Maheshwar is in the Madhya Pradesh, in the centre-west of India, and has been known since the 5th century for its sari workshops. Its handlooms, along the banks of river Narmada, set the pace of daily life.

Since the 5th century, the small town of Maheshwar has kept alive the tradition of weaving saris and has won a reputation for this work throughout the entire country. The town is 4000 years old, a superb citadel on the banks of the river Narmada, off the traditional tourist track through the north of India. Maheshwar is an isolated city, on the fringes of the State of Madhya Pradesh, and was formerly the stronghold of a sovereign of the regional capital, Indore. It boasts opulent houses and several dozen temples, the most famous of which is the gigantic sanctuary dedicated to the god Shiva, near the citadel. Its sculptures are an inspiration to the hand weavers who, in some two thousand workshops scattered throughout the city, embroider silk and cotton saris of exquisite fineness and lightness.

The beauty of the site and of the ghats (steps) tumbling down to the water’s edge, have also been an inspiration to filmmakers: many have chosen Maheshwar as their setting when shooting Bollywood-style films. Maheshwar recently received classification as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is surrounded by the fertile plains of the Nimar, and, some fifty kilometres away, you will find the city of Mandu, a town of Afghan origin built in the 13th and 14th centuries, home to the citadel of the Moghul emperor, Akbar.