Ujjain is an ancient historical city located in the Ujjain district in the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh. The city also known as Ujjayini or Avanti is of great religious significance for the Hindus. In ancient time it was capital of Avanti Kingdom. The city located on the bank of the river Shipra is considered as one of the seven holy cities of Hindu pilgrimage and it is among the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines in India.
Ujjain is the site for the triennial Kumbh Mela, the greatest religious congregation of the Hindus. The fair takes place once in every twelve years, in the month of Chaitra. During the Kumbh Mela millions of devotees come to Ujjain to take a holy dip in the waters of the bathing Ghats of River Shipra. Ram Ghat and Narsingha Ghat in Ujjain are the oldest and the most sacred bathing Ghats.
Several mythological legends are associated with Ujjain city. According to legends during ‘Sagar Mathan’ one drop of nectar spilled over the holy city of Ujjain. It is also believed that two parts of Skanda Purana are supposed to have been written here. Ujjain was also the residence of Asoka when he was the viceroy of the western provinces of the Mauryan Empire. The famous poet Kalidasa also wrote his poetry in this city.
The city was an important centre of mathematical and astronomical research in the past. The city is famous for its great mathematicians like Brahmagupta, Varahamihira and Bhaskaracharya. Ujjain is considered the Greenwich of India since the first meridian of longitude passes through it.
Attractions & Tourist Places in Ujjain
Ujjain is a famous tourist destination in Madhya Pradesh. There are a number of places of historical and religious significance in Ujjain.
Mahakaleshwar Temple
Mahakal Temple in Ujjain is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is the most revered temple among the Hindus. This temple is among the twelve Jyotirlingas in India. The deity here is called Dakshinamurti, facing southwards. This temple at Ujjain is located near a lake. It has five levels with a finely sculptured tapering shikhara. Out of the five levels, one is underground. The way to the underground sanctum is lit by brass lamps. The temple is located in a spacious courtyard surrounded by massive walls. The unique ritual of Bhasm Arti which involves smearing the linga with ashes from the burning ghats is performed at Mahakaleshwar temple. Ganesh, Parvati, Kartikeya and Nandi idols are also placed in the temple.
Bade Ganeshji ka Mandir
Bade Ganeshji Ka Mandir stands close to the tank near the Mahakaleshwar Temple. The temple enshrines beautifully sculpted image of Lord Ganesha. This idol is considered one of the pancha-mukhi i.e. five faced Hanuman.
Chintamani Ganesh
Chintamani Ganesh is an ancient temple of Lord Ganesha. It is believed to be self-formed. Siddhi and Riddhi the two consorts of Ganesh are placed on either side of the idol. The idol is worshipped here as the Chintaharan Ganesh -one who takes away all the worries.
Harsiddhi Temple
Harsiddhi Temple enshrines the idol of Goddess Annapurna between the idols of Mahasaraswati and Mahalaxmi. This temple is one of the Shakti Peeths situated all over India. Rock smeared with turmeric paste and vermillion and Sri yantra or nine triangles that represent nine names of Goddess Durga are the characristic features of this temple which exhibits the finery of Maratha artistry in its architectural style.
Mangalnath
Mangalnath Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Mangalnath is said to be the birthplace of Mars. Situated in a quiet and serene place this temple overlooks a vast expanse of the Shipra River. It is situated at the place where the first meridian is said to pass the earth.
Ram Mandir
Ram Mandir is a temple dedicated to lord Ram. The idols of Sita and Laxman are placed on either side. This 17th century temple is known for its architectural splendour. The walls of the temple are adorned with beautiful paintings. The painting of Bedalya Bua Maharaj and Sant Tukoba are very attractive apart from the attractive scenes from the lives of Rama and Krishna. There is an image of Lord Vishnu installed in between the assembly hall and the interior of Ram Mandir
Kal Bhairav
Kal Bhairav temple is dedicated to Kal Bhairava, who is the chief among the eight Bhairavas. The temple is believed to have been built by King Bhadrasen, on the banks of the Shipra. Kal Bhairav is worshipped as the Kshetrapal, or the guardian deity of the city. The main offering to the deity here is wine and the vehicle of Kal Bhairav is a dog.
Gopal Mandir
Gopal Mandir is dedicated to Lord Krishna. The temple was constructed by Bayajibai Shinde, the queen of Maharajah Daulat Rao Shinde. This 19th century marble-towered structure is a classic example of Maratha architecture. The deity’s two feet tall statue is placed on a marble-inlaid altar with silver-plated doors.
Gomti Kund
Is a steeped water tank, near to the Sandipani Ashram. It is believed to be the place where Lord Krishna summoned all the holy rivers from all the pilgrim centres so that his Guru Sandipani muni could execute peacefully all the rituals.
Sandipani ashram
It is said that Seer Sandipani taught Lord Krishna, his brother Balram, and their friend Sudama in this ashram. The ashram temple contains idols of Sandeepa maharshi, Lord Sri Krishna, Lord Bala Rama and Sudama. Gomati kund is situated near the ashram.
Veda Shala
Ujjain was the centre of astronomy and astrology in ancient India. Ved Shala is an observatory which was constructed by Raja Jaisingh of Jaipur in 1719 when he was in Ujjain as the Governor of Malwa under the reign of king Muhammad Shah of Delhi. He was also responsible for the observatories at Jaipur and Delhi. This observatory is still in use and houses ancient astronomical devices like Sun-Dial, Naively, Dagenham and Transit instruments made by Raja Jaisingh.
Gadkalika temple
Gadkalika temple is dedicated to Goddess Kal. It is Situated about 2 miles from Ujjain, near the Bhartrihari Caves. It is believed that Maha kavi Kalidasa worshipped goddess kali in this shrine. It is also said that he had acquired his literary skills in this shrine. Harshavardhana renovated the temple during the 7th century and the temple was again renovated during the Paramara period. In modern times it was renovated by the erstwhile Gwalior State.
Ram Ghat
Ram Ghat is the oldest bathing ghat in Ujjain and it is famous for the Kumbhmela which is held once every 12 years at Ujjain.
Siddhavat
Siddhavat is known for the immortal banyan tree. This holy tree been vested with great sanctity. Thousands of pilgrims take a dip in River Shipra from the bathing ghat built here. According to legends Parvati had performed her penances here.
Vikram Kirti Mandir
Vikram Kirti Mandir is a cultural centre built in the memory of Vikramaditya, on the occasion of the second millennium of the Vikram era. Vikarm Kirti mandir comprises of the Scindia Oriental Research Institute, an archaeological museum, an art gallery and an auditorium. Scindia Oriental Research Institute has rich collection 18,000 manuscripts on various subjects along with Palm leaf and bark leaf (Bhurja Patra) manuscripts , old paintings in the Rajput and Mughal style and collection of coins and inscriptions. The institute also has a manuscript of Shrimad Bhagavata in which original gold and silver have been used for painting.
Durgadas Ki Chhatri
Durgadas Ki Chhatri is a splendid monument built by the ruler of Jodhpur, to commemorate the memory of Durgadas who was known for his selfless service to the State. He was a great warrior. He fought for the independence of Jodhpur after the death of Maharaja Jaswant Singh and he helped his son Ajit Singh to ascend the throne of Marwad. This structure built in the Rajput architectural style houses a statue of Durgadas.
Bhartrihari Caves
Bhartrihari Caves are situated just above the bank of the Shipra near the temple of Gadkalika. It is said theta these caves are where sage Bhartrihari lived and meditated after renouncing worldly life. Bhartrihari was the step brother of King Vikramaditya. He was a great scholar, poet and he is renowned for his works which include Shringarshataka, Vairagyashataka, and Nitishataka.
Kaliadeh Palace
Kaliadeh Palace is situated on an island in the river Shipra. It was built in the year 1458 AD by the Sultans of Mandu. The palace was destroyed at the time of the Pindaris but it was restored to its former glory by Madhav Rao Scindia in 1920. The central dome of the palace is a classic example of Persian architecture. The pillar inscription in Persian and Arabic found here states the fact that emperor Jahangir and Akbar had visited this place.
Pir Matsyendranath
Pir Matsyendranath located on the banks of Shipra river is a shrine revered by both Muslims and Hindus. It is dedicated to the great sage, Matsyendra. Matsyendra was a sage and a Saivate of the Natha sect. The shrine is a simple white structure with a dome. It has small minarets on four sides.
Navagraha Mandir
Navagraha Mandir is situated on the Triveni Ghat of the Shipra River. The temple is dedicated to the nine planets.
Plcaes to visit near Ujjain
Agar
Agar is located 66 Kms from Ujjain. This place is an ancient archaeological site. The famous temple, Baijnath Mahadev is the major attraction here. Apart from this temple there are few other places like Moti Sagar and Ratna Sagar pond, Kalisindh River, the Parsukheri dam, Gufa Barda and few other temples which are worth visiting.
Mandsaur
Mandsaur is about 121 km from Ujjain. It is famous for the temple of Lord Pashupatinath located on the bank of Shivna. The shiv ling here has eight faces of Lord Shiva. The shrine has four doors in all thefour directions. Gandhi Sagar Dam is constructed on the Chambal River. It is probably the first of the four dams built on the Chambal River. The construction of this dam started in 1954 and it as completed in 1970. Taxakeshwar Temple, Mandsaur Fort and Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary located here is also worth visiting.
Mandu
Mandu is 152 km from Ujjain. It is known for its large number of historical monuments. The major attraction here is Jahaz Mahal (Ship Palace), Taveli Mahal, Hindola Mahal (Swing Palace), Jami Masjid, Tomb of Hoshang Shah, Baz Bahadur's Palace, Ashrafi Mahal etc.
How to reach Ujjain
The nearest airport to Ujjain is Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport in Indore which is situated 55 km away. This airport is connected to many cities like Jaipur, Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Bhopal and Chennai. Ujjain Junction Railway Station is well connected to all major railway stations in India. Ujjain is an important railway station in Western railway zone. Ujjain is well connected with the rest of the country by major road links like Agar Road, Indore Road, Dewas Road, Maksi Road and Badnagar Road. Regular state road transport public bus services as well as private buses ply between Ujjain and all the major cities within the state as well as neighbouring states.
Accommodation
There are plenty of hotels and lodges available in the city that offers comfortable accommodation to the tourists visiting the town.