Indira Sagar Dam, Narmadanagar

Rising across the Narmada near the village of Punasa in Khandwa district, the Indira Sagar Dam is one of Madhya Pradesh's great feats of modern engineering and a compelling detour from the Omkareshwar pilgrim trail.

• Its concrete-and-masonry wall pens back a reservoir so vast that it is widely cited as one of India's largest by storage capacity, spreading a shimmering inland sea across the Nimar plains where the river once ran narrow between low hills.
• For travellers moving between the Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga and Khandwa, the dam offers a startling change of register — from ancient stone ghats to the clean geometric sweep of a twentieth-century mega-project, best appreciated from the designated viewpoints near the powerhouse and the planned township of Narmadanagar that grew up to serve it.
• The project is a multipurpose one, built for hydroelectric power and irrigation across the Nimar region.
• By most accounts its foundation was laid in the 1980s and the dam was commissioned in the mid-2000s, with a power station generating a substantial output that feeds the state grid.
• The scale came at a real human cost — a large tract of the valley, including villages and farmland, was submerged as the reservoir filled — and thoughtful visitors will find the site as much a place for reflection on the Narmada's contested modern story as for admiring its engineering.
• Photography of the dam structure itself is often restricted for security reasons, so respect posted signage and any instructions from staff.
• The reservoir's greatest draw for tourists lies in its backwaters.
• At Hanuwantiya, a short drive away, Madhya Pradesh Tourism has developed an island getaway on the still waters, famous for the winter Jal Mahotsav festival with kayaking, boating and cycling.
• From here the sunsets over the water are magnificent, and the setting connects naturally into the wider Omkareshwar–Khandwa–Maheshwar circuit.
• Reach the area via Khandwa (around fifty kilometres) or Omkareshwar; the nearest railhead is Khandwa and the nearest airport Indore.
• Food out here is unfussy and, in keeping with the Narmada belt, best planned around pure-vegetarian kitchens.
• Do not expect a dense restaurant strip at the dam itself; instead, carry water and plan meals around the family-run pure-veg thali houses, bhojanalayas and roadside eateries along the Punasa–Khandwa and Omkareshwar roads, where you will find simple Nimari–Malwa plates of dal, seasonal sabzi, rotli, rice and chaas, plus poha, samosa and hot chai.
• Always confirm that the kitchen is fully vegetarian before you order, as multi-cuisine resorts in the area may also serve non-vegetarian food.
• The temple-town bhojanalayas and prasad counters of Omkareshwar are the surest bet for a full pure-veg thali if you are combining the two in a day.