Omkareshwar temple is one of the 12 revered Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva located on the banks of Narmada River. The Narmada river, for most of its course flows through Madhya Pradesh. Owing to its sanctity, there are many temple towns on the river. Omkareshwar, which is located roughly midway through the river’s course. And then there is Maheshwar.
Maheshwar temple located in a tiny town on the banks of the Narmada is known not for its temples but for its benevolent queen, Ahilya Bai Holkar, considered by many as a goddess. Maheshwar was the capital of the Malwa region during the Maratha Holkardynasty till 1818. The region saw several kings, but it is said to have flourished the most under the rule of a queen – Devi AhilyaBaiHolkar.
Devi AhilyaBai’s journey as the queen of the Holkar dynasty was eventful, tragic even. She was born in a village in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. At 8, she got married to the king of the Holkar territory, KhandeRaoHolkar. By 29, she was a widow and almost committed sati. Her father in law, MalharRaoHolkar refused for her to participate in the custom. She went on to assist her father in law in the administration matters of the kingdom. And when her father-in-law died, she was elected to rule the kingdom.At the height of her rule, Devi Ahilya controlled half of Madhya Pradesh. It was she who moved the capital from Indore to Maheshwar and built the stunning Ahilya Fort on the banks of the Narmada River. Her tenure as the ruler is considered to be the most prosperous period for the Malwa kingdom. Schools and colleges were built, communities lived in harmony. She was an ardent Shiva devotee akin to Meerabai’s devotion for Krishna. She donated generously towards building temples, dharamshalas and baoris (wells) in cities across India like Varanasi, Dwarka, Haridwar, Rameshwaram, Pushkar and Pune.
