Description & Facts: Indore the commercial capital of Madhya Pradesh, is situated on Malwa plateau. Indore, growing at a fast pace, still manages to combine ancient and mordern lifestyle in a unique atomshpere. 'Indories' (residents of Indore) are well known for their warm and friendly attitude. Indore is situated on the Malwa plateau at an altitude of 553 m above sea level, on the banks of two small rivulets - the Saraswati and the Khan. They unite at the centre of the city where a small 18th century temple of Sangamnath or Indreshwar exists. The name Indore is due to this deity. It is the largest city in Madhya Pradesh state in central India. It is among the million+ population cities of India and it is the commercial capital of the state of Madhya Pradesh. Indore city presents a happy blend of historical past and promises of rapid future modernization. Formerly a major trading centre, the city, along with its satellite townships of Pithampur and Dewas, has established itself as a strong industrial base. The era of liberalisation has seen Indore at the forefront of a number of privatisation initiatives which include the country's first toll road and private telephone network (Airtel). In the midst of such vibrant industrial activity, the city maintains its link with its glorious past. Indore has witnessed the reign of one of the greatest women in Indian history, Rani Ahilyabai Holkar. Malhar Rao Holkar, the father-in-law of Ahilyabai was bestowed Indrashwar or Indrapur (from which the name Indore was derived) by the Maratha Peshwa Baji Rao. Widowed when she was barely out of her teens Rani Ahilyabai took the responsibility of Indore into her own hands and was instrumental in planning and building this city. 14 generations of the Holkar dynasty ruled Indore for 220 years. On 16th June 1948, the Holkar State was officially merged with the Indian republic. Indore is well connected by road, rail and air with the Agra-Mumbai highway passing through the city. It is strategically located, being in close proximity to Mumbai (593 km) and Delhi (807 km) both of which are connected by daily flights operated by Kingfisher Airlines, Jet Airways and Indian Airlines. Indore is the most developed city of Madhya Pradesh. Due to its location on the southern edge of the Malwa plateau, it makes an excellent tourist destination, during the day a cool breeze starts which makes the evenings quite pleasant. No wonder poets have deemed Shab-e-Malwa (the night of Malwa) exquisite beyond compare. The city also has many good tourist spots in its vicinity. Mandav is a city of palaces and lakes very close to Indore. This is a beautiful and a very good tourist destination. Thanks to the rich black soil of the Malwa Plateau, Indore has prospered into being the fourth largest centre of cotton textile industry in India. It is also justly famous for its beautiful bangles. Indore can be called the 'food city'. It has great variety and taste in food. It offers amazing chats (term used for spicy tangy food), punjabi food, Indian sweets (jalebis, malpuas, kaju katli, the list is endless). Once you have a taste of Indore's food, you will want to come back and have it again.