Four life-size stone elephants flank the entrance to this Indore temple complex, and they are the first thing anyone remembers about it.
The Annapurna temple stands in the western part of Indore and is dedicated to Annapurna, the goddess of food and plenty. Its entrance is marked by a gateway carried on four life-size stone elephants, and that gateway has become the identifying image of the temple in the city.
Beyond the gate the complex opens out into a group of shrines rather than a single building. Annapurna is the presiding deity, and there are further shrines within the compound including one to Shiva. The outer walls and the upper stages of the main shrine carry painted and sculpted figures, which gives the temple a busier, more colourful surface than the Holkar-era stone monuments elsewhere in Indore. It functions as a working neighbourhood temple with steady daily attendance rather than as a monument.
Four stone elephants at full size support the entrance arch. Look at them from a few steps back before walking through, because up close you lose the composition. This is the single most photographed feature of the temple.
The presiding image sits in the principal shrine. The exterior stages above it are covered with sculpted and painted figures, and the detail repays a slow walk around the outside of the building.
The compound holds more than one shrine, including a Shiva shrine, so the visit is a circuit rather than a single stop. Follow the path the local worshippers take and you will cover them in order.
The temple is in a residential part of west Indore and is reached easily by auto. It is an active place of worship, so visit around darshan hours.
October to March is the easy season in Indore. Early morning gives you the quietest circuit and the best light on the sculpted gateway. Navratri is the most atmospheric time to come, with the understanding that the complex will be full.
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