|
Ujjain
Excursion
[ Bade Ganeshji Ka Mandir | Chintaman
Ganesh | Pir Matsyendranath | Kaliadeh
Palace | Durgadas Ki Chhatri | Harsiddhi
Temple | Siddhavat | Kal Bhairava
| Sandipani Ashram | Gadkalika
| Mangalnath | Gopal Mandir
| Navagraha Mandir | Mahakaleshwar
| The Vedha Shala | Vikram Kirti
Mandir | Vikram University | Kalidasa
Academy | Mandsaur | Gandhi
Sagar | Bhanpura |
Bade Ganeshji
Ka Mandir
A
huge and rare artistic sculpture of Ganesh, is glorified in this
temple and this place is situated above the tank near the Mahakaleshwar
temple. The middle of the temple is adorned by an idol of the pancha-mukhi
(five faced) Hanuman. There is provision for learning of Sanskrit
and Astrology in the temple.
Top
Chintaman Ganesh
The
temple is built across the Shipra on the Fatehabad railway line.
The Ganesh idol enshrined here is born out of a swayambhu. One can
see the consorts of Lord Ganesha-Riddhi and Siddhi, seated on either
side of him. The pillars are carved artistically iin the assembly
hall and they belong to the Paramara period. Worshippers flock this
temple because the deity here is traditionally known as Chintaharan
Ganesh meaning "the assurer of freedom from worldly anxieties".
Top
Pir Matsyendranath
This is a very charming spot on the banks of the
Shipra quite close to the Bhartihari Caves and the Gadkalika Temple.
It is dedicated to the memory of the leaders of the Natha sect of
Saivism-Matsyendranath. Since Muslims as well as the followers of
the Natha sect call their saints' 'pir', the ancient site of Pir
Matsyendranath is venerated by both. Excavations at this site have
yielded some antiquities, which date back to the 6th and 7th century
BC.
Top
Kaliadeh Palace
Situated
on the banks of the Shipra, the central dome of the palace is a
beautiful example of Persian architecture. Two Persian inscriptions
are found in one of the long corridors of the palace that records
the visits of Emperor Akbar and Jehangir. The palace was broken
down in the time of the Pindaris and was restored by Madhav Rao
Scindia in 1920 to its present glory. The family also restored the
Sun Temple.
Top
Durgadas Ki Chhatri
The beautiful monument built in the Rajpur style
of architecture, houses a statue of Durgadas and it glows like a
small jewel in its surrounding environment. Vir Durgadas earned
a secure niche for himself in the history of Marwad by his valiant,
selfless service to the State. He fought for the independence of
Jodhpur after the death of Maharaj Jaswant Singh and helped Ajit
Singh to ascend the throne against the wishes of Aurangzeb.
Durgadas died at Rampura in 1718 and rulers of Jodhpur had built
the chhatri as a dedication to him.
Top
Harsiddhi Temple
In
this temple, seated between the idols of Mahalaxmi and Mahasaraswati,
the idol of Annapurna is painted in dark vermilion colour. The Sri
Yantra, the symbol of power or Shakti is also enshrined in the temple.
The temple was reconstructed during the Maratha period and the two
pillars adorned with lamps are special features of Maratha art.
These lamps, lit during Navaratri, present a glorious spectacle.
There is an ancient well on the premises, and an artistic pillar
adorns the top of it.
Top
Siddhavat
This enormous Banyan tree on the banks of the Shipra
has been vested with religious virtue as the Akashyavat in Prayag
and Gaya, Vanshivat of Vrindavan and the Panchavata of Nasik. Thousands
of pilgrims take a dip in the Shipra from the bathing ghat built
here. According to one tradition, Parvati is believed to have performed
her penance here. It used to be a place of worship for the followers
of Natha sect. One legend has it that some Mughal rulers had cut
off the Banyan tree and covered the site with iron sheets to prevent
its roots from growing. But the tree pierced the iron sheets and
grew and flourished. The little village of Bhairogarh near Siddhavat
is famous for its tie and dye painting for centuries. In ancient
times when trade with other countries flourished, exquisitely printed
cloth from Bhairogarh used to find its way to Rome and China.
Top
Kal Bhairava
The
worship of the eight Bhairavas is a part of Saivite tradition and
the chief among them is Kal Bhairava, has been built by King Bhadresen,
on the banks of the Shipra. There is mention of a Kal Bhairva temple
in the Avanti Khanda of the Skanda Purana. Worship of Kal Bhairava
is believed to have been a part of the Kapalika and Aghora sects.
Ujjain was a prominent centre of these two sects. Even today, liquor
is offered as a part of the ritual to Kal Bhairava. Beautiful paintings
in the Malwa style decorated the temple walls, but now only traces
of them are visible.
Top
Sandipani Ashram
The fact that ancient Ujjain apart from its political
and religious importance, enjoyed the reputation of being a great
seat of learning as early as the Mahabharata period is borne out
by the fact that, Lord Krishna and Sudama received regular instruction
in the ashram of Guru Sandipani. The area near the ashram is known
as Ankapata, popularly believed to have been the place used by Lord
Krishna for washing his writing tablet. Guru Sandipani has engraved
the numerals 1 to 100 found on a stone.
The Gomti Kunda referred to in the Puranas was the source of water
supply to the ashram in the olden days. An image of Nandi, belonging
to the Shunga period, is to be found near the tank. The followers
of Vallabha sect regard this place as the 73rd seat of the 84 seats
of Vallabhacharya where he delivered his discourses throughout India.
Top
Gadkalika
Situated about 2 miles from the city of Ujjain,
the deity in this temple had been worshipped by Kalidasa. The legend
goes that he was an idiot and it is by his devotion to the goddess
Kalika that he acquired great literary skills. Emperor Harshavardhan
had this temple renovated in the 7th century AD. There is further
evidence of renovation during the Paramara period. The erstwhile
Gwalior State has rebuilt the temple in the modern times
Top
Mangalnath
This temple is situated away from the city and
can be reached through a winding road. Mangalnath is regarded as
the birthplace of Mars, according to the Matsya Purana. In ancient
times, it was famous for a clear view of the planet and hence suitable
for astronomical studies. Mahadev or Shiva is the deity, which is
worshipped in the temple of Mangalnath.
Top
Gopal Mandir
This huge temple is situated in the middle of the
big Market Square. Bayajibai Shinde, the queen of Maharajah Daulat
Rao Shinde, constructed it in the 19th century. It is a beautiful
example of Maratha architecture. The sanctum sanctorum is inlaid
with marble and doors are silvered plated. The door in the inner
sanctum had been carried to Ghazni from the Somnath temple. And
then from there Mahmud Shah Abdali carried it to Lahore. Mahadji
Scindia recovered it and now it has been installed in this temple.
Top
Navagraha Mandir
(Triveni)
Situated on the Triveni Ghat of the Shipra, the
temple is located away from the old site of Ujjaini town. It is
dedicated to the nine planets, attracts large crowds on new moon
days falling on Saturdays. Its religious importance has increased
in recent years though there is no known reference to it in the
ancient texts.
Top
Mahakaleshwar
The
temple of Mahakaleshwara with its high shikhara dominates the skyline
and life of Ujjain. God Shiva's lingam at Mahakaleshwara, is one
of the 12 jyotirlingas in India and it is believed to be swayambhu
(born of itself), deriving its shakti or power. Another unique feature
of this majestic shrine is the idol, which faces the south, a positioning
upheld by tantric traditions and found only in Mahakaleshwara.
Top
The Vedha Shala
(Observatory)
Ujjain enjoyed a position of considerable importance
in the field of astronomy. Great works on astronomy such as the
Surya Siddhanta and the Panch Siddhanta were written in Ujjain.
According to Indian astronomers, the Tropic of Cancer is supposed
to pass through Ujjain. It is also the fist meridian of longitude
of the Hindu geographers. From about the 4th century BC, Ujjain
enjoyed the reputation of being India's Greenwich. Raja Jai Singh
(1686-1743), who was a great scholar, today built the observatory
extant. He translated the works of Ptolemy and Euclid into Sanskrit
from Arabic.
Of the many observatories built by him at Jaipur, Delhi, Varanasi,
Mathura, and Ujjain, the one at Ujjain is still in use actively.
Astronomical studies are conducted through the Department of Education
and the ephemeris is published every year. There is a small planetarium
and a telescope to observe the moon, Mars, Jupiter and their satellites.
The observatory is also used for weather forecasts.
Top
Vikram Kirti
Mandir
Established on the occasion of the second millennium
of the Vikram era, as the cultural centre to perpetuate the memory
of Vikramaditya, the Vikram Kirti Mandir houses the Scindia Oriental
Research Institute, an archaeological museum, an art gallery and
an auditorium. The Scindia Oriental Research Institute has an invaluable
collection of 18,000 manuscripts on various subjects and runs a
reference library of important oriental publications.
Rare manuscripts in Prakrit, Arabic, Persian and other Indian languages
cover a wide range of subjects from Vedic literature and philosophy
to dance and music. Palm leaf and bark leaf (Bhurja Patra) manuscripts
are also preserved in this institute. Apart from an illustrated
manuscript of Shrimad Bhagavata in which actual gold and silver
have been employed for the paintings, the Institute has a rich collection
of old paintings in the Rajput and Mughal style. The museum also
exhibits a rich array of images, inscriptions, copper plates and
fossils discovered in the Narmada valley. A huge skull of a primitive
elephant is of special interest.
Top
Vikram University
A famous centre of learning in the past, Ujjain
continues to uphold that tradition. The establishment of the Vikram
University in 1957 was an important landmark. Situated on the Dewas
Road, this university plays a significant role in the literary and
cultural activities of the city.
Top
Kalidasa Academy
This academy was set up in Ujjain by the Government
of Madhya Pradesh to immortalize the memory of the great poet dramatist-Kalidasa.
And also to create a multi-disciplinary institution to project the
genius of the entire classical tradition, with Kalidasa as the apex,
enable research and study in Sanskrit classical and traditional
performing arts, and facilitate its adaptation for contemporary
stage in different cultural settings and language groups. The Academy
complex consists of a theatre, museum, library, lecture and seminary
halls, mini stage for rehearsals, research facilities for scholars,
and a large open-air theater.
Ram Janardhan Temple, Ram Ghat, Harihara Teertha, Mallikarjuna
Teertha, Ganga Ghat, Bohron Ka Roja, Begum Ka Maqbara, Bina Neev
Ki Masjid, Maulana Rumi Ka Maqbara, and Digambara Jain Museum are
some of the other prominent places of interest in Ujjain.
Top
Mandsaur
84 kms from Ratlam, Mandsaur is famous for the
Ashtamukhi Pashupatinath Temple situated on the river Sivana. The
width of the temple varies from 2 to 33 metres and its height from
3 to 55 metres.
Top
Gandhi Sagar
The river Chambal has been dammed at Gandhi Sagar
situated 91 kms from Neemuch, at the border of Madhya Pradesh and
Rajasthan. The water spread is extremely scenic and picturesque.
Top
Bhanpura
Situated in the Mandsaur district, this place gets
its name from King Bhaman. It is 127 km from Mandsaur, and has a
museam depicting the popular arts of Mandsaur. Illustrated oil paintings
are also to be found around Bhanpura. At the museam, art from the
Gupta era to the time of the Pratihars and Parmars is depicted,
and well- sculpted portraits of Uma-Maheshwar, Kartikaey, Vishnu,
Gavoi and Nandi are displayed.
Top
Information on Tours & Travel excursion of Ujjain city of Madhya
Pradesh - India
|
