INDORE

also spelled Indur city, western Madhya Pradesh state, central India. The city is a major trunk road and rail junction and is located on the Saraswati and Khan streams, which are tributaries of the Sipra River. Indore was founded in 1715 as a trade market on the Narmada River valley route by local landowners, who erected Indreshwar Temple (1741), from which the name Indore is derived. It became the capital of the former Indore princely state of the Maratha Holkars, and it was the headquarters of the British Central India Agency and the summer capital of Madhya Bharat (194856). The largest city in the state, Indore is the chief collecting and distributing centre for western Madhya Pradesh as well as a commercial and industrial centre. Major industries include the manufacture of textiles, tile, cement, chemicals, tents, furniture, and sporting goods; grain milling; and metalworking. There are auto and cycle workshops and engineering works. Indore is the seat of Devi Ahilya University (founded in 1964 as the University of Indore), with numerous constituent and affiliated colleges in the city. Pop. (1971) 543,381; (1981) 829,327; (1991) 1,109,056.