Located at a distance of 56 km from Indore and Ujjain is one of the holiest cities for Hindus. It is situated on the bank of the sacred river Shipra in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Having mythological legends, the city also has a long and distinguished history. This ancient city was governed by great emperors like Vikramaditya and Ashoka.

Kalidas, the great poet wrote his soul stirring poetry here. Bade Ganeshji Ka Mandir, Chintaman Ganesh, Pir Matsyendranath, Bhartrihari Caves are few of the tourist attractions in Ujjain that makes the city enticing.

One of the oldest and holiest of Indian cities, Ujjain is situated on the banks of river Shipra. It is one of the venues of the Kumbh Mela.

Places of interest

Mahakaleshwara: This temple of Lord Shiva with its lingam is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas in India. It is also known as the shrine of Mahakaleshwara. The temple has an idol of Omkareshwara Shiva consecrated in the sanctum above the Mahakal Shrine. The temple also has images of Ganesh, Parvati, Kartikeya and Shiva's Bull, Nandi.

Kumbha Mela
• Kumbha 2004
• Legends of Kumbha


Bade Ganeshji ka Mandir: There is a sculpted image of Lord Ganesh, in this temple, close to the tank near Mahakaleshwar.

Chintamani Ganesh: A temple of considerable antiquity and a popular place of pilgrimage, the idol here is believed to be self formed.

Bhartrihari Caves: According to legend, the caves on the banks of the river Shipra near Gadkalika Temple are where the great scholar-poet Bhartrihari lived and meditated.

Harsiddhi Temple: Another important shrine with the image of Goddess Annapurna.


Kal Bhairava: The speciality of this temple is its intricate paintings in the Malwa style.

Observatory: The stars and the skies seemed fascinating in the 17th century too. That would perhaps explain the number of observatories that we have in India. Even this 17th century observatory has a planetarium and a telescope.

Vikram Kirti Mandir: This mandir has the Scindia Oriental Research Institute, an archaeological museum and an art gallery. Actually, a cultural centre, it is dedicated to the memory of King Vikramaditya - the much honoured King of Ujjain.

Gopal Mandir: A sanctum inlaid with marble and silver plated doors constitute the main attraction of this temple.

Navagraha Mandir: The ruling planets have always had an important place in Indian rituals and tradition. This temple is dedicated to the nine ruling planets(Navagraha means nine planets). It is located on the Triveni Ghat of the Shipra river.


Festivals

Mahashivratri: Having one of the 12 Jyotirlingas in India, obviously, Mahashivratri is a big event here. Thousands of pilgrims flock to the fair grounds near the famous Mahakaleshwar temple and fast and worship throughout the night.

Simhastha Kumbh Mela: It is a mammoth fair, held once in twelve years at Simhastha. The magnificence and awesome spectacle of the bathing ritual defies description.

Excursions

Agar (66 kms) : An ancient archaeological site.

Devas (37 kms) : Temple of Devji.


Maksi (39 kms) : Famous for Jain Temples.


Nagada (60 kms) : An industrial town with ancient temples.

How to get there

Air:
Nearest Airport Indore (53 km) is connected to Bombay by Indian Airlines Continental Airways also operates flights from Bombay to Indore.



Rail:
Ujjain is a railway station on the Western Railway.


Road:
Good Motorable roads connect Ujjain with Ahmedabad (402 kms), Bhopal (183 kms), Bombay (655 kms), Delhi (774 kms), Gwalior (451 kms), Indore (53 kms) and Khajuraho (570 kms) etc.


Bus Service:
Regular bus services connect Ujjain with Indore, Bhopal, Ratlam, Gwalior, Mandu, Dhar, Kota and Omkareshwar etc.