Dominating the town is this 16th-century fort. The huge, imposing ramparts were built by Emperor Akbar, while the Maheshwar Palace and several temples within its grounds were added during the reign of Holkar queen Ahilyabai (r 1767–95). The palace is part public courtyard, part posh hotel. Housed within the courtyard, among a collection of rusty matchlocks and dusty palanquins, is a glass-cased statue of Ahilyabai, treated with the reverence of a shrine. Nearby is a Shiva temple with a golden lingam – the starting point for palanquin processions on Ahilyabai’s birthday and Dussehra.
