Ujjain is an ancient 5000 years old city, described as the best city in Adi Brahma Puran and it is called mokshda and bhukti-mukti (one of the 7 mukti kshetras) in AgniPuran and Garuda Puran. It was the capital of the great king Vikramaditya. Kalidasa composed most of his poems here.
There are 2 Shaktipeethas here.
1.The Maha kali Temple at Ujjain is one of the 18 major Shakti Peethas. Accorging to the scriptures Devi’s upper lip fell here. It is also called Gadhkalika Temple/ Avantika/ Rakt Dantika / Chamnuda) on Bhairavparvat on the banks of the Shipra River. She is Ujjain’s presiding deity. It is 5km from Ujjain railway station near the Bhartrihari caves.
The Mahakali/Gadh Kalika Temple
Mahakali/Gadhkalika
2.Maa Harisiddhi Shaktipeeth – Situated 2.5 km from Ujjain Junction. It was worshipped by Vikramaditya and Kalidasa. Devi’s elbow fell here. It is also one of the 51 Shaktipeethas. Lord Rama himself performed his father’s last rites after his death at Ujjain and therefore the place where the ritual took place called ‘RamGhat’.
The Hara Sidhi Mata Temple
According to scriptures a powerful demon called Andhakasur was the ruler of ancient Ujjain. He had the boon that with every drop of his blood that touched the ground another new Andhakasur will be produced. Lord Shiva fought the evil demon and pierced him with his Trishul and Devi Mahakali appeared and drank all the blood and the demon was killed.
According to another legend in the Skanda Purana two demons called Chand and Prachand tried to enter the prohibited Mount Kailash, the abode of Shiva and Devi. Shiva requested Devi Chandi to destroy them and she killed them and aquired the name Harsiddhi.
During the Maratha period the temple was reconstructed. Two beautiful pillars which are lit with lamps are a special attraction Of this temple. An ancient well and a beautiful pillar are another attraction.
The great king Vikramaditya used to worship Devi here. Kalidasa also worshipped HER here and became a great poet.
Temple Timings: Opens at 3:30 am and closes at 11:00 pm.
How to reach: Indore 49kms away is the nearest airport.
By Train & bus: Many regular trains and busses to Ujjain from other major cities.
Accommodation: Many 1 to 5 star hotels are available.
Other things to see:
Ujjaini Mahakaleswar, one of the famous 12 Jyotirlingas is a must see here. The Shiva Linga in this temple is quite unique as it is the only one that faces south (All other Shiva Lingas face North) hence it is called called Dakshinamurti.
Chintaman Ganesh: A beautifully carved Ganesha temple of the Paramara period.
Bade Ganeshji Ka Mandir : It has a rare huge idol of Ganesha and also an idol of Pancha Mukhi(5 faced) Hanuman.
Mangalnath temple: According to the Matsya Purana this is the birth place of Mars. A nice place to offer homage to Mars if it is afflicted in your horoscope.
Vikram Kirti Mandir: Built to celebrate second millennium of the Vikram era, it has an archaeological museum, an art gallery and a great reference library which has rare manuscripts in Prakrit, Arabic, Persian and other Indian languages.
RamGhat Lord Rama himself performed his father’s last rites after his death at Ujjain and therefore the place where the ritual took place called.
Kalbhairav temple: The Temple dedicated to the fierce form of Lord Shiva. It is known for its unique ritual of offering liquor as prasad, which is believed to help devotees overcome life’s challenges. It is approximately 7 kilometers from the Mahakaleshwar Temple.
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