Dadaji Dhuni Wale Dham, Khandwa

In the heart of Khandwa, the district town that anchors the Narmada-and-Omkareshwar pilgrim belt, the Dadaji Dhuni Wale Dham — known simply as Dada Darbar — is one of central India's most cherished saint-shrines.

• Its spiritual centre is a dhuni, a sacred fire that devotees say has been kept perpetually alight for generations, its glowing ash (vibhuti or bhabhoot) gathered by pilgrims as a blessing.
• The complex is built around the samadhi (final resting place) of the saint venerated as Dada Dhuniwale, and the atmosphere is one of unhurried devotion: soft chanting, the scent of woodsmoke and incense, and a steady stream of visitors who bow before the fire before circling the marble shrine.
• By tradition, Dada Dhuniwale was a wandering ascetic who settled in the Khandwa region and attained samadhi in the early twentieth century; the perpetual dhuni he tended became the seed of the darbar that grew around him.
• A successor saint in the same lineage is remembered too, which is why devotees speak of both the main Dada Darbar and a second shrine often called Chhota (smaller) Dada Darbar within the town.
• The exact chronology is recounted differently in different oral accounts, and the site is best understood through the living devotion around it rather than fixed dates.
• For travellers on the Omkareshwar circuit, Dada Darbar is an easy detour — Khandwa lies roughly 70 kilometres from the Om-shaped island of Mandhata and is a major railway junction, so many pilgrims pause here on the way to or from the Jyotirlinga.
• The shrine is calm on ordinary days and swells during the saint's annual punyatithi and festival gatherings, when a mela fills the surrounding lanes.
• Entry is free, dress is modest, and photography is best done discreetly near the fire.
• Allow around forty-five minutes for a quiet, respectful visit.
• Food around Dada Darbar and central Khandwa is reliably pure-vegetarian, in keeping with its pilgrim character.
• Look for the pure-veg Nimari and Malwa thali houses near the bus stand and market lanes, where you can eat dal-bafla, seasonal sabzi, dal, rice and hot rotis.
• Simple pure-veg bhojanalayas and sweet shops nearby serve poha, samosa, kachori and jalebi through the day, while roadside stalls offer sabudana khichdi and fresh chai — dependable, satisfying fare for a pilgrim's halt.