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Ujjain is an ancient city that is located beside the Shipra River in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It was the capital of the ancient Avanti kingdom. It is an important Hindu pilgrimage destination that is known for its centuries-old Mahakaleshwar temple. Ujjain gives you a truly ancient feel of its glorious days and how the city used to be.
There are 10 most significant places to visit in Ujjain:
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Mahakaleswar Temple
This temple was and is still one of the most sacred and outstanding pilgrimages for Hindus. The abode of Lord Shiva, it is on the banks of the Rudra Sagar Lake and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas.
The complex has a spacious courtyard that is filled with sculptures that are influenced by the biggest and most prominent kingdoms in India; Maratha, Bhumija, and Chalukya styles and design. It is also completed with impressive lingam sculptures of Mahabaleshwar. The temple is spread over five levels holds a number of religious festivals and celebrations that take place every year.
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Kal Bhairava Temple
Bhairava refers to one of the manifestation of Lord Shiva, and it is one of the most important among the eight Bhairavas. The temple is believed to be related to the tantra cult, a secret religious sect who thrived upon black magic. You will see a lot of Hindus who come to this temple to practice their tantric meditation.
The temple also houses a statue of Nandi the bull, which is supposed to be a present from King Daksha.
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Vedh pancha Shala
The great works of ancient astronomy such as the Surya Siddhanta and the panch Siddhanta were written in this city. According to Indian astronomers, the tropic of cancer passes through Ujjain and it is also the first meridian of longitude of the Hindu geographers. In the 4th century, Ujjain was deemed as the Greenwich of India.
Vedh Shala itself was built by Raja Jai Singh, who was a great scholar and translated the work of Ptolemy and Euclid from Arabic into Sanskrit. There are many other observatories that are built by him, but this one is the one that is still used.
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Kaliadeh Palace
This site is located 8 kilometers from the town on an island in Shipra river. The palace itself was built in the Persian style of architecture by the mandu rulers in the year 1458. The palace was half destroyed, however it was mended by the Maharaja Madhav Rao Scindia I in 1920.
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Ram Ghat
It is located near the Harsiddhi temple in Ujjain and is one of the most popular places to see in this city. The ghat serves as the venues of Kumbh Mela, which is held every twelve years. Kumbh Mela is a mass of Hindu pilgrimage of faith in which the Hindus would gather to bathe in a sacred or holy river. On a regular day, you can still see devotees take a dip in the water and perform their daily rites. It is believed that whoever dipped in the water in Ram Mandir Ghat will attain salvation.
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Gopal Mandir
The temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna. This is a temple that is filled with Maratha Architecture. The temple itself was built in the 19th century by Bayajibai Shinde and is located in the middle of a big market. Its stark marble spired structure is adorned with two feet tall statue that is placed on marble inlaid artar with silver-plated doors. The door in the inner sanctum was reported to be the same door that was carried away by Ghazni from the Somnath temple.
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Harsiddhi Temple
This is known as one of the shakti peethas. It is believed that the Goddess Parvati elbow fell here in Ujjain at this very same temple site. The temple is decorated with two unique pine shaped iron lamp stands that loom to a height of 15 feet.
The temple is influenced by Maratha art and architecture. It can be seen with the red color that symbolizes the potency of Durga. Another influence of Durga in the temple is the Sri yantra – nine triangles that represent the nine names of Durga. It has also become the special feature of this temple.
Aside from that, the temple also houses the dark vermilion image of Annapurna, the Goddess of Nourishment and Mahasaraswati, the Goddess of wisdom and knowledge.
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Gomti Kund
Gomti Kund is a steeped water tank, which situated near the sandipani ashram. The ashram has been established since ancient times and was referenced in the Vedas and Puranas. When it was excavated, there are 3,000 years old painted artifacts that are found on this site. The Gomati Kund is said to be the perennial source of water supply to the ashram. It is also said that it was the place where Lord Krishna summoned the holy rivers from all the pilgrim centers so that his old guru can peacefully do all rituals.
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Chitaman Ganesh Temple
This is said to be one of the most visited places to visit in the city. Situated on the bank of river Shipra on the Fatehabad railway line, there are legends that stated that the Ganesh idol enshrined was born of itself. The temple has brought devotees of Chintaharan Ganesh which means the assurer of freedom from worldly anxieties.
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Pir Matsyendranath
