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Ujjain
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Sightseeing |
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Mahakaleshwara Temple |
 The temple of Mahakaleshwara with its soaring
shikhara dominates the skyline and life of Ujjain. Here, the god Shiva reigns
eternal and the lingam at Mahakaleshwara, one of the 12 jyotirlingas in India,
is believed to be swayambhu (born of itself), deriving its shakti or power, from
within itself. Yet another unique feature of this majestic shrine is the idol
which faces the south, a positioning upheld by tantric traditions and found only
in Mahakaleshwara among the 12 jyotirlingas. The idol of Omkareshwara Shiva is
consecrated in the sanctum above the Mahakal shrine and the images of Ganesh,
Parvati and Kartikeya are in the west, north and east of the sanctum sanctorum.
To the south is Shiva's bull steed, Nandi. Every Mahashivratri, in the month of
March, fair held near the temple. |
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Bade Ganeshji Ka Mandir |
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Above the tank near the Mahakaleshwar
Temple, the large ornate statue of Ganesh here makes this temple a popular
pilgrimage spot |
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Chintaman Ganesh Temple |
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On the opposite bank of of the River Shipra, this temple of considerable antiquity and a popular place of pilgrimage, the idol here is
believed to be self
formed. The artistically carved pillars of the assembly hall date back to the
Parmara Periods. |
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Bhartrihari Caves |
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According to legends, the caves on the banks of the river Shipra near Gadkalika Temple are where the great scholar
poet Bhartrihari lived and meditated. |
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Harsiddhi Temple |
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Another important shrine with the image of Goddess Annapurna. |
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Vedh Shala(Observatory) |
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The stars and the skies seemed fascinating
in the century too. That would perhaps explain the number of observatories
that we have in India. Since the 4th century BC, Ujjain has been India's
Greenwich (as far as Indian geographers were concerned), with the first meridian
of longitude passing through it. Maharaja Jai Singh built one of his quirky
observation here between 1725 and 1730 AD. This one is smaller than those in
Jaipur or Delhi but it's still in use and quite interesting. Astrologers can
purchase the complete year's astronomical ephemeris in both English and Hindi at
the observatory for Rs15. |
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Kal Bhairava |
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The speciality of this temple is its intricate paintings in the Malwa style. |
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Kaliadeh Palace |
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On an island in the Shipra River, 8km north
to town, is the water palace of the Mandu Sultans, constructed in 1458. River
water is diverted over stone screens in the palace, and the bridge to the island
uses carvings from the sun temple which once stood here. The central dome of
palace is a good example of Persian architecture. |
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Vikram Kirti Mandir |
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This mandir has the Scindia Oriental Research Institute, an archaeological museum
and an art gallery. Actually ,a a cultural centre, it is dedicated to the memory of King
Vikramaditya - the much honored King of Ujjain. |
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Gopal Mandir |
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A sanctum inlaid with marble and silver plated doors Constitute the main attraction
of this temple. |
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Navagarha Mandir |
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The ruling planets have always had an important place in the India rituals and tradition. This
temple is dedicated to the nine ruling planets (Navagraha means nine planets). It
is located on the Triveni
Ghat of Shipra river. |
