Ujjain is a city fallen from heaven so that
there may be a heaven on earth! Ujjain
originally called as Avantika in the age of
Upanishads and Puranas is one of India’s most
sacred and holy cities. In Sanskrit text, Ujjain
has been eulogized as
" the very home of the golden age paved with
jewels full of romance with dancing girls in the
temples and love inevery heart."
This is the city where according to tradition
reigned the exceptionally wise sovereign
Vikramaditya the patron of Kalidasa and this was
where Prince Ashoka was posted to serve out his
vice regality during the Mauryan period. And
from Ujjain Emperor Ashoka’s Son Mahendra and
daughter, Sanghamitra, were born, educated and
dispatched on their Buddhist mission to Sri
Lanka.
Kalidas’s (the reputed poet) love of Ujjayani
finds full expression in his romantic poem
Meghdut, the cloud messenger. It describes the
anguish of a yaksha, separated from his beloved
by a curse, sending a message to her in the city
of Alaka through a rain cloud from his exile in
Ramanagri (now identified as Ramtek near Negpur)
that. the poet describe imaginary passage of the
cloud over Ujjayani and almost as if it is loath
to move .
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 Ujjain controls the destinies of millions of
Indians.
The relationship between astrology and astronomy
is a time honored one in India, and Ujjain has
unique significance for fortunetellers. There is
a curious temple dedicated to the worship of the
nine planets- the Navagrahas.
The first meridian, stretching from Sri Lanka to
Lengendary Mount Meru, passes through here; so
does the line marking the northern limit of the
sun’s apparent wintry passage across the
heavens. Thus, to his date, Ujjain controls the
destinies of millions of Indians. Horoscopes are
cast using the tables, the ephemeris produced
annually in Ujjain.
The astrologer king Jai Singh who built Jaipur
had constructed one of his famous observatories
– the Jantar Mantar here. In course of time it
was recognized as a principal center of
researches in astronomy and astrology. The
observatory continues to be used for
astronomical researches to date.
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TEMPLES
The city has many shrines dedicated to the
worship of Bhairav, a fierce manifestation of
Shiva, and Shakti, the female principle, primal
cosmic energy which has to be propitiated with
scarifies.
In the temple of Harsiddhi Devi one can see a
stone boulder painted over with Vermillion,
which symbolizes the head of the legendary king
Vikram offered to mother goddess in sacrifice.
Mahakaleshwara Temple
The presiding deity of the time, Lord Shiva in
all his splendor, reigns eternal in Ujjain. The
divine lingam (Phallus) is one of the 12
Jyotirlingas in India and is believed to be
Swayambhu, deriving its shakti or power from
within itself.
One of the rituals, the Bhasam Arti, in the
Mahakal temples involves smearing the lingam
with still hot ashes from the burning banks in
homage to great lord the master of death, the
dweller of cremation grounds. It is easy to
sneer and back away in revulsion but the
symbolism should not be lost sight of Death and
life in Hindu tradition form parts of an
inseparable continuum. Creation and destruction
alternate cyclically. Death must be faced
squarely and accepted as inevitable reality
before life can assert itself.
Bade Ganeshji ka Mandir, Harisiddhi temple,Kal
Bharava temple, Gola temple, Navagraha temple
(temple dedicated to nine planets) are some
other famous temples of this old city.
Bhartrihari
These caves near the Gadkalika temple are where
the great scholar poet Bhartrihari, who is said
to have been the step-brother of Vikramaditya,
lived and medicated after renouncing the worldly
life. His famous works, Shrigarshatak,
Vairagyashatak and Nitishatak are known for the
exquisite use of the Sanskrit meter.
Bhartrihari was a king who renounced this world
when he discovered that his favorite queen pined
for some one else. The poor king was in for even
greater heartbreak when he found out the queen’s
paramour was himself ensnared in the love coils
of another – a beautiful courtesan. This girl,
in turn, could think of no one else but king
Bhartrihari! Complications of love life inspired
Bhartrihari to become a recluse and a poet. The
opening verse of his Vairagyashatak begins with
a lament and ends with a wry curse-Yam chintyami
satamtam mayi sa virakta ( The one I pine for is
indifferent to me) and Dhik tam cha tam cha
madanam cha imam cha mam cha! ( Woe be to us all
she, her lover, the cupid, myself and all this
world !) Some rocks caves are associated with
the hermit Bhartrihari.
Kalideh Palace
Built by Mahumad Khilji in 1458 A.D. The story
goes that the tanks were constructed all around
to keep the temperature very low by Sultan
Nasiruddin Khilji, the Sultan of Malwa in the
16th century because he was in the habit of
taking mercury which is hot. The central dome is
in Persian architectural style and inscription
records the visits of Emperor Akbar and EMPEROR
Jahangir to this place. The place was broken
down in the time of Pindaris and was restored by
Mandav Rao Scindia in 1920 to its present glory.
The Sun temple was also restored by this family.
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