Bhartrihari Gufa (caves)
These caves are situated just above the bank of the Shipra near the temple of Gadkalika. According to tradition, this is the spot where Bhartrihari, who is said to have been the stepbrother of Vikramaditya meditated after renouncing worldly life. He is believed to have been a great scholar.
Chardham Mandir
Founded by Shanti Swarupanandji Maharaj. Since a number of us are unable to do the chardham for a variety of reasons Maharajji made four temples in Ujjain itself so that devotees can take anand (joy) there itself. The char dhams are Jagannath dham (East, Orissa), Dwarkadhish dham (West, Gujarat), Badrinath dham (North, Uttranchal) and Rameshwar dham (South, Tamil Nadu).
Har Siddhi Mandir
This is one of the prominent temples of Ujjain. The image of goddess Harsiddhi painted with vermilion is located between the images of Mahalaxmi & Mahasaraswati here. Shreeyantra is also located here. According to tradition, this is the real harsiddhi. In tantric tradition, it is regarded as a siddha-peth.
According to Shiv puran, when Lord Shiva was taking the great Sati from the yagna of dakshya Prajapati, the elbow of Sati fell in this place. According to Skand puran, the goddess was called Harsiddhi for killing two demons o Chanda & Prachand. According to folk tradition, harsiddhi is the worshipping goddess of Raja Vikramaditya.
There is a mention of this temple in the books of the 13th century A.D. but present temple is of the Maratha period. An artistic pillar adorns the entrance. The two large columns situated in the courtyard of the temple are Deepswthambs or lamps, symbols of Maratha architecture. Lit during Navaratri they present a glorious spectacle. On one of the columns of the present tank, the year 1447 is subscribed. There are few other temples of gods and goddess on the premises. The Karkoteshwar Mahadev mandir, one of the main temples out of the 84 mahadev is situated in the temple premises. In both the narratives occasions, special worship & celebration are performed here in the month of Chaitra & Ashwin. It is believed that the Goddess of this temple Mataji remains at Koila Dungar temple in Porbander for twelve hours and comes to Ujjain ka temple in the evening during aarti time.
Insights: There is something special about this temple complex. We found the environs very peaceful and rejuvenating. There was some stirring within.
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. The numerals 1 to 100 found on a stone are believed to have been engraved by Guru Sandipani.
According to Puranic tradition Krishna & his friend Sudama received regular instructions in the Ashram of Kulaguru Sandipani. Besides Mahabharata, the Puranas, Shrimad Bhagavata, Brahma, Agni & Brahmavairaita bear references to the Sandipani Ashram. Archaeological evidence of 3,000 years old painted grey wares has been recovered from this area. These bear a resemblance to the similar remains recovered at Hastinapura, Indraprastha, Mathura & Kausambi. These evidences show that this region is the oldest in the city. Gomati Kund is the old source of water supply to the Ashram & the same has been referred to in the Puranas also.
The image of standing Nandi near the tank is worth seeing and it belongs to the Shunga period. We were told that it is the only temple in India where Nandi is standing as elsewhere Nandi is found sitting. The area nearby is known as Ankapata.
In all Shiv temples the Nag (snake) is invariably wound around the Lingam. In this ashram there is a Shiv temple in which there is a lingam with the Nag crawling by its side.
In the beginning of the 16th century the great Vaishnava saint Shri Vallabhacharya delivered his religious discourses in the vicinity of this ashram. The followers of the Vallabha sect count this place as the 73rd seat of their acharya who is said to have made 84 sittings for religious discourses throughout through out India. We were taken around by Harsh Vyas who belongs to Sandipani Rishi ka vansh.
Insights: Mitras something special about this place, the positive vibrations and feeling of equanimity that we experienced.
Mangalnath Mandir
According to Matsya puran, this is the birthplace of Mangalgraha or Mars. Flowing Shipra river presents a very beautiful view in front of the temple. Devotees gather in large numbers esp. on Tuesday. Located on a hillock, this place represents the highest place in the area. In ancient times, the place was famous as it is said to have provided a clear view of Mars – Ujjain was an important center for astronomical studies. This place, traditionally known for its suitability for astronomical readings of mars continues to hold its religious importance. Worship of Lord Shiva is offered at the temple. Karkarekha goes through the center of the Shivalinga at Mangalnath, it is centrally placed.
Insights: This is the only authentic temple in the country for the puja of the Mangal graha which is Mars. As a planet Mars is supposed to make a person very aggressive which could have adverse effects overall if the energy is not channelised in the right manner. For those who have mangaldosh a special puja is performed only at this temple in the country. We witnessed one such Shanti Puja in which the lingam was smeared with kumkum, panchaamrut and later on with cooked rice. Finally the Pandit completed the puja with Shringar of the lingam. We were fortunate to witness the entire process. Even though it was someone else’s puja he explained the entire process to us and got us to experience it firsthand.
Kaal Bhairav
Shaivite form of worship has also assigned importance to the adoration of 8 Bhairavas. Kaal Bhairav is the foremost amongst them. Skanda purana has made a mention of the temple of Kaalbhairav in its Avanti Khanda. According to some antique tradition, the followers of Kapalika & Aghora sects used to worship Shiva or Bhairava. Ujjain was also connected with the pattern of worship developed by these sects. People offer liquor as part of the worship. It is said that a certain king named Bhadrasen got this temple constructed; this must have been a great temple during the Parmar period. Images of Shiva, Parvati, Vishnu & Ganesh have been recovered from this place. This temple was rebuilt with the remains of the old temple. Beautiful paintings in Malwa style once decorated the temple walls. The temple to the right of the courtyard is dedicated to Vithala and to the left is a Dharamshala.
Insights: Seeing devotees offer liquor to God can be scary for some not for those who come with bhavna & respect for the Lord. The mandir is situated on what was once a cremation ground. A new cremation ground is situated close to the mandir. The temple Pandit looked a bit different, wifey found him scary but I found him very intuitive.
Shani Mandir
Triveni Navagraha: the temple of Navagraha, the nine planets situated on the Triveni ghat of Shipra is a prominent center of attraction for piligrims. The temple is about 150 years old. Large crowds come to the Navagraha temple on the Amavasya falling on Saturdays. Religious importance of this place is increasing in recent times although there is hardly any reference to this in ancient texts. Mythological sanctity of the invisible river Saraswati is associated with the story of Triveni Sangam.
Gopal Mandir
This huge temple is situated in the middle of the big market square. It was constructed by Bayajibai Shinde, the queen of Maharajah Daulat Rao Shinde in the 19th century. It is a beautiful example of Maratha architecture. The sanctum sanctorum is inlaid with marble and doors are silver-plated. The door in the inner sanctum is said to have been carried to Ghazni from the Somnath temple and from thence by Mahmud Shah Abdali to Lahore. Mahadji Scindia recovered it and now it has been installed in this temple.
Insights: The Gopal mandir is a large monument and situated in the main market. Very close to it is a mosque with a large minaret. The mosque is a recent construction. Due to its size and design it spoils the aesthetics of the market place. . When Ujjain had riots this area was considered to be a sensitive one.
