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In the mid-18th century, when the Mughal Empire in India was in decline and Maratha power was on the rise, a sovereign etched her name in golden letters in the annals of history — a ruler whose style of governance and persona remain relevant even in the tricentennial year of her birth. This woman was none other than the revered and pure-as-the-Ganges royal matriarch, Her Majesty Devi Ahilyabai Holkar.
In a letter written by Malharrao in 1765, we find clear evidence of his immense faith in Devi Ahilyabai’s capabilities, as well as a description of her internal mental struggles and how she overcame them
At the time of exile, seeing Mother Sita clad in simple garments, Sage Vashishtha’s eyes welled up with tears. Stopping her and sternly rebuking Kaikeyi, he declared, “Sita shall not go to the forest — she alone shall sit upon the adorned royal throne meant for Shri Ram, and she shall govern the entire earth.” (Valmiki Ramayana 2.37.23–24) Circumstances did not allow such a destiny in that era, but the history of Malwa stands witness that when Devi Ahilyabai was about to commit sati after the death of her husband Khanderao, it was the heart-wrenching plea of the grief-stricken Subedar Malharrao that stopped her. Entrusting her with the full responsibility of the kingdom, he introduced the world to an unprecedented rule by a woman—one that otherwise might have remained an unfulfilled dream in history.
In the early years of Devi Ahilya’s life, while Malharrao was leading military campaigns, engaging in diplomatic deliberations, managing finances, and resolving administrative and judicial issues, the future ruler of Malwa was observing him and gaining practical training. In a letter written by Malharrao in 1765, we find clear evidence of his immense faith in Devi Ahilyabai’s capabilities, as well as a description of her internal mental struggles and how she overcame them.
When Malharrao entrusted Devi with the enormous responsibility of preparing an artillery unit in Gwalior—including designing cannon models, overseeing the manufacture of cannons and shells, arranging financial management for the production, procuring containers for storing gunpowder, ensuring the security of the artillery, managing staff salaries, and providing fodder for the transport oxen—the deeply religious Devi, true to her nature, wished to spend two days in pilgrimage at Mathura on her way to Gwalior. However, Malharrao, dissatisfied with this idea, firmly stated, “Do not stop even to drink a sip of water in Mathura—proceed directly to Gwalior, or else you are free to go on a pilgrimage if that is your choice.”
Seeing the gravity of the military assignment, Devi Ahilya immediately canceled her personal pilgrimage plans and set off for Gwalior, where she successfully carried out the responsibilities entrusted to her. Within just two months, she captured the forts of Gohad with the help of artillery, showcasing her remarkable military acumen. During this campaign, Malharrao imparted a vital lesson to Devi: “Your guiding principle should be to achieve maximum results with minimum force.” These seeds of wisdom were sown in such a receptive mind that their sweet fruits would go on to nourish the entire nation in the years to come.
Impressed by Devi Ahilyabai’s strategic and administrative brilliance, even the Peshwa government began to praise her abilities. Adhering to her guiding policy—first peace, then treaty, and only finally, the use of force—she successfully suppressed the only major uprising during her 27-year-long reign: the Chandrawat rebellion. On this occasion, at a grand assembly held in Pune, Nana Fadnavis lavishly praised Devi’s bravery and military prowess. Until then, she had been primarily known as a devout and religious woman.
However, even after this victory, Queen Ahilyabai, forgetting the past, gave Bhavani Singh a full opportunity for repentance, reinstated him to his position, and gifted
Devi Ahilya had a broad vision and paid meticulous attention to even the finest details of state affairs. Alongside military campaigns, engineering was not unfamiliar to her—she played an active role not only in finalizing cannon designs and overseeing the manufacture of cannons and shells, but also in giving directives based on her past experience regarding the dimensions and structure during dam constructions in various places
him clothes as a mark of respect. In return, he too respectfully presented gifts to the Holkars. Thus, the fame of Devi’s valor, justice, compassion, and religious integrity spread far and wide. The ruling class of the time began to regard her as a revered and unassailable saint, with whom engaging in political competition or disputes would be unfavorable for the rulers’ religious standing and public sentiment.
For the people, she was not just a ruler but a mother. They would call her as sacred as the Ganga, the Rajmata, and the Matreshwari (mother goddess). When a citizen told her, “My father served you for sixty years. I have now grown old, and the responsibility for my protection and livelihood lies with you. I wish to stay with you for a few days, along with my family,” we can understand the deep emotional connection. For the people, Devi was not merely a ruler but a compassionate, accessible mother.
On one occasion, when a girl’s father learned that the man to whom he had engaged his daughter was actually seriously ill, he presented an application before Devi Ahilyabai to break the engagement. Devi immediately issued a royal decree, declaring the engagement null and void, thereby saving the girl’s future from darkness and relieving her father from social pressure.
Here, we also witness the tragedy in the life of Devi Ahilyabai, who herself endured the pain of widowhood and had to see her daughter, Muktabai, widowed at a young age and ultimately become a sati, yet she could do nothing to prevent it. After Muktabai’s death, Devi Ahilyabai was so engulfed in grief that she remained silent for three days, not eating or drinking. Once she overcame her sorrow, she had an extraordinarily beautiful memorial constructed in memory of Muktabai, which became the first chhatri ever built for a woman.
Malcolm said, “There are very few modern temples in India that are more beautiful and refined in craftsmanship than this monument of maternal love.” In addition, through her policies and actions, she took several steps for the self-reliance of widows and women. She also entrusted the important responsibility of the construction of the Vishnupad temple in Gaya Dham to her associate Mohini Raj Murar, a woman.
When Subedar Malharrao took control of Maheshwar, it was merely a small town. Citizens from various cities and professions—scholars of Vedas, scriptures, grammar, rituals, astrology, and medicine, along with bankers, sculptors, poets, artists, and weavers—were settled here with grants. By the time of Devi Ahilya’s reign, a total of 66 grand temples and scenic ghats belonging to various sects had already been constructed in this town alone. Devi was committed to the holistic development of the capital, which is why proper arrangements were made for police stations, schools, roads, secret passages, postal services, and transportation.
Devi Ahilya had a broad vision and paid meticulous attention to even the finest details of state affairs. Alongside military campaigns, engineering was not unfamiliar to her—she played an active role not only in finalizing cannon designs and overseeing the manufacture of cannons and shells, but also in giving directives based on her past experience regarding the dimensions and structure during dam constructions in various places. She was an extraordinary expert in the sciences of auspicious timing and omens. Every day, she studied scriptures such as the Upanishads, the Gita, the Mahabharata, as well as Ayurvedic texts.
Conscious living in complete dedication to one’s ultimate goal.
Out of the twelve Jyotirlingas, four—Kashi Vishwanath, Somnath, Baidyanath, and Grishneshwar—were rebuilt by Devi Ahilya herself. In addition, she generously donated for the construction of temples, dharamshalas, ghats, and arrangements for worship at all the other Jyotirlinga sites
Whatever is said about the temples and donations made by Devi Ahilyabai Holkar is like offering a humble lamp to the sun. Her name and temples have become so synonymous in the Indian public consciousness that wherever unregistered temples, ghats, or other religious structures are seen, the Hindu community assumes that they must have been built by the Devi herself.
The iconoclast Aurangzeb, who carried out the terrible destruction of Indian religion and reduced sacred pilgrimage sites to heaps of rubble, had not built anything new for half a century. But as soon as he was gone, while the Maratha power was achieving military victories through its campaigns of conquest, on the other hand, Devi Ahilya was raising a magnificent series of cultural monuments upon the shattered remains of temples and the ancient memories of pilgrimages.
Out of the twelve Jyotirlingas, four—Kashi Vishwanath, Somnath, Baidyanath, and Grishneshwar—were rebuilt by Devi Ahilya herself. In addition, she generously donated for the construction of temples, dharamshalas, ghats, and arrangements for worship at all the other Jyotirlinga sites. To revive the seven sacred cities—Ayodhya, Mathura, Maya, Kashi, Kanchi, Avantika, and Dwarka—she opened the doors of her royal treasury. In Ayodhya, she commissioned the construction of the Ram Mandir, Tretaram Mandir, Bhairav Mandir, Nageshwarnath Mandir, Saryu Ghat, among others. In Mathura, she built the Chain Bihari Temple, Kaliyadah Ghat, Chir Ghat, and dharamshalas.
In Haridwar, at Mayapuri, she built the Kushavart Ghat and a dharamshala. In Kashi, in addition to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, she also constructed the Tarkeshwar Mahadev Temple, Ganga Temple, Manikarnika Ghat, Dashashwamedh Ghat, six private temples, dharamshalas, gardens, and the establishment of Brahmapuri. In Kanchi, she undertook the rare task of providing annual supplies of Ganga water. In Ujjain, she established the Leela Purushottam Temple, Jagannath Temple, Balaji Temple, Chintaman Ganapati Temple, among others, and also built a dharamshala in Dwarka.
In the four sacred Char Dhams of Hinduism, in the north at Badrinath, she
When Devi Ahilyabai sent her official with a sum of 1,800 rupees for the purchase of land to construct a temple, the topic of “land price” arose. However, King Bilkeshwar Deveraj refused to accept even a single penny and immediately issued a written land grant. Among the divided Hindu rulers, there was deep reverence for Devi’s work
constructed the Kedareswar Temple, Shri Hari Temple, Devprayag Udyan, Tapt Kund, Kundchatti Kund, and five dharamshalas. In the south, at Rameshwaram, she built the Radhakrishna Temple, a well, and a dharamshala. In Puri, she established the Shri Ramchandra Temple, a dharamshala, and a garden. A very significant incident is associated with her work in Puri, which reflects the deep reverence that the contemporary ruling class held for Devi Ahilya.
When Devi Ahilyabai sent her official with a sum of 1,800 rupees for the purchase of land to construct a temple, the topic of “land price” arose. However, King Bilkeshwar Deveraj refused to accept even a single penny and immediately issued a written land grant. Among the divided Hindu rulers, there was deep reverence for Devi’s work, and even when there were differences on other matters, the kings would establish friendly relations with her and cooperate in her cultural initiatives, considering them as national works determined by destiny. In true sense, she had become the Rajmata of the entire country.
There is a famous legend that King Prachinbarhi performed so many yajnas that the entire Earth was covered with sacred kush grass. Looking at the temples built by Devi Ahilyabai, it seems as though she has covered the entire India with them in a similar manner. Apart from the major pilgrimage sites, temples, monasteries, dharamshalas, gardens, ghats, wells, kunds, and bridges were constructed by her across various regions of India, including places like Parli, Mumbai, Kolhapur, Satara, Pune, Pandharpur, Nashik, Ellora, Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, Pushkar, Bharatpur, Nathdwara, Kumher in Rajasthan, Mathura, Ayodhya, Naimisharanya, Prayagraj, Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh, Tehri, Burhanpur, Gaya, Verul, Kurukshetra, Maheshwar, Amarkantak, Karmnasha in Bengal, and many others in the four directions of India. She continued to establish and donate generously to innumerable temples, monasteries, dharamshalas, gardens, ghats, wells, kunds, and bridges without interruption.
Her national vision was so strong that she made arrangements for the abhisheka with Ganga water on the night of Maha Shivaratri at the 12 Jyotirlingas and 34 major Shiva temples across the country. When a butcher opened a shop at a sacred place, she immediately issued an order to have the shop removed. Warning against the imperialist policies of the British, she also suggested forming alliances to crush the British.
The 300th anniversary of Devi Ahilyabai Holkar’s birth began on May 31, 2024. Her journey from a simple rural girl, born to a background not belonging to the high-caste, patriarchal society of her time, to an extraordinary empress, exemplifies purity, religious devotion, faith, power accumulation, discipline, knowledge, philanthropy, and vision. Her life continues to be an inexhaustible source of inspiration for the entire Indian society. We all remember and honor her with gratitude as the living Goddess of the people!
(The writer is a well-known Journalist)