Ujjain City of Lord Shiva- Mahakal

The ancient city of Ujjain lies on the banks of river Kshipra. The number of temples in Ujjain, it is popularly held, is so large that if one comes here with two cartloads of grain and offers only one handful at each temple, one would still run short of offerings.
Legend has it that Ujjain is one of the saptapuris, or the seven holy cities of India that grant moksha or liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Ujjain hosts the Simhasth, as the Kumbh Mela is known here, every 12 years, the latest of which was in 2004.

Ram Ghat: Flanking the eastern bank of the Shipra, Ram Ghat stretches for almost a kilometer from Pashupati Temple in the south to the road bridge across the river in the north. The wide promenade is dotted with temples, old and new and the air is full of the sound of temple bells and incantations. The best time to explore the ghat is early morning and late evening.

Mahakaleshwar Temple: One of the twelve jyotirlingas. Mahakaleshwar Temple, popularly referred to as Mahakal Temple, is one of the most sacred Shiva temples in India. Located at the heart of
Photo Caption

The shivalinga in the garbhagriha of Mahakaleshwar Temple

Ujjain, it is also the best place to start exploring this ageless town. The market around the temple is also Ujjain’s commercial nerve centre.

Gopal Mandir: Gopal Temple, one of the largest temples in Ujjain is located at the heart of the town’s main market, constructed in the mid- 19″ century by Bayajbai Scindia, wife of King Daulat Rao Scindia it is a striking example of Maratha temple architecture.
As in the Maratha tradition, the temple is enclosed by a high wall, pierced by an ornate gateway with the distinctive bangaldar roof. The deepstambha , the other hallmark of this style of architecture is, however, absent.

Gadkalika: Located 2 kms north of Mahakaleshwar is Gadkalika Temple. It is said that the deity enshrined in the temple, was once worshipped by Kalidas. The legend goes that Kalidas, whose verses were once quite ordinary, gained his literary genius, through the blessings of Gadkalika.

Mahakal Lok Corridor: The Mahakal Corridor in Ujjain has been constructed in a very grand and beautiful way. The main reason of this corridor was to expand the premises of Mahakal temple and disperse the crowd across the city. The Mahakal lok consists of 200 statues, 80 sculptures and 52 murals. All these tell the story of Lord Shiva.

Pir Matsyendranath: The Shrine of Pir Matsyendranath is located on top of a hill, on the banks of the Shipra, close to the Gadkalika Temple and the Bhartrihari Caves.

Matsyendranath also known as Pir Macchinder is said to be the founder of the Nath sect of Shaivism. It is said that he was given the name Matsyendranath because he was born from the stomach of a fish.
Incidentally, a fish or matsya is one of Vishnu’s ten Avatars. Kal Bhairav Temple: Crossing the bridge over the Shipra, near the Bhartrihari Cave, one reaches, Kal Bhairav Temple, barely a kilometre away.

Ram Janardan Temple: A short walk west of the Kal Bhairav Temple leads to one of Ujjain’s architectural gems. The temples dedicated to Ram and Vishnu Janardan were built in the 17″ century by Aurangzeb’s close confidante Sawai Jai Singh, who as the governor of Ujjain also built the Ved Shala. The boundary wall that now encircles the temple and the tank inside were later added by the Marathas.

Mangalnath Temple: Further down the river on the opposite bank from Siddhavat Mangalnath Temple is mentioned in the Matsya Purana as the birthplace of Mars (Mangal).

Jantar Mantar: Jantar Mantar is an observatory built in the 17th century by Raja Jai Singh (1688-1743). It is located on the Ujjain-Fatehabad Road, 2 kms from Mahakaleshwar Temple. Jai Singh also constructed similar observatories in Jaipur, Delhi and Varanasi.

Harsiddhi Temple: Harsiddhi Temple a major seat of the Shakti sect occupies a special place in the galaxy of temples in Ujjain. Seated between the idols of Mahalaxmi and Mahasarawati, Goddess Annapurna, the main deity worshipped in the temple, is painted a brilliant vermillion.

Sandipani Ashram: Ujjain has enjoyed a position of pre-eminence as A centre of leaming in ancient India. Sandipani Ashram is where Krishna and his Brahmin friend Sudama are said to have received their early  Instruction from Guru Sandipani. The ashram exists to this day in the Ankpata area of Ujjain.

Kaliadeh Palace: Away from the bustle of the city, outside its northem border lies the scenic Kaliadeh Palace. The serene environs of this sprawling complex on the Shipra river gives the traveller a fair idea of what Ujjain might have looked like in the height of its glory.

Vikram Kirti Mandir: Vikram Kirti Mandir was established in 1944 to mark the second millenium of the Vikram era. It houses the Scindia Oriental Research Institute (SORI). an archaeological museum, an art gallery and an auditorium.

Heritage Walk: Ujjain has a number of monuments known for their architectural refineness. Heritage walk on three routes have been developed to explore this aspect of Ujjain. Interested persons may please contact Hotel Shipra Residency, Tel: 0734-2551495/96.

Kalidas is widely regarded as the greatest poet and dramatist of classical Sanskrit literature. His works include Abhijñānasākuntalam, Raghuvamsa and the lyric poem Meghdoot. Kalidas’s love of Ujjain finds full expression in Meghdoot, which describes the anguish of an exiled yaksha who, sends a message to his beloved via a rain cloud. The poet describes the imaginary passage of the cloud over the splendid city of Ujjain.

How to reach

By Air: Nearest airport is Devi Ahiiya Bai International airport at Indore (55 kms).

By Rail: Ujjain has its own railway station which is well connected to the major cities of India.

By Road: Regular bus services connect Ujjain with Indore, Khargone, Jalgaon, Khandwa, Omkareshwar, Maheshwar, Dhar and Bhopal.