Top 26 Tourist Attractions to see in Ujjain:

Ujjain is on the main trade route between North India and Deccan going from Mathura via Ujjain to Mahismati (Maheshwar) on the Narmada, and on to Paithan on the Godavari, western Asia and the West. The Northern black polished ware – the NBP as it is often called which is technically the finest pottery of the time, with a brilliantly burnished dressing almost of the quality of a glaze in colour from jet black to a deep grey or metallic blue and iron, found their way to the northern Deccan from the Gangetic plains through Ujjain. The articles of export to the western Asia such as precious stones and pearls, scents and spices, perfumes, silks and muslin, reached the port of Brighukachcha from the remote north through Ujjain. All this finds a detailed and interesting description in the Periplus of the Erythrean Sea.

An account of an unknown Greek merchant who made a voyage to India in the second half of the first century AD. The Periplus talks of a city called Ozene to the east of Barygaza (Broach) which fed all commodities to trade like onyx, porcelain, fine muslin and quantities of ordinary cottons, spikenard , costus bodellium to this important port and to other parts of India.

The earliest known epigraphic record of the Paramaras, the Harsola Granth, issued at the beginning of the 10th century AD, maintains that the kings of the Paramara dynasty were born in the family of the Rastrakutas in the Deccan The early Paramara chiefs of Malwa were probably vassals of the Rastrakutas. The Udaypur Prasati, mentions Vakpati Vakpati I as the king of Avanti and it was probably in his region that the Rastrakuta Indra III halted at Ujjain while advancing with his army against the Pratihara Mahipala I. Malwa was lost in the time of Vakpati’s successor, Vairisimha II, to the invading forces of Mahipala I who avenged his defeat at the hands of Indra III by invading the empire of Rastrakuta. Mahipala and his Kalachuri confederate Bhamanadeva are said to have conquered the territory up to the banks of the Narmada including Ujjain and Dhar. The Paramara sovereignty in the Malwa ceased until AD 946 when Vairsimha II became dominant in the area. It is in his son Siyaka II’s reign that the independent Paramara rule in Malwa began. It is believed that it was this time that the capital was shifted to the area of the Mahakala Vana in Ujjain.

From the 9th to the 12th centuries, the Paramaras became so identified with Ujjain that subsequent tradition has converted Vikramaditya into a Paramara. The last Paramara ruler, Siladitya, was captured alive by the Sultans of Mandu, and Ujjain passed into the hands of the Muslims.

Thus began a long era of misfortune and decay and the ancient glory of Ujjayini was lost in a morass of repeated inroads of attacking hordes. The invasion of Ujjain by Iltutmish in 1234 triggered off a systematic desecration and despoiling of temples. This tide of destruction was stemmed only in the time of Baz Bahadur of Mandu. The Mughal rule heralded a new era in reconstruction. Emperor Akbar put an end to Baz Bahadur’s hegemony over Malwa and had a city wall constructed for the defense of Ujjain. The Nadi Darwaza, Kaliadeh Darwaza, Sati Darwaza, Dewas Darwaza and Indore Darwaza were the various entrances to the city.

In 1658 took place a battle near Ujjain in which Aurangzeb and Murad defeated Maharaj Jaswant Singh of Jodhpur, who was fighting on behalf of Prince Dara. The actual scene of the battle is Dharmatpura, renamed Fatehbad by Aurangzeb, after the victory. The cenotaph of Raja Rattan Singh of Ratlam, who fell in the battle, still stands at the site.

In the reign of Mahmud Shah, Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh was made the Governor of Malwa, a great scholar of astronomy, he had the observatory at Ujjain reconstructed and built several temples.

At the beginning of the 17th century, Ujjain and Malwa went through another period of seize and invasion at the hands of the Marathas, who gradually captured the entire region. The Maratha domination of Malwa gave impetus to a cultural renaissance in the region and modern Ujjain came into being. Most of the temples of Ujjain were constructed during this period.

It was during this time that Ujjain became the meeting ground of painters of the Poona and Kangra styles. The impact of the two different styles of painting is distinctive. The examples of Maratha style are found in the temples of Ram Janardan, Kal Bhairava, Kalpeshwar and Tilakeshwar while the traditional Malwa style can be seen in the Sandipani Ashram and in many large houses of the local seths.

In the Maratha period, the art of wood work also developed. Wood carvings were done on the galleries and balconies. But many excellent examples have either been sold as junk or destroyed.

Ujjain finally passed into the hands of the Scindias in 1750 and until 1810, when Daulat Rao Scindia founded his new capital at Gwalior, it was the chief town of his dominions.

The shifting of the capital to Gwalior led to a decline in the commercial importance of Ujjain. But the opening of Ujjain-Ratlam-Godhra branch of the Bombay-Baroda line corrected the balance. A considerable volume of trade mainly with Bombay, existed in cotton, grain and opium during the British Indian period.

There is much to demonstrate that in the perspective of India’s long history, Ujjain enjoyed great importance in the battle for the empire and the constant struggle for supremacy. Political importance was compounded by the economic factor of Ujjain being situated on the main artery of trade between the North, the South and the West. This in turn contributed to Ujjain acquiring a cultural splendour of its own which is equaled by very few other cities in India.

The names of Kalidasa and Ujjayini are inextricably linked together in the Indian traditions. It is in Meghdoot, a poem of a little over hundred verses, describing the anguish of a yaksha, separated from his beloved by a curse, sending a message to her in the city of Alaka through a rain cloud from his exile in Ramagiri (now identified as Ramtek near Nagpur) that Kalidasa’s love of Ujjayini finds full expression. The poet describes the imaginary passage of the cloud over Ujjayini, and it is almost as if he is loath to move on, for in 12 verses (27-38), there is a lyrical description of the city and the people which conjures up a vivid picture of a civilized attractive society, a leisured class, intensely practical and yet imbued with deeply religious and philosophical preoccupations.

Aurangzeb gave numerous grants to temples belying tales of intense religious bigotry, which are preserved to this day by the families of the priests. He is said to have issued a firman giving blanket protection to Dara Shikoh’s guru, Kavindracharya Saraswati, after he killed his brother. Several manuscripts signed by Kavindracharya Saraswati are preserved in the Scindia Oriental Institute to this day.

Fact

It is believed that there was once a majestic Sun temple at this site. The Avanti-Mahatmya of the Skanda Purana has recorded a description of the Sun Temple and two tanks, the Surya Kunda and the Brahma Kunda. People from nearby villages have a ritual dip in the Surya Kunda even today. Remains of the old temple are found scattered all over this area.

A fragmented inscription of this place records the building of the palace in 1458, in the time of Mahmud Khilji. The story goes that the tanks were constructed all around to keep the temperature very low by Sultan Nasiruddin Khilji, the Sultan of Malwa in the 16th century, because he was in the habit of taking mercury which is hot.

As a great religious center, Ujjain ranks equal to Benaras, Gaya and Kanchi. Saivism, Vaishnavism and their various cults and sects, Jainism and Buddhism, have found a niche in this catholic city. The Avanti Khanda of the Skanda Purana mentions innumerable temples consecrated to Shakti and her various forms. The Siddha and the Natha cults which were offshoots of Tantricism, also flourished in Ujjain.

One of the 12 jyotirlingas in India, the lingam at the Mahakal 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 traditions to be found only in Mahakaleshwar among the 12 Jyotirlingas. The idol of Omkareshwar Shiva is consecrated in the sanctum above the Mahakal shrine. The images of Ganesh, Parvati and Karttikeya are installed in the west, north and east of the sanctum sanctorum. To the south is the image of Nandi. The idol of Nagchandreshwar on the third storey is open for darshan only on the day of Nagpanchmi.

On the day of Mahashivaratri, a huge fair is held near the temple and worship goes on through the night.

1. Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga

Mahakaleshwar Temple is another temple in the state of Madhya Pradesh which is dedicated to the largely revered God - Lord Shiva. It is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas in India and is designed just as intricately as the other 11 are.

2. Kal Bhairava Temple

Bhairav is a fierce manifestation of Lord Shiva, and Kal Bhairava is the most important among the eight Bhairavas. If ancient scriptures are to be believed, Kal Bhairav temple is said to be related with the Tantra cult, a secret religious sect who thrived upon black magic.

3. Ram Mandir Ghat

Ram Mandir Ghat is of immense religious significance to Hindus because it is one of the four locations where the Kumbh Mela takes place every 12 years.

4. Kumbh Mela, Ujjain

The Kumbh mela is a sacred mass pilgrimage of the Hindus where devotees gather to take a dip in a holy river. The Kumbh is held every three years in one of the four cities, Haridwar, Allahabad, Nasik and Ujjain. The next Kumbh mela is scheduled to be held in Ujjain in 2016.

5. Harsiddhi Temple

The Harsiddhi Temple boasts of an idol of Annapurna painted in dark red colour between the idols of Mahasaraswati and Mahalaxmi.

6. Kaliadeh Palace

Situated on an island based in the Shipra River, this Palace holds immense religious significance. It was constructed in 1458 AD. The Palace is flanked on both sides by the waters of the rivers and the technical aptitude of the predecessors can be seen in the man-made tanks and channels.

7. Pir Matsyendranath

Unlike the other architectural marvels in Ujjain and MP as a whole, Pir Matsyendranath is not a monument that is going to be eye-catchy. It was constructed in remembrance of the greatest leaders of the Natha sect of Saivism-Matsyendranath, very much like all the other monuments.

8. Jantar Mantar, Ujjain

Ujjain has always been an educational hub since ages now, and this place just gives us enough evidence as to why it is considered so. Jantar Mantar (also called the Vedh Shala Observatory) was established in the 17th century was established so as to help the Hindu scholars and astrologers with their research and studies.

9. Bhartrihari Caves

Legend has it that this is the very place where Bhartrihari, the step brother of Vikramaditya and a very renowned poet used to live and meditate after relinquishing all the luxuries of life.

10. Chaubis Khamba Temple

Chaubis Khamba Temple is a captivating historical wonder dated back to the 9th or 10th century. The entrance showcases the images of guardian goddesses of the Temple - Mahalaya and Mahamaya with their names inscribed on the footsteps of the temple.

11. Chintaman Ganesh Temple

Chintaman or Bade Ganeshji Ka Mandir is located close to the tank of the Mahakaleshwar Temple and right in front of you stands a gigantic sculpture of one of the most worshipped Gods in India - Lord Ganesha.

12. Ram Mandir, Ujjain

Ram Mandir as the name suggests is dedicated to Lord Rama who is seen here with his wife Sita on one side and his brother Laxman on another. Ram Mandir is the epitome of excellence in the field of architecture.

13. Mangalnath Temple

Blessed upon Goddess Earth by Lord Shiva himself, the Mangalnath Temple in Ujjain holds boundless religious significance. Considered as the birth place of planet Mars, this mystical temple is visited by hundreds of devotees daily to get rid of dark energies and stubborn life problems. You can also seek the blessings of Mahadeva here, the guardian deity of the city.

14. Vikram University and Park

A noteworthy institute of Ujjain is the Vikram University, a popular centre of learning in the city. The University, located on Dewas Road, was established in the year 1957.

15. Sandipani Ashram

Being the very spot where Guru Sandipani coached Lord Krishna, Balram and Sudama, the Sandipani Ashram has many mentions in Mahabharat. The ashram houses a giant stone with 1-100 inscribed on it, as first written by Guru Sandipani. Be sure to check out the mystical Gomati Kunda, which holds a blend of all the holy waters in the world.

16. ISKCON Ujjain Temple

The beauty of the majestic white marble building of ISKCON in Ujjain is truly a sight for sore eyes. The impeccably sculpted marble idols of Radha Madhana Mohan, Sri Krishna and Balram and Sri Gauri Nitai dressed in vibrantly coloured dresses and beautiful jewellery will definitely lift your spirits. Be sure to try some mouth-watering dishes at Govindas, right next to ISKCON.

17. Bade Ganeshji Ka Mandir

As the name suggests, the Bade Ganeshji ka Mandir is a magnificent temple in Ujjain that houses one of the biggest idols of Lord Ganesh. Resting along the Mahakaleshwar reservoir, this temple is just a stone's throw away from the infamous Mahakal Temple. While you're here, you can also seek the blessings of Lord Hanuman at the Panchmukhi Hanuman Gate.

18. Gadkalika Temple

The Gadkalika Temple in Ujjain holds tremendous religious significance, especially among students. Staring into the glory of the immaculately sculpted idol of Goddess Kalika is an absolute divine experience, just like attending the soul cleansing morning and evening aarti.

19. Gopal Mandir

A majestic marble towered structure at the centre of the market square, the Gopal Mandir in Ujjain is famous for the beautiful Krishna idol it houses. The idol is a whopping 2 feet tall, rests on a silver-plated altar and is entirely cloaked in silver and gold jewellery. Also, the infamous door stolen by Ghazni from the Somnath temple has now been installed here.

20. Vikram Kirti Mandir Museum

Built in commemoration of the beloved king Vikramaditya, the Vikram Kirti Mandir Museum does a great deal in glorifying and exalting the Maurya age. Built in 1965, this museum houses everything- right from ancient manuscripts and coins to copper plates and fossils discovered in the Narmada Valley. You can pay your respects at the Vikram Kirti Mandir where the museum is situated.

21. Kalidasa Academy

Spanning over a whopping 3375 hectares, the Kalidasa Academy in Ujjain has helped hundreds of students get in touch with the world's first language- Sanskrit. Right from translating ancient Sanskrit scripts to the authentic reconstruction and production of Kalidasa's poems, this academy does it all. Many fun-filled and vivacious festivals are celebrated here like Kalidasa Festival, Nandi and the Kalash-Yatra.

22. Shani Mandir

Standing strong for over 2000 years, the Shani Mandir in Ujjain is India's first Navgraha mandir and the only Shani temple in the world where Shanidev has been idolised as Lord Shiva. Amavasya nights are given special importance at the temple with thousands of devotees offer more than 5 quintals of oil to the lord.

23. Gomti Kund

Resting amidst the peaceful environs of Sandipani Ashram, the Gomti Kund is a steep pond that holds a blend of all holy waters of the world. They say Lord Krishna summoned all the holy waters and created the Gomti Kund so that his guru, Sandipani, wouldn't have to travel to them. Till date, this is the single source of water supply for the entire ashram.

24. WWF Water Park and Resort

Situated on the Indore Ujjain Road Panth piplai in Ujjain, WWF Water Park and Resort is one of the finest water parks in the city with umpteen water and regular rides, separate pools for kids and adults, fun activities and games. The resort offers several deals for night stays and accommodation for an extended day of fun and amusement.

25. Meghdoot Resort Water Park and Club

Meghdoot Resort Water Park and Club is known to host some of the best pool side parties, weddings and private functions. The water park is flocked by guests all through the season for a fun day out. Besides the umpteen rides, slides and activities, the water park has different pools for kids and adults.

26. Birla Mandir

Located in the Industrial Area in Nagda near Ujjain, Birla Mandir is a revered Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It is one of the several Birla Mandir built by the Birla family all across the country. Boasting of impeccable architecture and beautiful designs, the temple is further surrounded by a gorgeous garden and beautiful fountains that further accentuate the vibe of the place.