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Ujjain - A Religious and Spiritual Tourist Destination in India

by: Desi-Girl

Ujjain is one of the holy cities of India situated in Madhya Pradesh. The city has numerous religious places that are a must visit destinations in India. Anybody who wants to discover the spiritual India and has interest in Gods and Goddesses, Ujjain is the best place. The place has various ancient temples that date back to 10th and 11th century. There are ancient caves which are believed to be in existence since the time of Mahabharata. Ujjain was once the center of astrology and astronomy and was hub where philosophers from across the country have come to research various aspects of spirituality and religion.

Getting In:
Being a very famous tourist destination Ujjain is very well connected to rest of India. It has a good network of Roads, good connections with the major railheads in the country and the nearest airport is in Indore which is about 52 km away from Ujjain. Railway Stations
There are three railway stations:

Ujjain Junction

Vikram Nagar

Chintaman (Metre Gauge)

Bus Stations

Dewas Gate(major bus stand)

NanaKheda

Major Roads

Indore Road, Dewas Road, Agar Road, Badnagar Road, Maksi Road.

Stay:
There are various options available when it comes to the accommodation. There are dharamshalas, lodges, budget hotels, 3 star hotels etc. You can avail any of the before mentioned accommodation type depending on your pocket.

Image credit: http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/features/05-07/ujjain2.jpg

Places to see:

Mahakaleshwar temple : The temple is among the must see temples in India. The Mahakaleshwar temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga’s in India. The Shivling in this temple is supposedly the only Jyotirlinga which is south facing and thus called Dakshinmukhi which means south-facing ling. The massive structure of the temple is a five storey building with carved motifs and is built in Rajput architectural style. The main ritual performed at the temple is the Bhasm Aarti (prayer) which is considered to b a symbolic representation of life and death.

Image credit: http://abhisays.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/mahakaleshwar-temple.jpg

Kalidas Palace : Also known as Kaliadeh Palace the Kalidas Palace was built way back in 1458 AD. The temple is located on an island in River Shipra. The Palace was built by Sultan of Mandu. The palace was badly damaged at the time of Pindaris and was reconstructed in 1920 by Madhav Rao Scindia. The Palace contains a tank called “Surya Kund” which is considered a holy tank and people from the nearby village take a dip in the tank on daily basis.

Image credit: http://www.gardenvisit.com/assets/madge/kaliadeh_palace_2948_jpg/600x/kaliadeh_palace_2948_jpg_600x.jpg

Bhartrihari Caves : The caves are located just above the River Shipra and is believed that Bhartrihari (the step brother of Raja Vikramaditya) had stayed here and meditated. The famous literary works of Bhartrihari i.e. Nitishataka, Vairagyashataka and Shringarshataka, are believed to be possibly written here in these caves.

Image credit: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2649/3971743884_3db725ec6b.jpg

Navagrah Mandir : In India it is believed that the planetary positions play a very important role in the human life. They have a direct influence on whatever happens and will happen in his/her life. The Nava Grah temple in Ujjain is a unique temple dedicated to the nine planets of the solar system. Nava means nine and Grah means Planets. The Astronomy and Astrology both depend on these planetary positions.

Image credit: http://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_z_misc_navagraha/navagraha.jpg

Bade Ganesh Ji ka Mandir: The Lord Ganesha temple is located near the tank in the Mahakaleshwar Temple premise. The temple is dedicated to Lord Ganesha (The Elephant head Deity). The “Bade Ganesh Ji Ka Mandir” contains a huge idol of Lord Ganesha and the it also has a panch mukhi Hnuman sculpture i.e. five faced Hanuman statue. The artistic beauty of the temple is worth a visit.

Image credit: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2367/2228738839_da41e460b5_o.jpg

Pir Matsyendranath: Located on the banks of River Shipra is the beautiful and attractive spot called Pir Matsyendranath. It is located near the Bhartihari caves and Gadkalika Temple. The pre Islamic saints in India that behold great respect were known as “Peer” or “Pir”. This place is dedicated to Pir Matsyendra. It is a religious place where people from both the religion i.e. hindu and Muslim come here and worship Pir Matsyendranath.

Image credit: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2674/3971003865_ee5ca8409d.jpg

Harisiddhi Temple: this temple is a very sacred and special religious spot in Ujjain. It is one of the oldest and ancient temples of the area. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Annapurna who is seated in between Goddess Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati.

Image credit: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/215/494650059_cb8dab4b4d_o.jpg

The Ved Shala : The Ved Shala is also known as the observatory and Jantar Mantar. Way back in 17th century, Ujjain was a hub of astronomers and astrologers that lead to the establishment of this observatory. Ujjain is also considered as an important place in the Hindu astrology and astronomy and has earned the reputation as the Greenwich of India.

Image credit: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/223/445814901_a630efb698_b.jpg

Chaubees Khamba Temple : The Chaubees Khamba temple is a marvelous piece of ancient architectural technique. The word chaubees means twenty four and khamba means pillars, so Chaubees Khamba literally means 24 Pillars. There are two idols on each side of the entrance gate standing as guards are the two goddesses named Mahamaya and Mahalaya. The temple is a great place worth a visit.

Image credit: http://www.kalidasaakademi.nic.in/Holy_City_Ujjain/a_Pict8.jpg

Nagarkot ki Rani: This temple is also an ancient temple situated in the north-west part of the city. The goddess is considered as the guardian deity of the holy city of Ujjain. Nagarkot ki Rani literally means “The Queen of city Walls”.

Image credit: http://www.simhastha.nic.in/visitors_info/images/nagarkotki_mata.jpg