Ratlam is a working city before it is a tourist one. It sits in the western Malwa plateau of Madhya Pradesh, was the seat of a princely state founded in the 17th century, and is today best known to outsiders as a railway junction and as the home of Ratlami sev, the peppery chickpea-flour snack that carries a Geographical Indication tag. The old centre still holds a few reminders of the Rathore rulers, including the circular Gulab Chakkar and the Kalika Mata temple at the heart of the city.
The better reasons to stay a day or two lie a short drive away. Sailana, about 20 km from the city, has the Kharmor sanctuary, a small protected grassland set up for the lesser florican, a cactus garden behind the old palace, and two Shiva temples cut into a rock cliff. Bibrod, a Jain pilgrimage centre with an old Adinath image, is a short trip in the other direction.
This is a place for people who like small-town India at an easy pace. Facilities are modest and there is no big-ticket sight, so it works best as a one- or two-day stop on a Malwa route that also takes in Ujjain and Indore. October to March is the comfortable window; the monsoon turns the countryside green, which is also when the florican visits, but the roads and grassland are wet.
Before you plan
Ratlam at a glance
- Best months
- November to February is the most…November to February is the most comfortable; October and March are good. April to June is very hot, and July to September is wet.
- Ideal trip length
- 1 to 2 days: a city morning and a…1 to 2 days: a city morning and a Sailana day trip
- Airport
- Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport, IndoreDevi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport, Indore (IDR) is the nearest major airport, roughly 2.5 to 3 hours by road
- Railway station
- Ratlam JunctionRatlam Junction (RTM) is a major junction on the Delhi-Mumbai and Ajmer-Khandwa routes and the headquarters of a Western Railway division
- Getting around
- Autos and e-rickshaws in the cityAutos and e-rickshaws in the city; hire a car and driver for Sailana, Bibrod and the sanctuary
- Daily budget
- Modest outside a hotelModest outside a hotel; local meals and transport are inexpensive, and car hire for day trips is the main cost
- Senior comfort
- Reasonable: the city sights are levelReasonable: the city sights are level, but facilities are basic, and the Sailana outings involve uneven ground and long road time
- Language
- Hindi and MalviHindi and Malvi; English is limited outside hotels
Prices, opening hours and weather change. Recheck live details before booking.
Best time to visit Ratlam: January, February, November, December. Month-by-month weather →
How many days do you have?
Ratlam itinerary
One good day
1 day in Ratlam
Start at the Kalika Mata temple, then walk to the Gulab Chakkar nearby. Stop at a namkeen shop for fresh Ratlami sev and a cup of tea. Have lunch and rest, then drive to Sailana in the late afternoon for the cactus garden and the Kedareshwar temples, returning before dark.
Day-by-day plan →Two days
2 days in Ratlam
Visit the Kalika Mata temple and Gulab Chakkar in the morning, rest at lunch and spend the afternoon at a namkeen shop and in the market for sev and snacks. Keep the evening free.
Day-by-day plan →Three unhurried days
3 days in Ratlam
Kalika Mata temple, the Gulab Chakkar and a sev tasting, with a long rest in the afternoon.
Day-by-day plan →
