UJJAIN Location : 56 km from Indore Known As : Pilgrim Destination Major Highlight : Kumbh Mela Best Time : October to March

Bhopal Gwalior Mandu

Indore Khajuraho Omkareshwar

Pachmarhi Jabalpur

Ujjain - The Greenwich of India

This is the cultural city of Madhya Pradesh that allures thousands of people to come here every year. Nestling with pride in the central part of India, this is a great pilgrimage destination in India. The picturesque city of Ujjain is considered the Greenwich of India due to the fact that the first meridian of longitude passes through it. Ujjain is one city that has a web of myths associated with it. According to the legends river Shipra that flows across Ujjain is regarded to have its originated due to the churning of the gods and goddess. It is believed that the ocean yielded Goddess Lakshmi after yielding 14 gems and then came the nectar that was spilled at four places on the earth mainly at Nasik, Ujjain, Haridwar and Allahabad. Thus since that very say this river gained the momentum of being holy ans people began to worship it and comes the celebrations of Kumbh Mela the holiest festival of Hindus You must visit the city that has more to offer than the interesting fables.

Ujjain The Historical Aspect

• History

Historical importance of Ujjain is very old and ancient. This city which was earlier known as Ujjayni and Avantika. was the ruling kingdom of the father of the great emperor Asoka. The Mauryan influence on the city has marked a great mark on the actual culture of the people. Historically this is the place where the famous poet Kalidas, one of the Hinduism's most revered poets, wrote the Meghdoot with its famous lyrical description of the city and its people. With time Ujjain has seen the rise and fall of myriad religions and dynasties and has tried to adopt the goodness of each of them. Come to the land of countless beliefs and traditions.

Major Charms That Attracts Tourist To This Holistic Town of Ujjain

Ujjain - City of Temples

• Pilgrim Destinations

Being a pilgrimage centre then it is a default fact that the temples will be the most dominating monuments.
The most important temple in your visit will be the five storeyed Mahakaleshwar temple that is dedicated to Lord Shiva. This temple has an interesting art work and is believed to be Swayambhu (born of itself). The main thing to notice is the ritual that is performed in this temple is the Bhasm Arti that involves smearing the linga with hot ashes from the burning ghats (cremation grounds). Notice the embellishments on the different floors of the temple and the richly decorated roofs that portray the Rajput style of architecture.
You must visit the Bade Ganesh ji ka Mandir which is the most important temple of the city and enshrines a large idol of Sri Ganesh (son of Lord Shiva and Parvati). The tusk of the idol is believed to blesses his followers with Health, Wealth and Prosperity. Located near the reservoir of the Mahakaleshwar Temple, you should notice the five faced image of Lord Hanuman, at the middle of the temple gate.
One of the most important temple from the tourist point of view is the Harisiddhi Temple that houses many statues of goddess Annapurna. This temple is dedicated to lord Vishnu and is the thousands of followers crowd and pray whole heartedly to get blessings from the Goddess who is the wife of Lord Vishnu. Want to visit the most ancient temple of Ujjain, Chintamani Ganesh is the answer. This temple abides by the legend that it was constructed by Lord Ganesh himself. Dedicated to lord Vishnu and Shiva and hence the name Chintamani. The main highlight of this temple is the mammoth statue of lord Ganesha.
In the middle of the market square is the marble-spired structure which is an excellent example of Maratha architecture. This is the Gopal Mandir is devoted to lord Krishna and is an exemplary of the Maratha architecture. The main attraction is the two feet tall idol of lord Krishna that is soiled in silver, and is placed on a marble-inlaid altar with silver-plated doors. Built in the traditional temple style it is one of the finest pieces of art work. Another primal temple in the city is the Kal Bhairava temple that is significant of the Malwa style of architecture. Feeding the dogs, that wase vehicle of lord Kal Bhairav, is considered auspicious. According to the legens Kal Bahirav is the protector of the travelers, so all the tourist should make a garland of Cashew nuts and give it to the God along with lighting a lamp so that he is pleased and hence save the traveler from any mishappening.
Other temples of importance are the Harsiddhi Temple Gadkalika Mangalnath and Navagraha Mandir (Triveni).

Heritage of the Temple City - Monuments

• Monuments

Ujjain is also rich from the heritage point of view. You should visit the Bhartrihari caves that houses a famous temple inside it. Located near rive Shipra, this cave is supposed to have been the place of meditation of a great priest and philosopher named Bhartrihari. This is a famous cave and you must visit it.
The host of the great Kumbh mela is the Raj Ghat in Ujjain which has been the used for this fair since the time of its inception, thus making it the oldest ghat of the city. You cannot miss the Persian styled Kaliadeh Palace. The Arabic and Persian inscriptions on the pillars of the palace are eloquent of the visit from Akbar and are a must watch. It resembles a spectacular isle as water flows from both the sides of the palace. This perfect amalgamation of nature and heritage makes it a very popular attraction of the city.
However, once in Ujjain you cannot afford missing the Vedh Shala, one of India's first scientific observatory. Built by Maharaja Jai Singh, between 1725 and 1730 , this is a masterpiece of art. The major allurement of the monument is the instruments that were then used to determine the location of planetary bodies. Today these devices are a source of attraction and are preserved in the between 1725 and 1730 era. There is also provision for moon-gazing and observing the planets Mars and Jupiter and their satellites through telescopes. You should visit and realise the advancement of the scientific techniques that were present then.

Other Attractions that Supplements the Primary

Besides the main attractions there are other places that too are the reason one should come to Ujjain for a vacation. There is the Jama Masjid, a representation of Islam that reflects the religious tolerance that is imbibed within the hearts of the residents. Another important mosque is the Bina Niva Ki Masjid. Pir Matsyendranath is another Muslim pilgrim destination.

Ujjain - The Land for the Unique Festivals

MP Festivals

Kumbh Fair

Though being a mix of various cultures almost all the festivals are celebrated with equal fervency but there are two festivals that outshine them all. If you are planning to visit this pilgrim centre than make sure it is the time of the festivals when the whole city is drenched in the religious mood and the real culture and traditions of the people spring up.
Kumbh ka Mela is a very important festival as Ujjain is one of the four host of this festival. Held last in the year 2004, this Simhastha Kumbh Mela is a gigantic fair held once in twelve years. During this festival thousands of devotees visit Ujjain to take a holy dip in the river Shipra. However, the Ardh (half) Kumbh Mela is held every six years, this month long festival is held in the month of Chaitra (March-April) when Jupiter is in Scorpio and the Sun is in Aries. To witness the religious ardency among the people during the festival is a unique chance.
If you could not make it for the Kumbh Mela then do not get disheartened for there is another festival that is celebrated with equal enthusiasm. Being the home of one of the twelve Lingrams, the Maha Shivratri festival is another best time of the year to visit this city. This age old festival in celebrated on the occasion of the marriage of lord Shiva with Maa Parvati. According to Hindu mythology the follower cluster to the temples at dawn and make special offerings of berries and belpatra (leaves of wood apple). The Shiva linga (Shiva’s symbolic phallus) is bathed with milk and honey and worshipped on Shivaratri.

Ujjain - Terminus for the Shopping Freaks

• Shopping

Indulging in shopping in Ujjain will be perhaps the most beautiful experience of your trip. The colourful shops selling clothes along the mouth watering cuisine that line up at the sides of the road makes it a pleasurable and gratifying undergo.
The main items for the buy includes the tribal paintings that will surprise you with the intricacies that are involved in their production. If you have a craze for tribal metal wares, bamboo articles, pottery, then this is the apt place for your sojourn. Besides the traditional and ethnic products Ujjain also serves its tourist with the contemporary and modern products like electronic goods, flowers and books and many other small gifts for you dear ones. When shopping in Ujjain, do not miss buying the stone images that are the most famous buy of the city.
Perhaps the best deal can be negotiated at the local markets that specialise in all those items or the government emporiums that are located inside the city. The bazaars of Ujjain are fragrant with the traditional essence of the ancient India and there is not a better place for you.

When and How to Hit the Temple City

Ujjain is a major pilgrim city so it is very obvious that is very well connected with the major ares of the country. However, it does not have its own airport. Indore, 55 km away, has the nearest airport and is fairly well connected by air to Bhopal, Bombay, Delhi and Gwalior.
Ujjain has its own railway station, which falls in the western railway network and has numerous trains that ply from the various parts of the country. Not only this if you want to reach Ujjain via road then there are good motorable roads that connect Ujjain to the various cities and towns of the state and regular bus services are available.
Catering to the climatic conditions of the state, the time period between the months of October to March is the best time to visit the city.