Ratlam is a historical destination, originally called Ratnapuri, in the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh. The New Town of Ratlam was founded by Captain Borthwick in 1829 with regular and broadened streets and well built houses. Ratlam was once one of the first businesses making Towns in Central India being the centre of an extensive trade in opium, tobacco and salt. The city is popular for its historical and prehistoric religious monuments and currently for production of Chemicals, Copper wires, Perfumes & pottery and textile. Ratlam is recognized for Gold, Ratlami Sev and the Ratlami Sari.
The Railway Station of Ratlam is a major junction of the Indian Railways. There are four most important railway tracks passing through Ratlam City, leading to Mumbai, Delhi, Ajmer and Khandwa. Ratlam station is one of the busiest railway stations in India. Ratlam has several beautiful temples such as KALKA MATA near Collectorate. Cactus Garden located at about 20 Km. at Sailana. Nageshwar Temple. The Hussain Tekri at “Jaora” is also a well known place. There are around 5 hotels in and around the place charging as per their quality of the services provided.
Places to Visit
Shri Shantinath Digambar Jain Mandir
Shri Shantinath Digambar Jain Mandir is among the famous Jain temples of 16th Jain tirthankar bhagwan shri Shantinathji in Maharashtra having the world’s biggest ashtadathu Jain idol of Bhagawan Adinatha. Statues of Lord Chandraprabhuji, Lord Parshwanathji and Lord Mahavir swami are also situated in the temple. A place far from the chaotic life of the city has a serene atmosphere. The pilgrims’ feels more connected to God in the calmness of this place. This Temple is made up of pink stone carved out in style. This famous place has all the possible commutation available so it can be easily reached.
Kharmour Wildlife Sanctuary
Sailana Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Sailana and Piploda blocks of Ratlam district of Madhya Pradesh (M.P) spread under the area of 13 sq.km .this place is a home to many bird species. The surroundings of this sanctuary comprises several other tourist attractions of Ratlam, like the Kedareshwar Temple and the Cactus Garden. The best time to visit the place is between the months of July and September.
This place was built to protect and promote the rarest species of birds. Sailana sanctuary is the prime habitat for Kharmor – a lesser known florican .The sanctuary remains open for the tourist 6 to 10:30AM in the morning and 3 to 6 PM in the evening. The best season to visit the sanctuary is between July to September. This place can be a great experience to all the birdwatchers. The City of Ratlam provides many bus services to visit the place. One can also avail the auto or taxi services to reach the destination. The nearby railway station is Ratlam Junction from where one can get buses or small vehicles like autos that help in commuting. The nearest airport is Indore airport.
Cactus Garden Of Sailana
The Cactus garden is just 20 km from Ratlam. The garden is about 50 years old and beautifully maintained featuring over 1200 species of cacti. These were imported from different countries, primarily from America. This is possibly the largest compilation in Asia. The entrance to the Cactus garden is truly a delightful experience. It is truly amazing to see the desert plant in different forms, shapes and sizes. The friendly gardener familiarizes visitors with the names and lifespan of the various cactus found there. Some of them are The Old Man cactus, Bell cactus, Bulb cactus, Snake cactus; Peacock feather cactus amongst others. This blossoming green surroundings of the place win over the heart of travelers.
Dholawad Dam
The Dholawad dam is one of the major traveler attractions of Ratlam located in Raoti, 25 km towards the west of Ratlam. Also known as, Saroj Sarowar Bandh, the Dholawad dam is 6 km by road from Raoti town.The dam is set amidst serene surroundings and presents the visitor an atmosphere of tranquil calmness. While visiting the Dholawad dam, make sure that you stay back until sunset to enjoy the view of the sun setting at the horizon. If you enjoy shopping while travelling, you can head to the nearby markets like the Kothari Market, Ghans Bazaar, Akhanda Gyan Ashram Market, Gulab Market and the Hariyali Kissan Bazaar. Dholawad dam can be easily accessed from the Raoti Rail Station (RTI) by local modes of transportation, which are available in plenty. The best season to visit the Dholawad dam is winter.
Kedareshwar Temple
The Kedareshwar Temple is another Shiva temple situated in the Sailana Village of Ratlam District. This temple is sited at a distance of 4 km from the Sailana Palace and is situated in a man-made cave. This man-made cave has been carved out of a cliff of igneous rocks, whose top has a small stream of water during the monsoons, which flows down from there, to join a small pond of the nearby valley. The place is most visited during the monsoon season. The area around this temple is also a popular picnic spot in the place. People come here to enjoy the spiritual as well as the natural beauty.
Must Try Food in Ratlam
1. Modi Baati Masala Point
2. Eatio
3. Hotel Shree Palace & Restaurant
4. Shri Shivam Restaurant
5. Bhole Restaurant
6. Agarwals Umang Namkeen
7. Ashapura Sweets & Namkeen
8. Titos The Desi Snack
9. Adarsh Fast Food
10. Larelappa Restaurant
How To Get Here
By Air
You can catch a flight to Indore airport, which is located at a distance of about 130 km from Ratlam. Once you have reached the airport, you can hire a taxi to Ratlam. It will take you an approximate time of 3 hours to reach your destination from the airport.
By Road
Ratlam is located about 300 km from Bhopal and hence, it is easily accessible by road. Route 1: Bhopal – Dewas – Ujjain – Ratlam Route 2: Bhopal – Shajapur – Ujjain – Ratlam Route 3: Bhopal – Sarangpur – Baroda – Ratlam However, route 1 is preferable as it will take you an average time of 1 hour lesser in comparison to other routes. Hence, you can reach your destination within 5 hours and 30 minutes through route 1. On your way, you can also explore Ujjain and Dewas.
By Train
Ratlam has its own railway station. Hence, you can catch a direct train from Bhopal to Ratlam. It will take you an average time of 7 hours to reach Ratlam Junction from Bhopal railway station.