The Holkars built this shivalay as a tribute to Ahilyabai, and it took thirty-four years and about 1.5 crore rupees of the money of the day.
The Ahilyeshwar Mahadev mandir was built by the Holkars as a tribute to Ahilyabai Holkar. It took thirty-four years to construct, at a cost of around 1.5 crore rupees in the money of the period, and it is tall enough to be seen from a considerable distance.
The temple is a shivalay, and its distinction lies in its stone sculpture. The pillars carry statues of the dashavatar, the ten avatars recognised in Hindu sanatan dharma: Matsya, Varaha, Kachhap, Vaman, Narasingh, Parshuram, Ram, Krishna, Buddha and Kalki. Working along the pillars and identifying each in turn is the most rewarding way to look at the building, and it is what separates this temple from the simpler shrines along the river.
The pillars carry carved statues of the ten avatars: Matsya, Varaha, Kachhap, Vaman, Narasingh, Parshuram, Ram, Krishna, Buddha and Kalki. Identifying them one by one is the best use of your time here, and the sequence is the clearest reason the temple took thirty-four years.
The building stands high enough to be seen from a distance, and the expenditure of about 1.5 crore rupees in that period shows in the quality of the masonry. Walk the full exterior before entering.
Inside, the temple functions as a working shivalay. The contrast between the dense carving outside and the plain focus of the shrine within is characteristic of Holkar temple building at Maheshwar.
The temple is within the Maheshwar fort and ghat area and is covered on foot along with the other shrines there.
October to March is the best season at Maheshwar. Early morning is the best hour, both for the temperature and because raking light brings out the relief on the pillars. Mahashivratri is the biggest day of the year at this shrine.
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