Ujjain, “The Kingdom of Baba Mahakal” is one of the famous religious sites located on the eastern bank of the holy river Shipra in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Here, the land of Ujjain is sacred as one of the Hindu pilgrimage centres for the famous Kumbh Mela held every 12 years. Check out the best places to visit in Ujjain.
Omkareshwar – which is also one of the twelve jyotirlingas, is near Ujjain.
Here is a list of the places that everyone should visit while travelling to Ujjain.
Best Places to Visit in Ujjain
Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple
The Mahakaleshwar Temple is one of the 12 jyotirlingas of the Hindu god Shiva.
Here, the lingam at the Mahakal is believed to be Swayambhu (born of itself). The Mahakal Lingam here is Daxinamurti (south-facing).
One of the best attractions here is the Bhasma Aarti. You can book the Bhasmaarti Darshan from the temple website. You can check our blog on Ujjain Mahakaleshwar Bhasma Aarti booking for guidance.
Timing of Bhasm Aarti: 4:00 AM to 6:00 AM
Temple Timings: 4:00 AM to 11:00 PM
Kal Bhairav Temple
It is dedicated to the guardian deity of the city, Kal Bhairava. Here, devotees offer alcohol to the god. This temple is around 5.5km from Mahakaleshwar temple.
Temple Timings: 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Harsiddhi Temple
It is one of the 51 major Shakti Peethas of India where Devi Harsiddhi temple is situated. You can get a brief guide by visiting our blog on Shree Harsidhdhi Mata Temple. This temple is around 600m from Mahakaleshwar temple.
Temple Timings: 5:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Mangalnath Temple
This temple is of Lord Mahadev, the deity of Ujjain city. According to the Hindu Puranas, it is also known as the birthplace of Mars (Mangala). This place is famous for the planet Mars, so it is suitable for astronomical studies and the pooja for Mangal graha, i.e., Mangal dosh Nivaran pooja. You can get a better idea by visiting our article on Mangalnath temple. This temple is around 900m from Mahakaleshwar temple.
Temple Timings: 4:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Gopal Temple
This temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna. It is a beautiful example of Maratha architecture from the 19th century. Get a brief idea of the Dwarkadhish Gopal Mandir. The temple is around 700m from Mahakaleshwar temple.
Temple Timings: 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Chintaman Ganesh Temple
Chintaman Ganesh is the biggest temple of Lord Ganesha in Ujjain. The idol here is supposed to be Swayambhu. As the name suggests, Chintaman Ganesha removes all your worries and tensions. This temple is around 6.3km from Mahakaleshwar temple.
Related to Chintaman Ganesh temple, there are many stories. One of the stories is from Satyayuga i.e., Lord Ram, Lakshman and Mata Sita were migrating. On their way, they came here and Sita Maa felt thirsty, so Lakshmanji shot his arrow here from which water came out of the earth and a stepwell was formed.
Maa Sita broke her fast with this water. Then Lord Ram worshipped Chintaman Ganesha, Lakshman worshipped Ichchaman Ganesha and Siddhivinayak Ganesha.
Temple Timings: 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Iskcon Temple
This temple is of Lord Krishna, Balram, Radha Madan Mohan and Shri Gauri Nitai. It is made from beautiful white marble, which gives you positive vibes. This temple is around 5.7km from Mahakaleshwar temple.
Temple Timings: 4:30 AM to 09:30 PM
Rama-Janardana temple
It is a temple of Lord Ram and Lord Janardan, i.e., Lord Vishnu. It has good architecture, as this place was constructed in the 17th century. There are some images from the 11th and 12th centuries.
The images of Govardhandhari Krishna, Vishnu, Brahma and Mahesh are the best examples of architecture and sculpture excellence. The temple is around 3.8km from Mahakaleshwar temple.
Temple Timings: 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM
This temple is situated on the Triveni ghat of the river Shipra. It is dedicated to the Nine Planets (Navgraha), which attracts people on new moon days. The convergence of the holy rivers Shipra, Gandaki and Saraswati is called Triveni Teertham. The distance to the temple is around 8km from Mahakaleshwar temple.
Temple Timings: 5:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Chaubis Khamba Temple
As the name describes, it has 24 pillars, which is an interesting architecture that came from the 9th or 10th century. This is a temple of Chhoti Mata and Badi Mata, i.e., Mahalaya and Mahamaya, the guardian goddesses of Ujjain. The temple is around 280m from Mahakaleshwar temple.
Temple Timings: 5:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Gadkalika Mata Temple
It is an ancient temple of the goddess Kalika. It is one of the eighteen Shakti Peethas where the upper lip of Devi Sati fell. This is where the poet devotee Kalidas got a boon from the deity.
Though it is not a part of the 51 Shaktipeethas, its location near Shri Harsidhdhi Shakti Peethas has religious importance as it belongs to the 18th Shakti Peethas. Navratri has significant importance here as the Mother Festival. It is around 3.5km from Mahakaleshwar temple.
Temple Timings: 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Shri Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga Temple
Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga is also one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. It is located near Khandwa city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Two temples of Lord Shiva, Omkareshwar (Lord of the Sound OM) and Mamaleshwar (Immortal Lord), are located on the Narmada River. This temple is around 142 km from Mahakaleshwar temple.
Places to Visit in Ujjain Other Than Temples
If you want to explore places other than temples in Ujjain, here are the details.
Bhartrihari Caves
These ancient caves are named after the saint poet Bhartrihari. An awesome Indian rock-cutting architecture from the 11th century is a must-visit place while travelling to Ujjain. It is around 3.1km from Mahakaleshwar temple.
Temple Timings: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Kaliadeh Palace
This beautiful place is from the 18th century and is popular for boating and picnics at the river Shipra. Looking at its historical importance, this place is also known as the Sun Temple. Here you can find two tanks one is Surya Kund and the other is Brahm Kund. This beautiful place is around 11km from Mahakaleshwar Temple.
Timing: 24 hours
Ways to Reach Ujjain
By Road
It has good connectivity of roads to reach. Cities like Ahmedabad(402kms) Bhopal(183kms), Bombay(655kms), Delhi(774kms), Indore(53kms) are connected to Ujjain. You can also use regular bus connectivity from Ujjain to Indore, Bhopal, Omkareshwar, Mandu, Kota, etc.
By Rail
Ujjain Junction is the best reach on the Western Railway Zone where you can get direct or indirect connectivity of trains to Ujjain, which is 2.2 km away from Mahakaleshwar Temple.
By Air
The nearest airport is Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport in Indore, which is 53 km from Ujjain.
Where to Stay in Ujjain
You can get Dharamshalas, guest houses, or hotels near the Mahakaleshwar temple. For better hotels and stays, you can book through our websites at YatraDham.org.
While visiting Ujjain, you must try its famous dishes like Kachori, Rabdi, Poha and many more. One can easily find cabs, autorickshaws, and rental cars to visit all the above locations in Ujjain.
Nice information