Who was Ahilya Bai Holkar?

Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Latest News

Recently, the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), in collaboration with the Lokmata Ahilyabai Trishatabdi Samaroh Samiti, organized a special lecture on the life and legacy of Devi Ahilyabai Holkar.

 About Devi Ahilyabai Holkar

• Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar (31 May 1725 – 13 August 1795) was the Holkar Queen of the Maratha Malwa kingdom, India.
• Under her rule Malwa enjoyed relative peace, prosperity, and stability, and her capital, Maheshwar, was turned into an oasis of literary, musical, artistic, and industrial pursuits.

Military contribution of Devi Ahilyabai Holkar

• She was military-trained under her father-in-law Malhar Rao Holkar and personally led armies into battle. 
• She appointed Tukojirao Holkar as the Chief of Army.

Administration of Devi Ahilyabai Holkar

• She held daily public audiences to help redress the problems of the common man.
• She earned a reputation for administering justice fairly during her rule, without partiality or partisanship. Ex: She sentenced her only son, found guilty of a capital offense, to death by being crushed by an elephant.
• She also made some landmark decisions during her reign, including the removal of traditional law confiscating the property of childless widows.
• Promotion of craft: She established a textile industry in Maheshwar, which today is very famous for its Maheshwari sarees. 

Cultural contribution of Devi Ahilyabai Holkar

• She welcomed stalwarts such as Marathi poet Moropant, Shahir Ananta Gandhi, and Sanskrit scholar Khushali Ram into her capital.
• She was a great pioneer and builder of Hindu temples.
• She built hundreds of temples and Dharmashalas throughout India.
• Her most notable contribution was the renovation and repair of the famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple in 1780.
• She passed away on August 13, 1795, at the age of seventy. 
• Titles: John Keay, the British historian, gave the queen the title of ‘The Philosopher Queen’.

Devi Ahilyabai Holkar FAQs

Q1: Which temple was renovated by Ahilyabai?

Ans: Kashi Vishwanath temple

Q2: Who was the ruler after Ahilyabai Holkar?

Ans: Tukoji Rao Holkar

Q3: What is special about Maheshwari saree?

Ans : It has unique reversible borders done with a two-way weave called 'bugdi'

Source: PIB