Stand on Station Road and you are at the edge of one of the busiest railway junctions in India, where the Delhi–Mumbai and Ajmer–Khandwa routes cross and trains pause long enough for their coaches to be cleaned on the platform. Ratlam is a Malwa city that most travellers meet through a window, but it rewards a stop of a day or two, especially if you are travelling the Western Railway corridor and want to break the journey.
This guide suits rail travellers, Jain pilgrims and anyone curious about the princely history of Malwa. It covers the sights within the city, the temple circuit, and how to spend a single day here.
Top things to do in Ratlam
1. Shwetambar Temple
This Jain temple on Station Road is dedicated to Lord Parshvanath, the 23rd tirthankara. At its centre stands a statue of Parshvanath over 13 feet high, carved from a single emerald stone.
It is the most convenient of the city's religious sites, being on Station Road, so you can combine it with your arrival at or departure from Ratlam Junction.
2. Bibrod Tirth
A major Jain temple centred on Adinath, the first tirthankara of Jainism. It draws pilgrims rather than casual sightseers, and the atmosphere reflects that.
Pair it with the Shwetambar Temple if you are following the Jain sites in one outing.
3. Cactus Garden
On the Ratlam–Banswara Highway, within Sailana Palace. The garden is not very big but well maintained, and it is quite different from most other gardens you are likely to come across. There are a staggering number of cactus varieties, many of which tower over you.
Because it sits on the highway towards Banswara, treat it as a stop on a journey out of the city rather than a quick detour from the centre.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start with the Shwetambar Temple on Station Road, where the emerald statue of Parshvanath is the centrepiece. Continue to Bibrod Tirth, the Jain temple dedicated to Adinath.
Afternoon: Take the Ratlam–Banswara Highway to the Cactus Garden at Sailana Palace, where the cactus varieties tower over the paths.
Evening: Return to the Station Road area and end your day near Ratlam Junction, the junction that gives the city its place on the rail map.
Frequently asked questions
How do I reach Ratlam?
Ratlam Junction is a major junction on the Delhi–Mumbai and Ajmer–Khandwa rail routes, on broad gauge lines of the Western Railways Zone, and is the divisional headquarters of Ratlam railway division.
When is the best time to visit?
Winters start in mid-November and are dry, cool and sunny. Summers from April through June can be extremely hot, and the monsoon brings sustained, torrential rainfall and high humidity from late June.
Which Jain temples can I visit in the city?
Bibrod Tirth, centred on Adinath, the first tirthankara, and the Shwetambar Temple on Station Road, dedicated to Parshvanath, the 23rd tirthankara.
Is Ratlam known for anything on the railway network?
It is the first clean train station of the Indian Railways network, where coaches are cleaned while a train halts for 15 to 20 minutes, and Ratlam Junction is referred to in the 2007 Hindi film Jab We Met.
Check your train timings, set aside a day for the temples and the Cactus Garden, and start planning your stop in Ratlam.