MP Trip April 2017 Part 1: Ujjain

08/04/2017 to 14/04/2017 MP tour

Indore - Ujjain - Maheshwar - Mandu – Hanumantiya Resort - Indore

Important note: Wherever in MP you start this tour, you need to have an a/c car and a driver who knows the places you wish to visit. Recommended, not to depend on local public transport. You need to have all your hotel bookings in place well in advance.

The intention of this blog is to facilitate aspiring travelers to plan their trip around these areas. Hence some links and photographs are added here. This blog does not promote any shop, hotel or any other establishment mentioned here in.

08/04/2017 Indore to Ujjain

Indigo flight 6E 496 to Indore from Mumbai started push back at 0735 hours. After 20 minutes of taxing and about an hour of air time, it landed at 1205 hours at Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport, Indore, and we started our 5 days road trip around Indore. 

The chariot to Indore

First destination was Ujjain. Some 30 km enroute to Ujjain there is a square on Highway called CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI CHAURAHA. One of the road from this square leads to Raver. It is not a rare rite in MP to see Chhatrapati Shivaji Raje’s name given to important places.

Meghdoot Dhaba (www.meghdoothotel.com) is a place where you get nice food on way to Ujjain from Indore. We just had lunch here. However, the guest rooms in there are also cozy.

Hotel Meghdoot Dhaba

 Mahamrutunjay Dwar welcomes you in Ujjain

Little more than a kilometer ahead is bridge on the confluence of river Kshipra and river Gandaki. This place is known as Triveni Ghat We stayed at Hotel Park Palace (hotelparkpalace.in), which is some 10 km ahead of this bridge. Nice place for stay in Ujjain. It has a/c rooms with Wi Fi and all modern amenities. The hotel is about two km from the Mahakaleshwar Temple. This hotel also has a nice party lawn for wedding receptions. Rates are reasonable and it offers bed-and-breakfast type package.

The building housing the Municipal corporation of Ujjain is named CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI BHAVAN. Yet another sighting of the name of the great Maratha Emperor.

Sandipani Muni Ashram, the place where Shrikrishna, Balram and Sudama studied under the guidance of Sandipani Rushi is also a good place to visit when in Ujjain. It is on the bank of river Kshipra. 

Information board at the entrance of Sandipani Muni Ashram

Other temples worth visiting are those of Kalbhairav, Harisiddhi, Bada Ganesh and Mangalnath . Out of these, Mangalnath temple is also on the bank of Kshipra river. It is said as per legends that Planet Mangal i.e. Mars was born here. Bada Ganesh Temple is near Mahankaleshwar temple and has very apt name. The idol of Shri Ganesh is very big, more than 10 feet tall. The temple of Panchmukhi Maruti is also in the same premises. 

The architecture of Harisiddhi temple is similar to the contemporary temples in Maharashtra. There are two Deepmalas in this temple which are lit every evening after sunset. We reached there just before sunset to witness the oil being filled in the cups with cotton wicks which then are lit up!

Oil being filled up in the Deepmala at Harisiddhi Temple

Legend has it that liqueur is offered to Shree Kalbhairav during prayers which is then consumed as Prasad! Need not say that we did not offer any liqueur.........

Kalbhairav Temple

Mahankaleshwar​ mandir is one of 12 JYOTIRLINGA. On any day other than Sunday and Monday there is very less rush for the Darshan of Shree Mahankaleshwar. Wallets, money purses, Mobile phones and cameras are not allowed in the temple. You have to deposit them in the lockers available with shops selling flowers and other Pooja Material. We found this little less trust worthy hence opted to keep the same in our car itself. The Q management system is very effective. The entire walk way to the main temple is all covered and there is proper light and ventilation on the route. There are many LED TV screens on this walk way displaying the main Shivaling through CCTV cameras.

There are total 84 Shivalayas around the main Mahankaleshwar temple, including that of Shree Mahankaleshwar.

Around the main temple of Shree Mahankaleshwar there are many other small temples including those of Saptarshi. Also there is a small museum showcasing the silver coated Palakhi which is used during processions.

The SINHASTH KUMBHMELA of 2016 was organised in Ujjain and that saw a lot of development around Ujjain. Many new 4/5 star hotels had come up around Ujjain for that.

Not much of photo opportunities here in and around Ujjain but lot of shopping opportunities. There are many shops on the Mahankaleswhar Road where one can buy dress material for women and bed sheets of type called Bhairavgadh Print or Batik. An ATM came handy when the shop refused card payment!

All the shopping was done the next day and we checked out of the hotel to hit the road for Maheshwar!