Ujjain

Also known as Oojein, Malwa, Ujjayinī, Ujjayini

Ujjain (, , ), also known as Ujjayini, is a city in Ujjain district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Pradesh by population and is the administrative as well as religious centre of Ujjain district and Ujjain division. It is one of the Hindu pilgrimage centres of Sapta Puri famous for the Kumbh Mela (Simhastha) held there every 12 years. The ancient and world famous temple of Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is located in the center of the city. The city has been one of the most prominent trade and political centres of the Indian subcontinent from the time o

AI overview

Ujjain is a city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh that serves as both an administrative hub and an important Hindu pilgrimage destination, most famous for hosting the Kumbh Mela festival every 12 years and being home to the ancient Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga temple. Historically, it has been a significant center for trade and politics across the Indian subcontinent.

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Place details

Locality: Ujjain
Region: Madhya Pradesh
Country: India
Population: 515,215
Timezone

Travel guide

Get in

Ujjain is well connected with rest of India by road and rail, but there is no airport. The closest airport is in Indore, 52 km away.

Buy

thumb|Narmada river from Mahakaleshwar Temple Variants of locally produced consumer goods -- for instance namkeen (snacks), toast, henna among others -- have grown to become closely linked with the cultural and geographic identity of Ujjain. These can be found in shops all over the city, across the price and quality spectrum (in some cases, common prices are agreed upon by trade associations). A few notable outlets, which have gained popularity beyond the borders of Ujjain, would be:

Eat

When you are in Ujjain never forget to visit Gopal Mandir and have a bite of famous Gajanan Kulfi. Apart from that one of the most happening places in Ujjain to eat and enjoy is Tower Chowk.

Go there and try your hands on all the street chats you have ever heard. The very first thing that will attract you will be stalls of Pani Puri. Following which you will see Hot Dogs stalls serving hot, spicy, juicy hotdogs and aaloo tikia with chhole over it garnished by onions, tomatoes, coriander, green chatani, imli chatani and if desired fresh curd. They call it chhole tikiya chat.

Then you will have Bhelpuri stalls, dahi puri and all related chatpate chats varieties including dahi vada.

For sweet lovers Ujjain is known for its falooda ice cream and barf ka laddoo. Rabadi is also a must when you visit Ujjain. Kids will love this place with so many eateries, playground rides and balloon sellers everywhere, and of course Buddhi Ke Baal (cotton candy).

Shree Sweets and Restaurant at "Tower Chowk" is also a nice place. You can enjoy the best kachories there.

Go next

Dewas Omkareshwar Nagda, a small town is also about 50 km from Ujjain. Nagda has the largest factory of Birla all over India.

Travel guide from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0)

~21 min read

Article

28 sections

Contents

History
Prehistoric era
Ancient period
Medieval period
Modern period
Geography
Climate
Demographics
Government and jurisdiction
Notable sites
Education
University
Medical colleges
Engineering colleges
Schools
Industry
Transportation
Airport
Railway
Road
Local transport
Sports
Smart city
Notable people
See also
References
Bibliography
External links

An ancient city situated on the eastern bank of the Shipra River, then known as Avantika, it 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 Mahājanapadas. During the 18th century, the city briefly became the capital of the Scindia state of the Maratha Confederacy, when Ranoji Scindia established his capital at Ujjain in 1731. It remained an important political, commercial, and cultural centre of Central India until the early 19th century, when the British administrators decided to develop Indore as an alternative to it. Ujjain continues to be an important place of pilgrimage for Shaivites, Vaishnavites and Shaktas. Bathing in the holy Shipra river of Ujjain liberates one from sins. Therefore, Ujjain is also called the 'Mokshadayini city'. The name of this river is taken among the holy rivers like Kaveri, Narmada, Godavari and Krishna.