Ujjain

Location
Ujjain is one of the sites for the holy Kumbh Mela, which takes place every 12 years. Modern Ujjain is situated on the banks of the river Shipra, which is regarded sacred since times immemorial. There is a mythological tale, which tells about the churning of the oceans, by the gods and demons, in search of the nectar of Immortality. When the coveted vessel of nectar was finally found, there followed a mad scramble across the skies, with the demons pursuing the gods, in an attempt to take the nectar from them. Four drops were spilt and they fell at Haridwar, Nasik, Ujjain and Prayag. The sanctity of the waters of the Shipra is in existence due to this city, which is renowned still for its traditions of spirituality, learning and culture.

Apart from the mythological myth, Ujjain represents an interesting blend of an historic and the modern day lifestyle, governed by the likes of Vikramaditya, and Ashoka, who wrote his soul stirring poetry here.

Geographical Location
The ancient town of Ujjain is one of the holiest cities for Hindus. It is situated 56 km from Indore, on the bank of the river Shipra, in the central Indian State of Madhya Pradesh.

History
Excavations in the north of ujjain have yielded traces of settlement as far back as the eighth century BC. The ancient city was a major regional capital under the Mauryans. Here, Ashoka was the governor for a long time during the reign of his father. Those times, Ujjain was known as avantika and lay on the main trade route that linked the northern india with Mesopotamia and Egypt. According to a Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva changed its name to 'Ujjaini', to mark his victory over the demon king of Tripuri. Chandra Gupta II, renowned for his patronage of the arts, also ruled from here in the fourth and fifth centuries AD. Among the Nava Ratna, or 'Nine Gems', of his court was the illustrious Sanskrit poet Kalidasa, whose much-loved narrative poem Meghduta includes a lyrical evocation of the city and its inhabitants.

Iltumish of the Delhi slave Dynasty, who razed most of its temples, sacked Ujjain in 1234. Thereafter, the sultans of Mandu governed the Malwan capital, by the Moghuls and by Raja Jai Singh from Jaipur, who designed, along with many renovations projects elsewhere in India, the VedShala observatory. Ujjain's fortunes declined from the early 18th century onwards, except for a 60-year renaissance between the arrival of the Scindia dynasty in 1750 and their departure to Gwalior. These days, nearby Indore sees the lions' share of the region's industrial activity, leaving Ujjain's 367,000-strong population to make its leaving by more traditional means.

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