Indore has become a bhajan city almost by accident. A few big-name concerts, a temple culture that never went quiet, and a food scene that keeps people out late made it the natural home for a weekend built around devotional music.
Friday evening
Arrive, check in, and go straight to Khajrana Ganesh temple for the evening aarti. It is the city's heart, busy and warm, and the right place to start. Then walk or ride to Sarafa Bazaar, which turns into a street food market after the jewellery shops close. Eat bhutte ka kees, garadu, and a rabri that will ruin you for other rabris.
Saturday
A slow morning. Then find the bhajan sandhya. Larger events happen at halls and grounds around the city and are announced on the organisers' social pages. Smaller ones are at temples and community halls and are often free. Ask at Khajrana. Someone will know. Arrive early for a place on the floor near the front, where the sound is best and the singing is loudest.
Sunday
Annapurna temple in the morning, quieter than Khajrana and beautiful. Poha jalebi for breakfast at any of the stalls near it. Then the drive out to Ujjain if you have time, an hour away and home to Mahakaleshwar, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. The Bhasma Aarti there is in the early hours and needs advance booking, so decide early whether Sunday is a day trip or a stay.
What to pack
Two kurtas, one for temples and one for the bhajan night. A stole. Slip-on footwear. An appetite. Indore will take care of the rest.