The villagers had made an elaborate arrangement to welcome their `king'. This was for the first time that a male descendant of the royal family was visiting the village in over 280 years when the Scindias had left Kanherkhed to fight the first battle of Panipat. Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia had visited the village a few years ago.

The village, 11 km from Koregaon, has a population of around 6,000. A palace, constructed by Ranoji Shinde, the founder of the Shinde (or Scindia) dynasty, which is still here in a dilapidated condition, is a mute testimony to the glorious historical days of the Scindia clan. The Peshwa had given Kanherkhed village as a gift to Ranoji Shinde.

Ranoji had four sons -- Janakoji, Jayappa, Daulatrao and Mahadji. Theyparticipated in the first war of Panipat. Three of them laid down their life in the battle and wounded Mahadji returned to Pune. A decade later, he marched again with reinforcements towards the north to avenge the defeat. With the help of other great Maratha sardars like Raghobadada and Malharrao Holkar, he hoisted the Maratha saffron flag at Atak, now in Pakistan.

The construction of the palace in Kanherkhed commenced when the Scindia clan had left the village for the battle of Panipat. None from the family returned to the village after the tragic consequences of the war.

Most of the residents of Kanherkhed have their surnames as Shinde. During his visit, the residents fondly called Madhavrao Scindia the Raja of Kanherkhed. The `Raja,' belonging to the ninth generation of the Scindia dynasty, was given a traditional welcome with the blowing of the tutaris, bursting of fire crackers and aarti performed by women.

Scindia was taken in a procession in an open jeep. He was accompanied byMaharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Prataprao Bhosale, former assembly speaker and local MLA Shankarrao Jagtap and MP Abhaysinharaje Bhosale.

Immediately after his arrival, Scindia took a darshan of Goddess Janai, the family deity of the Scindias, and visited his dilapidated ancestral palace.