<p>No description can do justice to the spiritual relevance of this medieval city of Madhya Pradesh. For the devouts, the promised land of Ujjain is held in deep reverence since it is the ultimate destination for offering prayers to Mahakal and taking a holy dip in the Shipra River. There is a huge congregation of devotional spirits here when the city plays host to Ardh Kumbh and Kumbh Mela. <br /><br />Perhaps, it was the devotional spirit that took us to the city. Ujjain is synonymous with Kalidasa and Vikramaditya and it also witnessed the rise and fall of many prominent Indian dynasties. No visit to Ujjain is complete without a visit to the Mahakaleshwar shrine, one of the 12 jyotirlingams of India. This shrine is dedicated to Lord Shiva. <br /><br />Watching scores of priests chanting hymns at an unhurried pace while bathing the deity in the sanctum sanctorum was an invigorating sight. The interiors of the shrine illustrate all the jyotirlingams in India. <br /><br />Then we headed to the shrine of Bade Ganeshji, where a gigantic sized idol of Ganesha and the panch mukhi (five-faced) Hanuman are worshipped. We soon realised that the city, with its wonderful array of splendid temples, caves and ashrams, has far more to offer to average tourists.<br /><br />Most of the shrines in the city have been renovated during the Maratha regime. Soon, we were at one of the most front-ranking temples on the Shipra River, with an outstanding façade of Maratha architecture — the Harsiddhi Temple. Devoted to goddesses Annapurna, Lakshmi and Saraswati, the symbol of Shakti is also enshrined here.<br /><br />The interiors evoke grandeur with myriad forms of Parvati. The temple bears two huge pillars embellished with lamps, representing Maratha architecture, that are illuminated during the festival of Navratri. One of the highpoints of our trip was a journey to Mangalnath Temple, resting in perfect tranquillity. The shrine is the abode of Shiva and its spiritual ambience enhances the appeal of the city.<br /><br />From here, we moved on to the hamlet of Bhairogarh to visit Siddhavat — the sacred banyan tree on the banks of Shipra — where many pilgrims take a holy dip in the river during Ardh Kumbh and the Kumbh Mela. Another attraction in Ujjain is the 2,500-year-old Bharatrihari Caves, which are quite intriguing. Built by King Bharatrihari, the brother of King Vikramaditya, these caves are home to the idols of Guru Gorakshanath and Neelkanth Mahadev. Legend has it that a visit to the caves enables pilgrims to earn the salvation of the four citadels of faith. <br /><br />And if you are travelling to Ujjain only to soak in its religious splendour, do visit the Kal Bhairav shrine in Bhairogarh, created by Bhadrasen, the Paramara king, in 10th century. The shrine, dedicated to Lord Bhairava, is an interesting site as tourists offer liquor to the deity. <br /></p>
<p>No description can do justice to the spiritual relevance of this medieval city of Madhya Pradesh. For the devouts, the promised land of Ujjain is held in deep reverence since it is the ultimate destination for offering prayers to Mahakal and taking a holy dip in the Shipra River. There is a huge congregation of devotional spirits here when the city plays host to Ardh Kumbh and Kumbh Mela. <br /><br />Perhaps, it was the devotional spirit that took us to the city. Ujjain is synonymous with Kalidasa and Vikramaditya and it also witnessed the rise and fall of many prominent Indian dynasties. No visit to Ujjain is complete without a visit to the Mahakaleshwar shrine, one of the 12 jyotirlingams of India. This shrine is dedicated to Lord Shiva. <br /><br />Watching scores of priests chanting hymns at an unhurried pace while bathing the deity in the sanctum sanctorum was an invigorating sight. The interiors of the shrine illustrate all the jyotirlingams in India. <br /><br />Then we headed to the shrine of Bade Ganeshji, where a gigantic sized idol of Ganesha and the panch mukhi (five-faced) Hanuman are worshipped. We soon realised that the city, with its wonderful array of splendid temples, caves and ashrams, has far more to offer to average tourists.<br /><br />Most of the shrines in the city have been renovated during the Maratha regime. Soon, we were at one of the most front-ranking temples on the Shipra River, with an outstanding façade of Maratha architecture — the Harsiddhi Temple. Devoted to goddesses Annapurna, Lakshmi and Saraswati, the symbol of Shakti is also enshrined here.<br /><br />The interiors evoke grandeur with myriad forms of Parvati. The temple bears two huge pillars embellished with lamps, representing Maratha architecture, that are illuminated during the festival of Navratri. One of the highpoints of our trip was a journey to Mangalnath Temple, resting in perfect tranquillity. The shrine is the abode of Shiva and its spiritual ambience enhances the appeal of the city.<br /><br />From here, we moved on to the hamlet of Bhairogarh to visit Siddhavat — the sacred banyan tree on the banks of Shipra — where many pilgrims take a holy dip in the river during Ardh Kumbh and the Kumbh Mela. Another attraction in Ujjain is the 2,500-year-old Bharatrihari Caves, which are quite intriguing. Built by King Bharatrihari, the brother of King Vikramaditya, these caves are home to the idols of Guru Gorakshanath and Neelkanth Mahadev. Legend has it that a visit to the caves enables pilgrims to earn the salvation of the four citadels of faith. <br /><br />And if you are travelling to Ujjain only to soak in its religious splendour, do visit the Kal Bhairav shrine in Bhairogarh, created by Bhadrasen, the Paramara king, in 10th century. The shrine, dedicated to Lord Bhairava, is an interesting site as tourists offer liquor to the deity. <br /></p>
