Author: Pradyumn Mattu

“Symbol of perfectness source of love and joy source of knowledge and energy source of purity Is my Mahakaleshwar”

Ujjain is the largest city of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative centre of Ujjain district and Ujjain division.

An ancient city situated on the eastern bank of the Kshipra River, Ujjain was the most prominent city on the Malwa plateau of central India for much of its history. It emerged as the political centre of central India around 600 BCE. It was the capital of the ancient Avanti kingdom, one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas. It remained an important political, commercial and cultural centre of central India until early 19th century, when the British administrators decided to develop Indore as an alternative to it. Ujjain continues to be a region of high religious significance for the Hindus particularly Shaivites, Vaishnavites and followers of Shakta and is one of the four sites for the Kumbh Mela, the largest peace gathering on the planet that attracts 100 million people to the festival. Added to that, it is also home to the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga, one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines to the god Shiva. Ujjain is one of the most glorious cities of ancient India as it is also reckoned to be the educational hub of various Indian scholars. The immense wealth of Ujjain in terms of religion, architecture, and educational value makes this is a top attraction amongst not only Indian travelers but also foreign.

Ujjain has been selected as one of the hundred Indian cities to be developed as a smart city under PM Narendra Modi’s flagship Smart Cities Mission.

Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is one of the most famous Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingams, which are supposed to be the most sacred abodes of Lord Shiva. The temple is situated on the side of the Rudra Sagar Lake. The presiding deity, Lord Shiva in the lingam form is believed to be Swayambhu, deriving currents of power from within itself as against the other images and lingams that are ritually established and invested with mantra-shakti. It is built on a spacious courtyard and is surrounded by massive walls. It has five levels, one of which is underground.

The place is easily accessible by road and train. Place very well linked with Indore city.

On the day of Maha Shivaratri, a huge fair is held near the temple, and worship goes on through the night. In the precincts of the Mahakaleshwar temple is Shri Swapaneshwar Mahadev temple, where devotees pray to Shiva as Mahakaal, to realize the most important dreams of their lives. Sadashiv Mahadev is so empathetic, benevolent and easy to please that devotees are sure to be granted the boons they wish for with a pure heart in this temple, it is believed here Mahadev is Swapaneshwar and Shakti is Swapaneshwari.

The worship of the eight Bhairavas is a part of Saivite tradition and the chief among them is Kal Bhairava, believed to have been built by King Bhadresen, on the banks of the Shipra. There is mention of a Kal Bhairva temple in the Avanti Khanda of the Skanda Purana. Worship of Kal Bhairava is believed to have been a part of the Kapalika and Aghora sects. Ujjain was a prominent centre of these two sects. Even today, liquor is offered as a part of the ritual to Kal Bhairava Beautiful paintings in the Malwa style once decorated the temple walls, only traces of which are visible.

Chintaman Ganesh is the biggest temple of Lord Ganesha in Ujjain. This temple is built across the Kshipra River on the Fatehabad railway line, and is located about 7 km far south-westerly to the Ujjain town. The temple is located now in the middle of the town’s market.

The temple dates back to 11th and 12th centuries when the Paramaras ruled over Malwa. The Ganesha idol enshrined in this temple is supposed to be swayamabhu (self manifested). Locally, Ganesha is also referred to as Chintaharanan which literally means remover of all worries and tensions. His consorts, Ridhhi and Siddhi, flank Chintaman, the assuager of all worries. The finely-carved stone pillars in the assembly hall and the white shrine define the age-old sanctity of the temple.

This temple situated above the tank near the Mahakaleshwar temple, enshrines a huge artistic sculpture of Ganesh, the son of Shiva. An idol of this size and beauty is rarely to be found. The middle of the temple is adorned by an idol of the pancha-mukhi (five faced) Hanuman. There is provision for learning of Sanskrit and Astrology in the temple.

Ujjain as a whole is a vegetarian location in majority and there are very few restaurants which might offer non vegetarian. Finding a decent non vegetarian restaurant in Ujjain is certainly no child’s play. The cuisine is predominantly Indian with Punjabi cuisine and Rajasthani thalis being a favourite amongst a majority of the tourists. South Indian delicacy enthusiasts are also likely to find a haven for their hunger requirements easily here.

Ujjain is well connected with rest of India by road and rail, but there is no airport in the city. The closest airport is in Indore and the distance between Indore and Ujjain is 52 Km.

By train

Ujjain has direct trains for all the major cities of India, though some are very inconvenient and it’s better to break journey from Bhopal. From Bombay “Awanitka express” and “Pune-Indore” express, from New Delhi “Hazarat Nizamuddin Intercity Express” and from Bangalore “Jaipur Mysore Express” are a few good leads. No direct train from Nagpur is available.

By car

Ujjain is connected to nearby towns with very good roads compared to the rest of Madhya Pradesh. It is 52 km from Indore along the NH 3 toll road, and it takes less than an hour to cover the distance. Indore is in turn connected by Agra-Mumbai National Highway to rest of the India.

The drive is scenic and punctuated by small villages on either side of the road. Stop by on the way to enjoy fresh guavas and corn. It’s a must. It is a 4-lane highway with smooth drive. Travel time is around 1 hr. Gozocabs can be hired to enjoy a quality drive at a reasonable rate.

October to March are the best time to visit Ujjain. However, Ujjain is accessible to tourists throughout the year. The summers are quite hot with temperatures rising up to 45 degrees, just like the other parts of Madhya Pradesh, and the winters are comparatively more pleasant with the temperature in the day going up to 20 degrees, while the nights are relatively very cold at 3 degrees. Hence, Ujjain should be visited during the winters especially in the month of March because that it is when the MahaKumbh Mela kicks off every 12 years.

Being host to thousands of tourists every year and being one of the locations for the Kumbh Mela, the largest peaceful gathering on the planet, one can find hotels at every nook and corner of the city.

After visiting the Kumbh Mela of 1895, Mark Twain wrote:

The city’s original name – Prayag or “Place of Offerings” comes from its position at the Sangam (confluence) of the Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Sarasvati rivers. It is the second-oldest city in India, and plays a central role in Hindu scriptures. Allahabad was originally called Kaushambi by the Kuru rulers of Hastinapur who developed it as their capital. Since then, Allahabad has been a political, cultural and administrative centre of the Doab region. Mughal emperor Akbar renamed it Ilahabad, which the British changed to Allahabad. Allahabad became the capital of the North-Western Provinces in 1858, and was the capital of India for a day. The city was the capital of the United Provinces from 1902 to 1920 and remained at the forefront of national importance during the struggle for Indian independence.

The Triveni Sangam is believed to be the place where drops of nectar fell from the pitcher, from the hands of the Gods. It is believed that a bath in the sangam will wash away all one’s sins and will clear the way to heaven. Devout Hindus from all over India come to this sacred pilgrimage point to offer prayers and take a dip in the holy waters. The sacred Kumbh Mela is held every 12 years on the banks of Ganga, Yamuna and Sarsvati at Sangam.

Although it is well connected through main city via all means of transport bus services are quite prominent.

The Anand Bhavan is a historic house museum in the city focusing on the Nehru Family. It was constructed by Indian political leader Motilal Nehru in the 1930s to serve as the residence of the Nehru family when the original mansion Swaraj Bhavan was transformed into the local headquarters of the Indian National Congress. Jawahar Planetarium, the planetarium is situated here, which has been striving to inculcate scientific temper among masses through its sky shows on astronomy and science. It was donated to Indian government in 1970 by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the granddaughter of Motilal Nehru and daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru.

Well connected via city roads, rails and airways. Anand Bhavan is located about 3.5 km away from Allahabad Railway Station. It lies on the Jawaharlal Nehru Road at Allenganj.

Khusrau Bagh is a large walled garden and burial complex located in Muhalla Khuldabad close to the Allahabad Junction Station. It is roughly two miles from the Allahabad Fort. Situated over forty acres and shaped as a quadrangle it includes the tombs of Shah Begum, Jahangir’s Rajput wife and the daughter of Maharaja Bhagwant Das and Khusrau Mirza’s mother; Khusrau Mirza, Jahangir’s eldest son and briefly heir apparent to the Mughal throne; and Nithar Begum, Khusrau Mirza’s sister and Jahangir’s daughter. It is listed as an Indian Site of National Importance.

Allahabad’s cuisine has a modest richness to it. It is a paradise for those who are made for taste. If one is in Allahabad, then the Mughalai cuisine of North India should not be forgot to enjoy. Other than this, Allahabad offers a number of options from spicy Chaats to Continental cuisines, from street food to a number of cafes. While in Allahabad don’t miss out on Chaat, Samosa, Rabri, Kachori, Baati Chokha as well as hints of South Indian food such as Butter Masala Dosa. Also The Allahabadi Paan should be tried as it is considered one of the best in all over India.

A number of options are available for one’s journey to Allahabad

By plane: Allahabad Airport also called Bamrauli Field is essentially a military base with a one-room passenger terminal and two commercial flights per day are run. The air travel scene is changing slowly after Kumbh Mela of 2013. Still it is easier to fly into Varanasi  or Lucknow  as both of these airports are much better serviced.

By train: Allahabad is situated on the trunk train route from Delhi to Kolkata and from Mumbai to Kolkata, so it is well-connected by trains. Innumerable trains stop at Allahabad. The city has four railway stations, Daragang, Prayag, Rambagh and Allahabad Junction. In addition, another temporary railway station known as Prayag Ghat is used during important religious festivals for the better management and control of extra pilgrim traffic on those occasions.

By bus: Allahabad is on NH2 and NH27 and is, therefore, well connected by road. Several buses ply to and from nearby cities and towns.

Cabs such as Gozocabs can also be used to make one’s journey comfortable at a reasonable price.

October to March are the best months to visit Allahabad. Magh Mela typically happens in the month of February and March and this is the time when millions of people flock to the town to take dip in holy Sangam. However, the Maha Kumbh happens only once in 12 years and should not be missed.

Allahabad is the host of the largest gathering in the world and rich in hotels in almost every part of the city.