INFORMATION ABOUT UJJAIN

Ujjian enjoyed a position of considerable importance in the field of astronomy, Great works on astronomy such as the Surya Siddhanta and the Panch Siddhanta were written in Ujjain. According to Indian astronomers, the Tropic of Cancer is supposed to pass through Ujjain It is also the first meridian of longitude of the Hindu geographers. From about the 4th century B.C.. Ujjain enjoyed the reputation of being india's Greenwich

UJJAIN HISTORY

The earliest references to the city, as Ujjaini, are from the time of the Buddha, when it was the capital of the Avanti Kingdom. Since the 4th century BCE the city has marked the first meridian of longitude in Hindu geography. It is also reputed to have been the residence of Asoka (who subsequently became the emperor), when he was the viceroy of the western provinces of the Maurya empire. During the last half of the 18th century Ujjain was the headquarters of the Maratha leader Sindhia. The Sindhias later established themselves at Gwalior, and Ujjain remained part of Gwalior state until Indian Independence in 1947. Gwalior state became a princely state of the British Raj after the Maratha defeat in the Third Anglo-Maratha War, and Gwalior, Ujjain, and the neighboring princely states were made a part of the Central India Agency. After Indian independence, the Sindhia ruler of Gwalior acceded to India, and Ujjain became part of the Madhya Bharat state. In 1956 Madhya Bharat was merged into Madhya Pradesh state. Mahakal of Ujjayini is known among the twelve celebrated Jyotirlingas in India. The glory of Mahakaleshwar temple has been vividly described in various Purans. Starting with Kalidasa, many sanskrit poets have eulogized this temple in emotive terms. Ujjain used to be the central point for calculation of Indian time and Mahakala was considered as the distinctive presiding deity of Ujjain...

UJJAIN TOURISM

The Places of Interest and Sight Seeing



• Ujjain: is a holy city for Hindus and has many places to visit for the religiously inclined. The Mahakal Temple, one of the twelve Jyotirlings, is the most famous and venerated Shiva temple. The Shivling in this temple is supposed to be the only Jyotirling which faces south and hence it is known as Dakshinmukhi or the south-facing ling. Other temples are Harsidhhi (Durga Temple), Chintaman Ganesh, Gadh Kalika, Kaal Bhairav, Sandipani Ashram, Triveni (Nav Graha/ Shani), ISKCON(The International Society for Krishna Consciousness) temple [citation needed] and Mangalnaath. Ujjain, being an ancient city, is home to many monuments that have survived from the ancient period. The most stunning example is the Kaliyadeh Palace on the outskirts of the city, which is a fine piece of ancient Indian architecture, though in poor upkeep. The Bhrathari Gufa is an ancient cave which has some interesting legends associated with it. The Observatory (Veda Shala) built by a Rajput king, Raja Jai Singh II, is one of the five such observatories in India and features ancient astronomical devices.



• The new ISKCON temple : Is a must for every tourist. Also Prashanti Dham (Sai Baba's Ashram)is a holy place to visit. It is quite a soothing experience to sit on the coast of river Kshipra, relieving all you mental worries. Also there are many Jain temples like - JaiSingh Pura Atishay Kshetra, Tapobhoomi, Avanti Parshwanath, Hanumant baag etc.



• Pancheshani Yatra :Also known as the Pancheshani Yatra, it is a grand tour of Ujjain in which thousands of people join in every year. The Chatdwar Yatra, the ceremonial visits to the four gates, is also associated with this Yatra. The legend goes that when Lord Shiva founded Ujjain at Parvati's behest on the banks of the Shipra, four gates were established to guard the city from all fourdirections.Four guardian deities, Pingaleshwar (East), Kayavarohaneshwar (South) Dardureshwar (North) and Bilveshwar (West) were appointed with Mahakaleshwar at the center of the town.



• Simhastha-2004 :Hindu mythological tale of the churning of the ocean by the Gods and the demons, with vasuki the serpent as the rope. The ocean bed first yielded fourteen gems, then Lakshimi, the goddess of wealth, and finally the coveted vessel of nectar. Then began the wild scramble for immortality with the demons chasing the gods across the skies, and in the process, a few drops were split and fell at Hardwar, Prayag, Nasik and Ujjayini. The magnificence and the awesome spectacle of the bathing ritual at the Simhastha defies description. Beginning on the full moon day in Chaitra (April), it continues into Vaishakha (May), until the next full moon day......More

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