Ujjain

India City: Ujjain
	Population : 433,465 Languages : Hindi, English, and local dialects Best Time to Visit : October to March STD Codes : 0734 Ujjain is situated at a distance of 56 km from Indore and is one of the holiest cities for Hindus. It is situated on the bank of the sacred river Shipra in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Due to its location, the climate of the city is tropical in nature very hot in summers and cold in winters. Monsoon season is during the month of July and August. Ujjain has a plethora of temples that are spread all over the town. The most notable are the Bhaironath (the liquor drinking deity) temple; Mangalnath temple, situated at the place where the first meridian is said to pass the earth; Chintaman Ganesh, the temple said to have been established by Lord Ram himself; Har Siddhi Mata, the family goddess of King Vikramaditya; and deep in the bazaar, Gopal Mandir, a Krishna temple. A popular local saying has it that even if one came with two cart loads of grain and offered only one handful at each temple one would still run short of offering. While Mahakal is undoubtedly the presiding deity of Ujjain, the other gods of the Hindu pantheon are also well represented in the hundreds of other temples all over the town. One of the major attractions of the town is the Bhasma Aarti held every dawn at the Mahakal temple. In this ritual, the master of cosmic time is propitiated with ash from a cremation ground, the ash being symbolic of the end of a particular manifestation of existential time. Mandu is 152 km from the town. Here, one can visit Taj-ul-Masjid, Shaukat Mahal, Rupmati's Pavilion, and Hindola Mahal, which tell the tales of the kings and queens of the region. Dewas, 36 km from the town, has a famous Devi Chamunda temple situated on a hilltop. Agar is an archeological site situated 66 km away from Ujjain that must not be missed. At a distance of 21 km from Ujjain is Ratlam, a town famous for its cactus garden. The garden has over 1,205 species of cacti, one of the largest collections of the plant in Asia. There are several hotels and lodges available to accommodate the tourists visiting the town. Besides, in Ujjain, there are also government run hotels like the Shipra and the Yatri Niwas that are conveniently priced and comfortable. By Air The nearest airport is at Indore, 55 km away, is connected by air to Bhopal , Bombay, Delhi and Gwalior . By Rail Ujjain is an important railway station on the Western Railway network and connected with most of the major cities in India. By Road Good motorable roads connect Ujjain with Ahmedabad (402 km), Bhopal (183 km), Bombay (655 km), Delhi (774 km), Gwalior (451 km), Indore (53 km), Khajuraho (570 km), Mandu (158 km)