Description:
Hardly 55 kms form the city of Indore is one of the most sacred cities of India Ujjain. Known as Avantika or Avantipur in the past, the name was changed to Ujjain to commemorate the victory of the King of Avantipur over Tripuri. However, Ujjain finds a mention in the ancient Hindu scriptures like the Ramayana and Mahabharata. One of the four most revered Hindu Pilgrimage sites, Ujjain is located on t he banks of River Kshipra. It traces its origin to the very dawn of Indian history. According Hindu astronomy the Tropic of Cancer is supposed to pass through Ujjain. It is also the first meridian of longitude thus making it the Greenwich of India.
It is the place where the Mahakumbh takes place once every 12 years. The earliest to be held is in April 2004. The whole town is in a festive mood then, when thousands of devotees throng to take a dip in the River Kshipra where few drops of nectar fell after the great fight between the Gods and the demons after churning of the ocean.
Ujjain has changed hands with many rulers, right from Chandragupta Maurya to the Muslims and British rulers. But it has retained its Hindu identity or may be that the other religions failed to make an impact on this ancient town. It is the town famous for the ancient poet Kalidas, who composed the Meghdoot in the palace of the Kings of Ujjain.
Ujjain is a plethora of temples. There are many temples to be visited in Ujjain. The prominent among them being the Mahakaleshwar Mandir. Dedicated to Lord Shiva who is the presiding deity of the town, the Mahakaleshwar temple is the most sacred site for all those who visit the town. The other important and a unique temple is the Navagraha temple dedicated to the Nine planets and the Sun and the Moon. The Chintaman Ganesh and the Panchmukhi Hanuman are also places worth visit. The Kaliadeh Palace situated on an island like place on the banks of the River Kshipra is an attractive place. Built with Persian type of architecture it was visited by the Mughal Emperors like Akbar and Jehangir. It was restored to its present glory by the Scindias of Gwalior in the 1920s.
Another important monument in Ujjain is the observatory build by the King of Jaipur Jai Singh. It is one of the four Observatories which he build in his tenure. The importance of building it in Ujjain was the Hindu astronomy which said that the Tropic of Cancer passed through Ujjain.
