What to see

Ujjain, stands glamorously among many other Indian sacred

and holy cities. The early history of Ujjain is lost in the midst
of antiquity. According to ancient Hindu scriptures it was
originally called Avantika. later King Shiva of Avanti
commemorating his triumph over the demon king of Tripuri,
changed it to Ujjainyini (one who conquers with pride).
Ujjain is situated on the right bank of River Shipra. It is a very
holy city for the Hindus, a site for the triennial Kumbh mela.
There are many great mythological legend about Ujjain city.
Apart from mythological legends, the city has a long
distinguished history. It was governed by the likes of
Vikramaditya and Ashoka. Kalidas wrote his souls stirring
poetry here.
Today, Ujjain represents an interesting blend of an age old
legacy and the modern day lifestyle.
General Information
Altitude : 492 mts.
Climate (deg C): Summer- Max. 40, Min. 20; Winter- Max. 28, Min. 10.
Rainfall : 101 cms (July to September).
Best Season : September to March.

TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION

• 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.

EXCURSIONS

Agar (66 kms) : An ancient archaeological site.

Dewas (37 kms) : Temple of Devji.
Maksi (39 kms) : Famous for Jain Temples.
Nagda (60 kms) : An industrial town with ancient temples.
Temples
 • Mahakeleshwara : This temple of Lord Shiva with its lingam is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas
in India. It is also knows as the the shrine of Mahakaleshwara. The temple has an idol of
Omkareshwars shiva, Ganesh, Parvati, Kartikeya and Shiva's Bull - Nandi.

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

• Chintamani Ganesh : A temple of considerable antiquity and popular place of pilgrimage,

the idol here is believed to be self formed

• Mangalnath : Regarded as the birthplace of Mars according to the Skanda Purana,

Mangalanath commands a panoramic view of the shipra. Mahadev is worshipped at the
temple here.

• Harsiddhi Temple : An important shrine with the image of Goddess Annapurna

• Siddhavat :The enormous banyan tree on the banks of the Shipra has been vested with
great sanctity.

• Kal BhairaV : The worship of Kal Bhairava is carried out here and the
temple was noteworthy for its exquisite painting in the Malwa style, traces
of which still remain. Close by is the village of Bhairogarh, famous for its
ancient technique in cloth printing

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

• Pir Matsyendranath : Dedicated to the memory of Matsyendranath, a great Shaivite

leader of the Natha sect, this ancient site has a scenic setting on the banks of the Shipra.
A place of pilgrimage for both Hindus and Muslims, this site has yielded antiquities during
excavations carried out here, which date back to 7 and 6 BC.

• GadKalika: The deity in this temple is believed to have worshipped by Kalidasa.

Renovated in 7 AD by the Emperor Harshavardhana, it was restored yet again in the
Parmar and, in modern times, by the erstwhile Gwalior State.

• Navgraha ka Mandir (Triveni): Situated on the Triveni Ghat of Shipra, this temple is
dedicated to the nine planets.
Bhartrihari Caves
These caves are situated just above the bank of the
Shipra near the temple of Gadkalika. According to popular
tradition, this is the spot where Bhartrihari, who is said to
have been the step brother of Vikramaditya, lived and
meditated after renouncing worldly life. He is believed to
have been a great scholar and poet. His famous works,
Shringarshatak, Vairagyashatak, and Nitishatak, are
known for the exquisite use of the Sanskrit meter.

Kaliadeh Palace
Situated on the banks of the Shipra, the island-like site immediately conjures up
natural beauty of ancient Ujjain which poets down the ages have waxed lyrical. T
glorious landscape of the flowing river on both sides of the palace and the man-m
tanks and channels, with water gurgling through them, provide a spectacular bac
the imposing building.
The central dome of the palace is a beautiful example of Persian architecture. Tw
Persian inscriptions found in one of the long corridors of the palace record the vi
Emperor Akbar and Jehangir to this palace.
The palace was broken down in the time of the Pindaris and was restored by Ma
Scindia in 1920 to its present glory. The Sun Temple was also restored by the fa
Durgadas Ki Chhatri
This distinctive monument glows like a small jewel in the
surrounding lush landscape. Vir Durgadas earned a
secure niche for himself in the history of Marwad by his
undaunting, selfless service to the State. He fought for the
independence of Jodhpur after the death of Maharaj
Jaswant Singh and helped Ajit Singh to ascend the throne
against the wishes of Aurangzeb.
Durgadas died at Rampura in 1718, and his funeral rites
were performed according to his wishes on the banks of
the Shipra. The rulers of Jodhpur had built the chhatri to
consecrate his memory. This beautiful structure, built in
the Rajput style of architecture, houses a statue of
Durgadas which crumbled down.
Observatory
Ujjain enjoyed a position of considerable importance in the field of astronom
works on astronomy such as the Surya Siddhanta and the Panch Siddhanta
written in Ujjain. According to Indian astronomers, the Tropic of Cancer is su
to pass through Ujjain. It is also the fist meridian of longitude of the Hindu
geographers. From about the 4th century BC, Ujjain enjoyed the reputation o
India's Greenwich. The observatory extant today was built by Raja Jai Singh
1743), who was a great scholar. He translated the works of Ptolemy and Eu
Sanskrit from Arabic. Of the many observatories built by him at Jaipur, Delhi
Varanasi, Mathura, and Ujjain, the one at Ujjain is still in use actively. Astron
studies are conducted through the Department of Education and the ephem
published every year. There is a small planetarium and a telescope to obser
moon, Mars, Jupiter and their satellites. The observatory is also used for we
forecasts ... More
Vikram Kirti Mandir
Established on the occasion of the second millennium of the Vikram era, as the cultural centre to
perpetuate the memory of Vikramaditya, the Vikram Kirti Mandir houses the Scindia Oriental
Research Institute, an archaeological museum, an art gallery and an auditorium. The Scindia
Oriental Research Institute has an invaluable collection of 18,000 manuscripts on various subjects
and runs a reference library of important oriental publications. Rare manuscripts in Prakrit, Arabic,
Persian and other Indian languages cover a wide range of subjects from Vedic literature and
philosophy to dance and music. Palm leaf and bark leaf (Bhurja Patra) manuscripts are also
preserved in this institute. Apart from an illustrated manuscript of Shrimad Bhagavata in which
actual gold and silver have been employed for the paintings, the Institute has a rich collection of
old paintings in the Rajput and Mughal style. The museum also exhibits a rich array of images,
inscriptions, copper plates and fossils discovered in the narmada valley.A huge skull of a primitive
elephant is of special interest. Art Gallery
Kalidasa Academia
This academy was set up in Ujjain by the
Government of Madhya Pradesh to immortalize the
memory of the great poet dramatist-Kalidasa, and
to create a multi-disciplinary institution to project
the genius of the entire classical tradition, with
Kalidasa as the apex, enable research and study in
Sanskrit classical and traditional performing arts,
and facilitate its adaptation for contemporary stage
in different cultural settings and language groups.
The Academy complex consists of a theatre,
museum, library, lecture and seminary halls, mini
stage for rehearsals, research facilities for
scholars, and a large open air theater... More
Sandipani Ashram
The fact that ancient Ujjain apart from its political and religious importance
the reputation of being a great seat of learning as early as the Mahabhara
is borne out by the fact that, Lord Krishna and Sudama received regular in
in the ashram of Guru Sandipani. The area near the ashram is known as A
popularly believed to have been the place used by Lord Krishna for washin
writing tablet. The numerals 1 to 100 found on a stone are believed to hav
engraved by Guru Sandipani.
The Gomti Kunda referred to in the Puranas was the source of water supp
ashram in the olden days. An image of Nandi, belonging to the Shunga pe
be found near the tank. The followers of Vallabha sect regard this place as
seat of the 84 seats of Vallabhacharya where he delivered his discourses
throughout India.

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