To mark 300th birth anniversary of Ahilyabai, MP govt to hold cabinet meet in Indore

The meeting is being organised in Indore for the first time, as Ahilyabai had taken over Indore regency on May 20, 1766, while her birth anniversary also falls on May 31 (1725).

"It is a token of respect to Ahilyabai -- the towering personality in our rich history," Kailash Vijayavargiya, Urban Development Minister of the State, said.

In a gesture that seeks to evoke the grandeur of a bygone era, this historic cabinet meeting will take place within Rajwada - a palace once under the dominion of Holkar family.

Once the regal court of the Holkar dynasty, Rajwada stands as a testament to the architectural and cultural legacy of Indore.

Though Devi Ahilyabai Holkar had established Maheshwar as her capital, the mantle of governance was later assumed by Yashwant Rao Holkar and Tukoji Rao Holkar, who ruled from Indore.

This marks the first instance of a cabinet meeting being hosted in Indore, a distinction previously accorded to the Narmada-Shipra confluence site in Ujjaini, within the Indore district.

The meeting is scheduled to commence at noon, wherein the governance of the state will take a few important decisions. In addition to these proceedings, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav will preside over the Bhoomi Pujan ceremony for the restoration of gardens of both Lalbagh Palace and Rajwada Palace.

The Indore Municipal Corporation, in its commitment to aesthetic refinement, has allocated a sum of Rs 20 lakh towards the beautification of these spaces.

Rajwada, an edifice with a lineage spanning two centuries, has borne witness to the vicissitudes of history. A portion of it was marred during the tumultuous riots of 1984, necessitating extensive restoration efforts some twenty-five years hence.

More recently, under the auspices of the Smart City Project, Rajwada was imbued with renewed splendour, undergoing a transformative refurbishment at an expenditure of Rs 20 crore.

Born into a distinguished Marathi Hindu lineage, Ahilyabai was the daughter of Mankoji Shinde and Sushila Shinde, hailing from the village of Chandi, now a part of Ahmednagar (Maharashtra).

Her father, a scion of the Dhangar community, ensured that she was nurtured in an environment steeped in tradition and virtue.

Ahilyabai's ascent to prominence was catalysed by a fortuitous encounter with Malhar Rao Holkar, a formidable commander in the army of Maratha Peshwa Baji Rao I and the ruler of Malwa.

She established Maheshwar (Madhya Pradesh) as the seat of the Holkar dynasty.

Struck by the young girl's piety and noble disposition, Malhar Rao discerned in her the qualities befitting a future queen and urged his son, Khandojee, to take her as his bride.

Thus, in the year 1733, Ahilyabai, then a mere child of seven or eight, was wed to Khandojee, himself but nine or ten years of age. They had two children – a son, Maloji Holkar, born in 1745, and a daughter, Muktabai Holkar, born in 1748.

Ahilyabai's legacy, however, transcends the confines of familial lineage, enduring as a beacon of enlightened governance, cultural patronage, and unwavering devotion to the welfare of her people.