Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business 
Khargone is the market town of West Nimar, the stretch of black-soil farmland between the Satpura hills and the Narmada valley in southwestern Madhya Pradesh. Cotton and chillies from the surrounding fields pass through its markets, and the Kunda River flows along the edge of town.
The town itself is best known for its temple to the nine planets, a place of pilgrimage for people from across the region, and for the medieval temples at nearby Un, built in the time of the Paramara kings. Old shrines, a fort area in the centre and busy bazaars give Khargone a lived-in, unhurried character rather than a tourist face.
Its great asset is its position. Maheshwar, the riverside capital of the eighteenth-century Holkar queen Ahilyabai, lies on the Narmada within the same district, with its fort, stepped ghats and famous handloom saris. Khargone works well as a base for exploring the Nimar countryside and these historic sites over a couple of days.
On the bank of the Kunda River, Navgrah Mandir is the best-known shrine in Khargone, dedicated to the Navagraha, the nine celestial bodies of Hindu astrology. Devotees come to pray for relief from planetary influences in their horoscopes. Visit early for the rituals and remove shoes.
The village of Un, a short drive from Khargone, preserves a group of stone temples built around the 11th and 12th centuries under the Paramara dynasty. Their carved towers, pillars and doorways are fine examples of the regional style. Allow an hour or two and bring water.
Baneshwar Temple stands on a small island in the Narmada at Maheshwar, in Khargone district, one of the many shrines that give the town its reputation as a temple town of more than a hundred temples. It is reached by boat from the ghats, which also gives fine views of the fort.
Near the fort and ghats of Maheshwar, Ahilya Mata's chhatris are carved stone memorials linked with Ahilyabai Holkar, the queen who ruled the Holkar state in the late 18th century, and a statue of her stands nearby. Their pillared halls and spires frame the river. Visit early, with the ghats.
High above the Narmada at Maheshwar, Ahilya Fort was the seat of Ahilyabai Holkar, who ruled the Holkar state in the late 18th century and built temples and ghats across India. Inside are her modest palace, Holkar family memorials and carved temples. Part of it is a heritage hotel.
Below the fort at Maheshwar, broad stone steps descend to the Narmada, lined with temples, cenotaphs and small shrines where pilgrims bathe and priests perform rituals. It is among the loveliest riverfronts in central India. Come at sunrise or sunset and take a short boat ride.
Maheshwar is famous for light cotton and silk saris with reversible borders, a tradition encouraged by Ahilyabai Holkar. The Rehwa Society, founded in 1979 to revive the craft and support weavers, runs a workshop in the fort area where you can watch the looms and buy saris and scarves.
A few kilometres from Maheshwar, Sahastradhara is where the Narmada spreads across a wide bed of dark volcanic rock and splits into countless small channels and cascades. In the dry months visitors walk over the rocks and picnic. After the monsoon the flow is strong, so stay at viewpoints.
About 67 km from Maheshwar, Omkareshwar is one of the twelve jyotirlingas of Shiva, set on an island in the Narmada that pilgrims reach by bridge or boat. Its temples and ghats draw large crowds. It makes a full-day trip from Khargone; start early and dress modestly.
About 38 km from Maheshwar on a plateau above the Narmada valley, Mandu is a fortress-town of the 15th and 16th centuries, with ruined palaces, mosques, tombs and gateways spread across a wide hilltop. It is a long but rewarding day trip from Khargone district.
Mandleshwar, about 8 km from Maheshwar on the Narmada, is remembered as the place where Adi Shankaracharya held his famous 8th-century debate with the scholar Mandana Mishra. Today it is a quiet riverside town with ghats and temples. It is an easy short drive from Maheshwar.
Navdatoli, on the opposite bank of the Narmada from Maheshwar, is a Chalcolithic archaeological site where excavations revealed one of central India's early farming settlements. There is little to see above ground, but crossing the river by boat gives fine views back to the fort and ghats.
No reviews yet. Been to Khargone? Be the first to share your experience.
Share what you loved, what to skip and tips for other travelers.
Log in to write a reviewBeen to Khargone? Add your best shots to the gallery.
Log in to add photosPhoto: Vinit11sitole, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: Camaal, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Prasoonpadhye, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Prasoonpadhye, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Prasoonpadhye, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Camaal, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Camaal, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Camaal, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Prasoonpadhye, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Prasoonpadhye, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Camaal, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Ms Sarah Welch, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: Ms Sarah Welch, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: Eskay001, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Eskay001, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Eskay001, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Ms Sarah Welch, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: Ms Sarah Welch, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: Ms Sarah Welch, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: Ms Sarah Welch, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: Ms Sarah Welch, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: Shrikant Bansod, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: cool_spark from Bengaluru, India, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
