Ujjain Tourist Attractions

Ujjain is an ancient city located on the eastern bank of the Shipra River. Ujjian is also one of the seven sacred cities of the Hindus, and every twelve years the Kumbh Mela religious festival is held here.

As a holy city, the main attraction is the colorful temples where visitors can watch the rituals, lines of pilgrims and spiritual men. The Mahakal Temple is the most famous and venerated Shiva temple.

Ujjain has a long and distinguished history as an ancient trade route and was ruled by the likes of Vikramaditya and Ashoka.

The old section has most of the temples as well as the bazaar. As a whole, the city of Ujjain is a pleasant mix of ancient and modern. Many monuments have survived including Kalideh Palace on the outskirts of the city.

Temples

The Mahakaleshwar Temple is one of the twelve Jyotirlings, which is a naturally occurring lingam believed to derive currents of creative energies from within.

The Mahakaleshwar Temple at Ujjain is located near a holy lake. There are five levels, and one level is underground. The main sanctum is on the ground floor. Throughout the temple are images of Ganesh, Parvati, Kartikeya and Shiva's Bull, Nandi. Massive walls surround the spacious courtyard of the temple

Destroyed in 1235 by Altamish, the Mahakaleshwar Temple was restored by the Scindias in the 19th C.

The Harsiddhi Temple is home to a famous image of the goddess Annapurna. There are two pillars adorned with lamps that are special features of Maratha art.

The huge Gopal Temple is located in the market square. As a beautiful example of Maratha architecture, the sanctum is inlaid with marble and the doors are silver-plated.

Chintaman Ganesh dates back to the Parmara period and the carved pillars are of particular note.

Vedh Shala (Observatory)

Maharaja Jai Singh built the Vedh Shala between 1725 and 1730. Ujjain is considered the Greenwich of India because the first meridian of longitude passes through it. Vedh Shala is located on the site of India's first scientific observatory.

According to Indian astronomers, the Tropic of Cancer passes through Ujjain. There are instruments at Vedh Shala used to determine the locations of heavenly bodies for astrology purposes.

A small planetarium and a telescope used to observe the moon, Mars, and Jupiter are available. The observatory is also used for weather forecasting.

Kaliadeh Palace

Kaliadeh Palace is located in an island-like setting on the Shipra River. The landscape provides a glorious backdrop to this imposing building.

Constructed in 1458, the Kaliadeh Palace has 52 tanks that river water is diverted through to create cooling breezes. The central dome of the palace is an excellent example of Persian architecture.

The Kaliadeh Palace fell into ruin but was restored by Madhav Rao Scindia in 1920. The palace was built on the location of the Sun Temple, carvings from the Sun Temple still exist on the bridge to the island.