Planning a one-day trip to Ujjain, a city steeped in spiritual significance and rich history, requires a blend of exploring its sacred temples, local attractions, and experiencing its vibrant culture. Here’s a suggested itinerary to make the most of your day:
Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh; famous for Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple – one of the 12 Jyotirlingas temples spread across India. Formerly known as Avantika, has spiritual and historical significance. Let’s see how we can plan a 1-day and 2-day Ujjain trip.
The city became popular among the youth as soon as visiting all 12 Jyotirlinga temples became a part of the bucket list and a kind of achievement to show off. The earlier trend was to go to all these temples in your old age. So, there will be changes in trends over time. It is a positive change, as youths like me and others are embracing spirituality in our busy lives.
I visited Ujjain in April. Throughout the year, you can visit this city. But October to February is the best time to visit when the atmosphere remains cool. Let’s see a list of places where you can visit –
Places to visit in Ujjain
- Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple
- Shri Kaal Bhairav Temple
- Harsiddhi Mata Shaktipeeth Temple
- Maharshi Sandipani Ashram
- Shri Mangalnath Temple
- Gadhkalika Mata Mandir
- Bhartrihari caves
- Ram Ghat
This list covers most of the prominent places. Most of these places are on the banks of the Kshipra River. You will see numerous small temples and ashrams in the Ujjain, at every corner of the roads and banks of Kshipra river. It will be possible to visit all these prominent places in 1 day if you start early in the morning and have your own transportation.
I took ‘Avantika Express’ from Mumbai around 9:30 PM, where the train takes less than 12 hours to reach Ujjain at 7:30 AM the next day. Depending on your arrival time in Ujjain, you can adjust the below itinerary. I will put an ideal time of the day to visit a particular place for convenience. City bus availability for local sightseeing is poor. But it is a cheaper alternative for budget travelers where the fare is around Rs 100-150. I saw one city tour bus at Ujjain railway station when I arrived in the morning from Mumbai. I would advise to hire a private 6-seater electric rickshaw that will take around Rs.600-800. Eventually, it will become cheap for groups.
After breakfast, freshening up from the Hotel, I started around 10:30 AM. Initially, I went to places located in the north part of Ujjain, and then in the evening, I roam around Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple and nearby places. Morning/ Afternoon would be an ideal time to visit the first five places mentioned below. Let’s start with the Day 1 tour –
1. Maharshi Sandipani Ashram
An ashram where Lord Krishna, Balaram, and Sudama learned 14 types of Vidya. Isn’t it interesting !! There is a hall where beautiful artwork is painted on the walls depicting Maharshi Sandipani guiding Lord Krishna and his companion for different types of Vidyas. It would be interesting if such gurukuls would be present in today’s time.
2. Shri Mangalnath Mandir
This is the first time I saw a temple dedicated to Planet Mars. It has astrological significance. As per Matsya Puran, it is the birthplace of Planet Mars. The temple has 2 floors. On the 1st floor, pandits do special pooja for people who seek blessings from Lord Mangalnath. While on the 2nd floor, the main shrine is present. The area around this temple is scenic. Adjacent to the temple, the Kshipra River flows. A small ghat is constructed at the bank of the river. Nice setup to sit and relax.
3. Shri Kaal Bhairav Temple
Shri Kaal Bhairav is believed to be the guardian deity of the Ujjain. There is a belief that you must take the darshan of Kaal Bhairav before going to Mahakaleshwar temple. This place is fascinating as devotees offer alcohol to the deity. You will see liquor shops outside the temple. When I visited this temple, temple administrators didn’t accept offerings. Because of that, people had to throw liquor or carry it home. Due to long queues, it takes 2-3 hours to get darshan. So, it is better to visit early in the morning (6-9 AM) or late afternoon (after 3 PM).
4. Gadhkalika Mata Mandir
This temple is dedicated to Shree Gadhkalika Mata and is one of the revered temples in this vicinity. In 10 to 20 minutes, you will get darshan. From here, a road goes towards the back side of the Bhartrihari caves, which is convenient instead of taking a long route from the main road.
5. Bhartrihari Caves
This place has 2 caves and 1 Navnath Mandir. Raja Bhartrihari of Ujjain turned yogi and did 12 years of hard penance on the advice of Guru Gorakshanath in these caves. Entry to caves is narrow, and you may feel suffocated inside due to less fresh air. It is astonishing how Yogis/ Sadhus used to do their sadhanas in these caves where it is difficult to breathe. The Navnath temple in the premises has a peaceful atmosphere where I found one can do meditation for some time.
6. Ramghat
This is the major ghat at the banks of the Kshipra River, where Kumbh Mela takes place every 12 years. Reach at 6-6:15 PM to witness evening aarti at this ghat. You can offer lamps in the river. Chants of aarti, sunset, and lamps create a mesmerizing atmosphere. Ramghat has numerous temples spread across the ghat. You can stroll in this area and immerse yourself in the spirituality.
7. Harsiddhi Mata Shaktipeeth Mandir
Another auspicious temple amongst travelers due to its significance as one of the 51 shaktipeeths spread across India. In the temple, Maa Annapoorna idol is seated between Mahalaxmi and Mahasaraswati. There are two smaller temples dedicated to Ganesha and Mahadev in the complex. Make sure you reach before or at 7:00 PM for the aarti at this place to experience the peak of spirituality and energy. Two carved pillars lit with lamps and lighting around the temple as a whole picture is a sight to behold.
8. Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirling Temple
Finally, get the blessings of Shri Mahakal for which you came to Ujjain. I advise you to visit this temple in the evening for 2 reasons – 1. The lighting around the temple complex enhances the beauty of temple architecture, which looks stunning. 2. less crowd compared to morning time. There is an exception to this advice if you have booked a slot for Bhasma Aarti, which happens at 4:00 AM.
For bhasma aarti, book a slot at least 2 months before your journey from the temple’s official site. If you are unlucky to get the slot, you can go to the temple at 10:30 PM for Shayan Aarti. These 2 Aartis are divine experiences. You can book a VIP darshan pass online at Rs.250 per person.
9. Mahakal Lok
Once your darshan is completed, go to Mahakal Lok, a dedicated corridor with statues signifying stories from Shiv Puran. This corridor is adjacent to the temple. The whole corridor looks vibrant in the evening. A great place to learn about Shiv Puran and to take photos for your next social media posts. If you have time, visit Bada Ganesh temple at the VIP entry point outside the Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple complex.
This is the end of the day 1. You may start the return journey to your home city on the same day or go to Indore / Omkareshwar on the next day. You can cover the places mentioned below on day 2, plus any places you skipped on day 1.
Other important Places in Ujjain
- Shri Chintaman Ganesh Mandir
- Navgrah Shani Mandir
- Shri Dwarkadhish Gopal Mandir
On day 2, after completing your darshan, you can travel to Indore or Omkareshwar. You can city tour or give your taste buds a treat at Khau Galli in Indore. Otherwise, skip Indore and go to Omkareshwar and take a rest. The next day, you can visit Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga temple in the early morning to avoid crowds.
Few places to eat in the Ujjain
- Eateries at Dhaba road and Madanlal Sharma road (bada sarafa) for breakfast and snacks item. You can try kachori (Sawariya kachori) and poori bhaji (Bholaguru & Sons) here.
- Shri Sai Dal Bafla laddu – located near Mangalnath Temple. This restaurant serves – Dal Badla laddu, a dish from Rajasthani cuisine. You can visit here for lunch.
- Famous Kulfi Center – End your trip with some sweets.
People who can’t take some time out for prayers in their day-to-day lives may feel an overdose of spirituality. But you will have the divine experience with you for a lifetime. You will come back again and again to the Ujjain to be part of this sacred atmosphere. Hope you liked this blog. Let me know your responses in the comments section.
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