Only 56km from Indore, ancient Ujjain is one of India's holiest cities for Hindus. Ujjain is situated on the right bank of River Shipra. It is a very holy city for the Hindus, a site for the triennial Kumbha Mela. According to Hindu scriptures, it was originally called Avantika. There is an interesting tale behind the sanctity of the city. It's origin is ascribed to the mythological legend of Sagar Manthan (churning of the primordial ocean to discover the pot of nectar). The story goes that after the nectar was discovered, there was a chase between the gods and the demons to have the nectar first and thus attain immortality. During this chase a drop of nectar spilled and fell on Ujjain , thus making the city sacred.
Apart from mythological legends, the city has a long distinguished history. It was governed by the likes of Vikramaditya and Ashoka. Kalidas wrote his soul stirring poetry here. Today, Ujjain represents an interesting blend of an age old legacy and the modern day lifestyle.

Hindu astronomy, astrology and geography have Ujjain as the base for calculations which is the "Greenwich" of Hindu astronomers and astrologers.

Despite its relative obscurity today, Ujjain ranks equal as a great religious centre with such places as Varanasi, Gaya and Kanchipuram. Ujjain really comes alive during festival time, but the devotional vibe makes it a pleasant town year-round.

The railway line divides the city: the old section, including the bazaar and the most of the temples and ghats, are to the north-west of the city, and the new section is on the south-easr side. The majority of hotels are in front of the railway station. Tourist information is available at the Hotel Shipra.

SIGHTSEEING

MAHAKALESHWARA TEMPLE
The temple of Mahakaleshwara with its soaring shikhara dominates the skyline and life of Ujjain. Here, the god Shiva reigns eternal and the lingam at Mahakaleshwara, one of the 12 jyotirlingas in India, is believed to be swayambhu (born of itself), deriving its shakti or power, from within itself. Yet another unique feature of this majestic shrine is the idol which faces the south, a positioning upheld by tantric traditions and found only in Mahakaleshwara among the 12 jyotirlingas. The idol of Omkareshwara Shiva is consecrated in the sanctum above the Mahakal shrine and the images of Ganesh, Parvati and Kartikeya are in the west, north and east of the sanctum sanctorum. To the south is Shiva's bull steed, Nandi. Every Mahashivratri, in the month of March, fair held near the temple.

BADE GANESHJI KA MANDIR
Above the tank near the Mahakaleshwar Temple, the large ornate statue of Ganesh here makes this temple a popular pilgrimage spot

CHINTAMAN GANESH TEMPLE
On the opposite bank of of the River Shipra, this temple of considerable antiquity and a popular place of pilgrimage, the idol here is believed to be self formed. The artistically carved pillars of the assembly hall date back to the Parmara Periods.

BHARTRIHARI CAVES
According to legends, 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.

VEDH SHALA (Observatory)
The stars and the skies seemed fascinating in the century too. That would perhaps explain the number of observatories that we have in India. Since the 4th century BC, Ujjain has been India's Greenwich (as far as Indian geographers were concerned), with the first meridian of longitude passing through it. Maharaja Jai Singh built one of his quirky observation here between 1725 and 1730 AD. This one is smaller than those in Jaipur or Delhi but it's still in use and quite interesting. Astrologers can purchase the complete year's astronomical ephemeris in both English and Hindi at the observatory for Rs15.

KAL BHAIRAVA
The speciality of this temple is its intricate paintings in the Malwa style.


KALIDEH PALACE
On an island in the Shipra River, 8km north to town, is the water palace of the Mandu Sultans, constructed in 1458. River water is diverted over stone screens in the palace, and the bridge to the island uses carvings from the sun temple which once stood here. The central dome of palace is a good example of Persian architecture.

VIKRAM KIRTI MANDIR
This mandir has the Scindia Oriental Research Institute, an archaeological museum and an art gallery. Actually ,a a cultural centre, it is dedicated to the memory of King Vikramaditya - the much honored 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 the India rituals and tradition. This temple is dedicated to the nine ruling planets (Navagraha means nine planets). It is located on the Triveni Ghat of Shipra river.