Bazar is a haven for foodies. Located in the Rajwada area, Sarafa Bazar is inside a long alley-way where gold traders engage in their business during the day time, and after they pack up and leave, the place tranforms itself into a mega street food hub. You get every ilk of desi street food here - from chaat items to Pav bhaji, Chinese fast food to pizzas and pastas, tawa pulaos to Garadu (a root vegetable snack), coconut crush milkshakes to kulfi - the list is just never-ending. I wolfed down 8 different flavours of pani puri at one stall, Paneer Afghani Tikka at another, a plate of cheese-and-corn devilled Maggi noodles at a third one, and washed it all down with a cold coffee at a fourth. Point to be noted - this place opens only after 9 pm and closes by 1 in the morning.

4. OM Namkeen, Chappan Dukan

Assorted snacks at Om Namkeen.

[Photo credit: TripAdvisor India]

Om Namkeen is a household name in all of Indore. Indoris take their food seriously and that can be seen from all the pohas and sev and masalas that they proudly consume. Om Namkeen is a farsan mart near Chappan Dukan (another street food hub similar to Sarafa Bazar; but unlike Sarafa, Chappan is open during the day) where they sell all kinds of namkeen snacks including crisps, sev, chivdas in a variety of mouth-watering flavours. You are allowed to taste everything from the samples before you decide upon what you want to purchase. We bought plenty of boxes full of assorted snacks to distribute among our relatives and friends back in Mumbai! (Extra tip: If you wish to buy sweetmeats, Apna Sweets was a shop that the folks at Om suggested. We did go there and it was pretty good!)

These were the spots that we covered in our limited time in Indore. They clearly weren't enough but I was glad to have struck off the most highly recommended places from my list. Unlike other cities in Madhya Pradesh such as Gwalior, Bhopal, etc. - Indore draws comparatively lesser tourists - so try to make the most of this destination while it remains offbeat. Happy travelling!