Ujjain is the largest city in Ujjain district of the state of Madhya Pradesh. The ancient city of Ujjain is situated on the eastern bank of the Shipra River. Ujjain was the most prominent city on the Malwa plateau of central India. Ujjain is located in the west-central part of India and is north of the upper limit of the Vindhya mountain ranges. It is higher than the north Indian plains and the land rises towards the Vindhya Range to the south. The temperature here ranges from an average of 45 °C maximum in summer to 9 °C minimum in winter. The winter season is most pleasant, with the temperature dropping at nights, the ideal months to visit being October to March. The major crops grown here are wheat, black gramme, lentil, peas and soybean.
History: It emerged as the political centre of central India around 600 BCE. It was the capital of the ancient Avanti kingdom, one of the sixteen mahajanapadas. It remained an important political, commercial and cultural centre of central India until the early 19th century when the British administrators decided to develop Indore as an alternative to it. In the Mauryan period, Ujjain remained the administrative centre of the region. From this period, Northern Black Polished Ware, copper coins, terracotta ring wells and ivory seals with Brahmi text have been excavated. During the reign of his father Bindusara, Ashoka served as the viceroy of Ujjain. Ujjain was subsequently controlled by a number of empires and dynasties, including the Shungas, the Western Satraps, the Satavahanas, the Guptas and the Paramaras.
*(All the above information are from Wikipedia.)
Transport:
Airport: Devi Ahilyabai Holkar International Airport at Indore is the nearest airport located at a distance of 60 km from Ujjain.
Rail: Ujjain junction is connected to Bhopal and Indore junction which are well connected to major cities across India.
Road: Being located in the central part of India this region is well connected through various national and state highways. NH 3, NH 59 and 59A passes through Ujjain with connecting bypass road and state highways (SH 27 and 31). A large number of state-run and private buses are available, connecting various cities to Ujjain and the nearby city of Indore.
Local: Auto rickshaws, city buses private taxis and Tata Magic are available for transportation within the city. Tour operators provide vehicles for hire. Ola, Uber and other car rental services are also operative here.
Tourist Interest:
Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple: Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingams, the sacred abodes of Shiva. It is a three-storey temple, on the side of the lake called Rudra Sagar. The main deity, shiva in the lingam form is believed to be swayambhu (born of itself), deriving currents of power (Shakti) from within itself as against the other images and lingams which are ritually established and invested with mantra-shakti. The idol of Mahakaleshwar is known to be dakshinamurti, facing the South. This is a unique feature, upheld by tantric tradition to be found only in Mahakaleshwar among the 12 jyotirlingas.
Bade Ganeshji Ka Mandir: This temple, situated above the tank near the Mahakaleshwar Temple, contains a huge artistic sculpture of Ganesha, the son of Shiva. An idol of this size and beauty is rarely to be found.
Mangalnath Temple: Shiva or Mahadeva is the deity which is worshipped in Mangalnath temple. The Mangalnath temple is situated away from the bustle of the city and looks down upon a vast expanse of the Shipra River. It is regarded as the birthplace of Mars (Mangala in Hindi), according to the Matsya Purana. Famous for a clear view of the planet and hence suitable for astronomical studies.
Kal Bhairava Temple: The worship of the eight Bhairavas is a part of the Saivite tradition, and the chief among them is Kala Bhairava. The Kal Bhairava temple is believed to have been built by King Bhadrasen, on the banks of the Shipra. Mentioned in the Avanti Khanda of the Skanda Purana. Important for the Tantric Kapalika and Aghora sects, of which Ujjain was a prominent centre. Beautiful paintings in the Malwa style once decorated the temple walls, only traces of which are visible. The village of Bhairogarh, famous for its printing, takes its name from the temple and is located very near.
The other places of interest in this temple town are ISKCON Temple, Chintaman Ganesh Temple, Chamunda Mata Temple, Ved Shala, Sandipani Ashram, Kaliadeh Palace and other.
Tour Planner:
This tour planner is made on the basis of the location of the destinations. One can make changes as per their interest, convenience and accessibility and duration of the trip.
Day 1: One day is sufficient to cover all the places in Ujjain provided that the visit does not coincide with any festival. The crowd influx increases in Mahakaleshwar during any ceremony which in turn leads to delay in the consecutive visits.
Hotels: Online booking is always preferable for discounts in tariff. There are multiple hotels in Ujjain among which few are Hotel Imperial, Hotel Midland, Hotel Hilton Tower, Hotel Atharva, Hotel Kalpana Palace, Rudraksha Club and Resort and more.