Ujjain (, , old name Avantika, ) or Ujjayinī is a city in Ujjain district of the

Indian state India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, for a total of 36 subnational entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into 800 districts and smaller administrative divisions by the respe ...

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (; ; ) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and the largest city is Indore, Indore. Other major cities includes Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar. Madhya Pradesh is the List of states and union te ...

. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Pradesh by population and is the administrative as well as religious centre of Ujjain district and

Ujjain division Ujjain Division is an administrative geographical unit of Madhya Pradesh state of India. Ujjain is the administrative headquarters of the division. , the division consists of the districts of Dewas, Mandsaur, Neemuch, Ratlam, Shajapur, Agar Ma ...

. It is one of the Hindu pilgrimage centres of

Sapta Puri The Sapta Puri (Sanskrit language, Sanskrit सप्त-पुरी, , "seven cities") are a group of seven Hinduism, Hindu ''tirtha (Hinduism), tirtha'', or holy pilgrimage sites, located in India. Pilgrimage to these sites is said to bless t ...

famous for the ''

Kumbh Mela Kumbh Mela (, ; ) is an important Hinduism, Hindu pilgrimage, celebrated approximately every 6 or 12 years, correlated with the partial or full orbital period, revolution of Jupiter. It is the largest peaceful gathering of people in the w ...

'' (Simhastha) held there every 12 years. The ancient and world famous temple of

Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga () is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, shrines which are said to be the most sacred abodes of Shiva. It is located in the ancient city of Ujjain in the state of Madhya Pradesh, I ...

is located in the center of the city. The city has been one of the most prominent trade and political centres of the

Indian Subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

from the time of the ancient Mahājanapadas until the British colonisation of India. An ancient city situated on the eastern bank of the

Shipra River Shipra (from Sanskrit Kshipra) is a river in Madhya Pradesh state of Central India. The river rises in the North of Dhar district and flows north across the Malwa Plateau to join the Chambal River at the MP-Rajasthan boundary in Mandsaur dis ...

, Ujjain was the most prominent city on the

Malwa Malwa () is a historical region, historical list of regions in India, region of west-central India occupying a plateau of volcanic origin. Geologically, the Malwa Plateau generally refers to the volcanic plateau, volcanic upland north of the ...

plateau of central India for much of its history. It emerged as the political centre of central India around 600 BCE. It was the capital of the ancient

Avanti Avanti (in Italian, meaning 'ahead', 'forward', or 'before', and also an unrelated Sanskrit name) may refer to: Vehicles * Studebaker Avanti, a model of automobile built by Studebaker * Avanti II, a successor model made by Avanti Motor Corporati ...

kingdom, one of the sixteen Mahājanapadas. During the 18th century, the city briefly became the capital of the Scindia state of the

Maratha Confederacy The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent Maratha states under the nominal leadership of the former. ...

, when

Ranoji Scindia Ranoji Scindia or Ranoji Shinde was a Maratha army commander and the founder of the House of Scindia, Shinde clan, who served the Peshwa, Peshwas of the Maratha Empire in several military campaigns. The Scindia dynasty rose to prominence in the ...

established his capital at Ujjain in 1731. It remained an important political, commercial, and cultural centre of

Central India Central India refers to a geographical region of India that generally includes the states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. The Central Zonal Council, established by the Government of India, includes these states as well as Uttar Prades ...

until the early 19th century, when the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

administrators decided to develop

Indore Indore (; ISO 15919, ISO: , ) is the largest and most populous Cities in India, city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The commercial capital of the state, it has been declared as the List of cleanest cities in India, cleanest city of In ...

as an alternative to it. Ujjain continues to be an important place of pilgrimage for

Shaivite Shaivism (, , ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the supreme being. It is the second-largest Hindu sect after Vaishnavism, constituting about 385 million Hindus, found widely across South Asia (predominantly in ...

Vaishnavite Vaishnavism () ), also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu denominations, Hindu traditions, that considers Vishnu as the sole Para Brahman, supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, that is, ''Mahavishnu''. It is one of the majo ...

s and

Shaktas Shaktism () is a major Hindu denomination in which the God in Hinduism, deity or metaphysics, metaphysical reality is considered metaphorically to be a woman. Shaktism involves a galaxy of goddesses, all regarded as different aspects, mani ...

.About Haridwar
sahajaharidwar. Bathing in the holy Shipra river of Ujjain liberates one from sins. Therefore, Ujjain is also called the 'Mokshadayini city'. The name of this river is taken among the holy rivers like

Kaveri The Kaveri (also known as Cauvery) is a Rivers of India, major river flowing across Southern India. It is the third largest river in the region after Godavari River, Godavari and Krishna River, Krishna. The catchment area of the Kaveri basin i ...

Narmada The Narmada River, previously also known as ''Narbada'' or anglicised as ''Nerbudda'', is the 5th longest river in India and overall the longest west-flowing river in the country. It is also the largest flowing river in the state of Madhya Prade ...

Godavari The Godavari (, �od̪aːʋəɾiː is India's second longest river after the Ganga River and drains the third largest basin in India, covering about 10% of India's total geographical area. Its source is in Trimbakeshwar, Nashik, Maharash ...

and

Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...

. According to Puranic legend, Ujjain, along with

Haridwar Haridwar (; ; formerly Mayapuri) is a city and municipal corporation in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India. With a population of 228,832 in 2011, it is the second-largest city in the state and the largest in the district. The city is s ...

Nashik Nashik, formerly Nasik, is a city in the northern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra situated on the banks of the river Godavari, about northeast of the state capital Mumbai. Nashik is one of the Hindu pilgrimage sites of the Kumbh ...

, and Prayag, is one of four sites where drops of ''

amrita ''Amrita'' (, IAST: ''amṛta''), ''Amrit'' or ''Amata'' in Pali language, Pali, (also called ''Sudha'', ''Amiy'', ''Ami'') is a Sanskrit word that means "immortality". It is a central concept within Indian religions and is often referred to i ...

'', the elixir of immortality, accidentally spilled over from a ''

kumbha A kumbha () is a type of pottery in India. Traditionally, it is made by Kumbhars, also known as ''Prajapati''s. In the context of Hindu, Jain and Buddhist mythology, the kumbha symbolises the womb. It represents fertility, life, generative ...

'' (pitcher) while being carried by the celestial bird

Garuda Garuda (; ; Vedic Sanskrit: , ) is a Hindu deity who is primarily depicted as the mount (''vahana'') of the Hindu god Vishnu. This divine creature is mentioned in the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain faiths. Garuda is also the half-brother of the D ...

during the ''

Samudra Manthana The Samudra Manthana () is a major episode in Hinduism that is elaborated in the Vishnu Purana, a major text of Hinduism. The Samudra Manthana explains the origin of the elixir of eternal life, amrita. Nomenclature *Sāgara manthana (साग� ...

'', or the churning of the ocean of milk. Ujjain has been selected as one of the hundred Indian cities to be developed as a

smart city A smart city is an urban area that uses digital technology to collect data and operate services. Data is collected from citizens, devices, buildings, or cameras. Applications include traffic and transportation systems, power plants, utilities ...

under Prime Minister

Narendra Modi Narendra Damodardas Modi (born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician who has served as the Prime Minister of India, prime minister of India since 2014. Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Par ...

's flagship

Smart Cities Mission Smart Cities Mission was an urban renewal and retrofitting program by the Government of India with the mission to develop smart cities across the country, making them citizen-friendly and sustainable. The Union Ministry of Urban Development ...

History

Prehistoric era

Excavations at

Kayatha Kaytha or Kayatha is a village and an archaeological site in the Ujjain district of Madhya Pradesh, India, in the Tarana tehsil, near the city of Ujjain, on the banks of Choti-Kali Sindh river. In 1964, V. S. Wakankar discovered the archeologic ...

(around 26 km from Ujjain) have revealed

Chalcolithic The Chalcolithic ( ) (also called the Copper Age and Eneolithic) was an archaeological period characterized by the increasing use of smelted copper. It followed the Neolithic and preceded the Bronze Age. It occurred at different periods in di ...

agricultural settlements dating to around 2000 BCE. Chalcolithic sites have also been discovered at other areas around Ujjain, including

Nagda Nagda () is an industrial town in Ujjain district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It lies in the administrative headquarters of the city of Ujjain, in the Malwa region of western Madhya Pradesh. It is situated on the bank of the Chamba ...

, but excavations at Ujjain itself have not revealed any Chalcolithic settlements. Archaeologist

H. D. Sankalia Hasmukh Dhirajlal Sankalia (10 December 1908 – 28 January 1989) was an Indian Sanskrit scholar and archaeologist specialising in proto- and ancient Indian history. He is considered to have pioneered archaeological excavation techniques in Ind ...

theorised that the Chalcolithic settlements at Ujjain were probably destroyed by the

Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...

settlers. According to

Hermann Kulke Hermann Kulke (born 1938 in Berlin) is a German historian and Indologist, who was professor of South and Southeast Asian history at the Department of History, Kiel University (1988–2003). After receiving his PhD in Indology from Freiburg Uni ...

and

Dietmar Rothermund Dietmar Otto Ernst Rothermund (20 January 1933 in Kassel - 9 March 2020 in Dossenheim) was a German historian and professor of the history of South Asia at the Ruprecht-Karls University in Heidelberg. He is considered an important representative ...

, whose capital was Ujjain, "was one of the earliest outposts in central India" and showed signs of early incipient urbanisation around 700 BCE. Around 600 BCE, Ujjain emerged as the political, Commercial, and cultural centre of

plateau. The ancient walled city of Ujjain was located around the Garh Kalika hill on the bank of the river Kshipra, in the present-day suburban areas of the Ujjain city. This city covered an irregular pentagonal area of 0.875 km². It was surrounded by a 12 m high mud

rampart Rampart may refer to: * Rampart (fortification), a defensive wall or bank around a castle, fort or settlement Rampart may also refer to: * LAPD Rampart Division, a division of the Los Angeles Police Department ** Rampart scandal, a blanket ter ...

. The archaeological investigations have also indicated the presence of a 45 meter wide and 6.6 m deep

moat A moat is a deep, broad ditch dug around a castle, fortification, building, or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. Moats can be dry or filled with water. In some places, moats evolved into more extensive water d ...

around the city. According to F. R. Allchin and George Erdosy, these city defences were constructed between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE. Dieter Schlingloff believes that these were built before 600 BCE. This period is characterised by structures made of stone and burnt-brick, tools and weapons made of iron, and black and red burnished ware. According to the

Puranic texts Puranas (Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature
(1995 Editio ...

, a branch of the legendary Haihaya dynasty ruled over Ujjain.

Ancient period

In the 4th century BCE, the

Mauryan The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in South Asia with its power base in Magadha. Founded by Chandragupta Maurya around c. 320 BCE, it existed in loose-knit fashion until 185 BCE. The primary sourc ...

emperor Chandragupta annexed Avanti to his empire.

founded the City of Ujjain. The edicts of his grandson

Ashoka Ashoka, also known as Asoka or Aśoka ( ; , ; – 232 BCE), and popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was List of Mauryan emperors, Emperor of Magadha from until #Death, his death in 232 BCE, and the third ruler from the Mauryan dynast ...

mention four provinces of the Mauryan empire, of which Ujjain was the capital of the Western province. During the reign of his father

Bindusara Bindusara (320 BCE – 273 BCE) () was the second Mauryan emperor of Magadha in Ancient India. The ancient Greco-Roman writers called him Amitrochates, a name likely derived from his Sanskrit title ''Amitraghāta'' ("slayer of enemies"). ...

, Ashoka served as the

viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the Anglo-Norman ''roy'' (Old Frenc ...

of Ujjain, which highlights the importance of the town. As the viceroy of Ujjain, Ashoka married Devi, the daughter of a merchant from Vedisagiri (

Vidisha Vidisha (विदिशा, formerly known as Bhelsa and known as Besnagar and Bhaddilpur in ancient times) is a city in Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of Vidisha district. It is located 62.5 km north ...

). According to the Sinhalese Buddhist tradition, their children,

Mahendra Mahendra () is a Sanskrit compound word deriving from ''mahā'' (great) and ''indra'' (the title of the king of the devas) from Hinduism. It has been used in compound royal styles. History and politics Royalty * Mahendra or Mahinda – ...

and

Sanghamitra Saṅghamittā (Saṅghamitrā in Sanskrit, nun's name Ayapali; 282 BC – 203 BC) was an Indian Buddhist nun and believed to be the eldest daughter (Sri Lankan Tradition) of Emperor Ashoka (304 BC – 232 BC) from his first wife Devi (Ashoka' ...

, who preached Buddhism in modern Sri Lanka, were born in Ujjain. From the Mauryan period,

Northern Black Polished Ware The Northern Black Polished Ware culture (abbreviated NBPW or NBP) is an urban Iron Age Indian culture of the Indian subcontinent, lasting –200 BCE (proto NBPW between 1200 and 700 BCE), succeeding the Painted Grey Ware culture and Black and ...

, copper coins,

terracotta Terracotta, also known as terra cotta or terra-cotta (; ; ), is a clay-based non-vitreous ceramic OED, "Terracotta""Terracotta" MFA Boston, "Cameo" database fired at relatively low temperatures. It is therefore a term used for earthenware obj ...

ring wells, and ivory seals with

Brahmi Brahmi ( ; ; ISO: ''Brāhmī'') is a writing system from ancient India. "Until the late nineteenth century, the script of the Aśokan (non-Kharosthi) inscriptions and its immediate derivatives was referred to by various names such as 'lath' or ...

text have been excavated at Ujjain. Ujjain emerged as an important commercial centre, partially because it lay on the trade route connecting north India to the Deccan, starting from Mathura. It also emerged as an important center for intellectual learning among Jain, Buddhist, and Hindu traditions. In the Post-Mauryan period, the

Sungas The Shunga Empire (IAST: ') was a ruling entity centred around Magadha and controlled most of the northern Indian subcontinent from around 187 to 75 BCE. The dynasty was established by Pushyamitra, after taking the throne of Magadha from the ...

and the

Satavahanas The Satavahanas (; ''Sādavāhana'' or ''Sātavāhana'', IAST: ), also referred to as the Andhras (also ''Andhra-bhṛtyas'' or ''Andhra-jatiyas'') in the Puranas, were an ancient Indian dynasty. Most modern scholars believe that the Satavaha ...

ruled the city consecutively. The Satavahanas and the

Ror Ror (or Rod) is a caste found primarily in the Indian states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Occupation and culture As of a 1990 report by the Government of Haryana, they were mostly engaged in farming, with some practising animal husbandry. ...

Sakas The Saka, old , mod. , ), Shaka (Sanskrit ( Brāhmī): , , ; Sanskrit (Devanāgarī): , ), or Sacae (Ancient Greek: ; Latin: were a group of nomadic Eastern Iranian peoples who lived in the Eurasian Steppe and the Tarim Basin from the ...

, known as

Western Satraps The Western Satraps, or Western Kshatrapas (Brahmi: , ''Mahakṣatrapa'', "Great Satraps") were Indo-Scythian (Saka) rulers of the western and central parts of India (extending from Saurashtra in the south and Malwa in the east, covering moder ...

, contested for control of the city for a period. Following the end of the Satavahana dynasty, the Rors retained Ujjain from the second to the twelfth century C.E. After the Mauryans, Ujjain was controlled by a number of empires and dynasties, including local dynasties, the

Shungas The Shunga Empire (IAST: ') was a ruling entity centred around Magadha and controlled most of the northern Indian subcontinent from around 187 to 75 BCE. The dynasty was established by Pushyamitra, after taking the throne of Magadha from the ...

, the

Satavahana The Satavahanas (; ''Sādavāhana'' or ''Sātavāhana'', IAST: ), also referred to as the Andhras (also ''Andhra-bhṛtyas'' or ''Andhra-jatiyas'') in the Puranas, were an ancient Indian dynasty. Most modern scholars believe that the Satavaha ...

s, and the

Guptas The Gupta Empire was an Indian empire during the classical period of the Indian subcontinent which existed from the mid 3rd century to mid 6th century CE. At its zenith, the dynasty ruled over an empire that spanned much of the northern Indian ...

. Ujjain remained as an important city of the Guptas during the 4th and the 5th centuries.

Kalidasa Kālidāsa (, "Servant of Kali"; 4th–5th century CE) was a Classical Sanskrit author who is often considered ancient India's greatest poet and playwright. His plays and poetry are primarily based on Hindu Puranas and philosophy. His surviv ...

, the great Indian classical poet of the 5th century who lived in the times of the Gupta king

Vikramaditya Vikramaditya (Sanskrit: विक्रमादित्य IAST: ') was a legendary king as mentioned in ancient Indian literature, featuring in traditional stories including those in ''Baital Pachisi, Vetala Panchavimshati'' and ''Singhasan ...

wrote his epic work ''

Meghadūta ''Meghadūta'' (, literally ''Cloud Messenger'') is a lyric poem written by Kālidāsa (c. 4th–5th century CE), considered to be one of the greatest Sanskrit poets. It describes how a '' yakṣa'' (or nature spirit), who had been banished by ...

'' in which he describes the richness of Ujjain and its people. In the 6th century CE the Chinese pilgrim

Xuanzang Xuanzang (; ; 6 April 6025 February 664), born Chen Hui or Chen Yi (), also known by his Sanskrit Dharma name Mokṣadeva, was a 7th-century Chinese Bhikkhu, Buddhist monk, scholar, traveller, and translator. He is known for the epoch-making ...

visited India. He describes the ruler of Avanti as a king who was generous to the poor and presented them with gifts.

Bhartṛhari Bhartṛhari (Devanagari: ; Bhartrihari; fl. c. 5th century CE), was an Indian-Hindu linguistic philosopher and poet, known for his contributions to the fields of linguistics, grammar, and philosophy. He is believed to have been born in the 5t ...

is said to have written his great epics, Virat Katha, Neeti Sataka, the love story of Pradyot Princess Vasavadatta and Udayan in Ujjayini, as the city was called during his times. The writings of Bhasa are set in Ujjain, and he probably lived in the city.

also refers to Ujjain multiple times, and it appears that he spent at least a part of his life in Ujjain. '' Mrichchhakatika'' by

Shudraka Shudraka (IAST: ) was an Indian playwright, to whom three Sanskrit plays are attributed: '' Mrichchhakatika'' (''The Little Clay Cart''), ''Vinavasavadatta'', and a '' bhana'' (short one-act monologue), ''Padmaprabhritaka''. According to the prol ...

is also set in Ujjain. Ujjain also appears in several stories as the capital of the legendary emperor

of the Parmar dynasty. Somadeva's ''

Kathasaritsagara The ''Kathāsaritsāgara'' ("Ocean of the Streams of Stories") (Devanagari: कथासरित्सागर) is a famous 11th-century collection of Indian legends and folk tales as retold in Sanskrit by the Shaivite Somadeva from Kashmir. ' ...

'' (11th century) mentions that the city was created by

Vishwakarma Vishvakarma or Vishvakarman (, ) is a craftsman deity and the divine architect of the Deva (Hinduism), devas in contemporary Hinduism. In the early texts, the craftsman deity was known as Tvastar and the word "Vishvakarma" was originally used a ...

, and describes it as invincible, prosperous and full of wonderful sights. Ujjain was sacked several times by the

Arabs Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of yea ...

of the

Umayyad Caliphate The Umayyad Caliphate or Umayyad Empire (, ; ) was the second caliphate established after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty. Uthman ibn Affan, the third of the Rashidun caliphs, was also a member o ...

in the 8th century CE. The Arabs called the city ''Uzayn''.

Medieval period

The

Paramaras The Paramara Dynasty (IAST: Paramāra) was an Indian dynasty that ruled Malwa and surrounding areas in west-central India between 9th and 14th centuries. They belonged to the Parmar (clan), Paramara clan of the Rajputs. The dynasty was establi ...

(9th-14th century CE) built the City of Ujjain and shifted the region's capital from Ujjain to

Dhar Dhar is a city located in Dhar district of the Malwa region in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. The city is the administrative headquarters of the Dhar district. Before Indian independence from Great Britain, it was the capital of the Dhar ...

Mahmud of Ghazni Abu al-Qasim Mahmud ibn Sabuktigin (; 2 November 971 – 30 April 1030), usually known as Mahmud of Ghazni or Mahmud Ghaznavi (), was Sultan of the Ghaznavid Empire, ruling from 998 to 1030. During his reign and in medieval sources, he is usuall ...

sacked the city and forced it to pay tribute during his invasion in India. In 1235 CE,

Iltutmish Shams ud-Din Iltutmish (1192 – 30 April 1236) was the third of the Mamluk kings who ruled the former Ghurid territories in northern India. He was the first Muslim sovereign to rule from Delhi, and is thus considered the effective founder of ...

of the

Delhi Sultanate The Delhi Sultanate or the Sultanate of Delhi was a Medieval India, late medieval empire primarily based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for more than three centuries.

plundered the city. With the decline of the Paramara kingdom, Ujjain ultimately came under Islamic rule, like other parts of north-central India. The city continued to be an important city of central India. As late as the time of the

Mughal Mughal or Moghul may refer to: Related to the Mughal Empire * Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries * Mughal dynasty * Mughal emperors * Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia * Mughal architecture * Mug ...

vassal

Jai Singh II Sawai Jai Singh II (3 November 1688 – 21 September 1743), was the 30th Kachwaha Rajput ruler of the Kingdom of Amber, who later founded the fortified city of Jaipur and made it his capital. He became the ruler of Amber at the age of 11, after ...

(1688-1743), who constructed a

Jantar Mantar A Jantar Mantar ( Hindustani pronunciation: ͡ʒən̪t̪ər mən̪t̪ər is an assembly of stone-built astronomical instruments, designed to be used with the naked eye. There were five Jantar Mantars in India. All were built at the comm ...

in the city, Ujjain was the largest city and capital of the

Malwa Subah The Malwa Subah () was one of the original twelve Subahs (provinces) of the Mughal Empire, including Gondwana, from 1568–1743. Its seat was Ujjain. It shared borders with the autonomous and tributary chiefdoms in the east, as well as Ber ...

. The city continued to be developed during Muslim rule, especially under the

and the

Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an Early modern period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...

. It was used as an important military headquarters.

Modern period

During the 18th century, the city briefly became the capital of

Scindia House of Scindia or earlier known as the Sendrak was a Hindu Maratha Royal House that ruled the erstwhile Gwalior State in central India. Ranoji Scindia rose as a prominent military commander under Peshwa Bajirao I. Ranoji and his descendants ...

state of the

Maratha Empire The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern India, early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent List of Maratha dynasties and states, Ma ...

, when

established his capital at Ujjain in 1731.

Mahadji Scindia Mahadaji Shinde (23 December 1730 – 13 February 1794), later known as Mahadji Scindia or Madhava Rao Scindia, was a Maratha statesman and general who served as the Maharaja of Gwalior from 1768 to 1794. He was the fifth and the youngest son ...

constructed a grand palace with a hundred rooms around which the Maratha sardars constructed their own mansions. Ruined and destroyed temples were restored and newer ones were built. But his successors moved to

Gwalior Gwalior (Hindi: , ) is a major city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh; It is known as the Music City of India having oldest Gwalior gharana, musical gharana in existence. It is a major sports, cultural, industrial, and political c ...

, where they ruled the

Gwalior State The Gwalior State was a List of Maratha dynasties and states, state within the Maratha Confederacy located in Central India. It was ruled by the Scindia, House of Scindia (anglicized from Sendrak), a Hindu Maratha Confederacy, Maratha dynasty. ...

in the latter half of the 18th century. The struggle of supremacy between the

Holkar The Holkars (pronunciation: �o(ː)ɭkəɾ were the ruling house of the Indore State of the Maratha Confederacy, and earlier held the rank of Subahdar under Peshwa Baji Rao I of the Maratha Empire. When the Maratha Confederacy began to we ...

s of

and Scindias (who ruled Ujjain) led to rivalry between the merchants of the two cities. On 18 July 1801, the Holkars defeated the Scindias at the Battle of Ujjain. On 1 September,

Yashwantrao Holkar Yashwant Rao Holkar (1776–1811) also known as Jaswantrao Holkar was an Indian ruler, statesman and commander belonging to the House of Holkar, Holkar clan of the Maratha Empire. He was the Raja of Indore State as part of the Maratha Empire. A ...

entered the city, and demanded a sum of 15 lakh rupees from the city. He received only 1/8th of this amount; the rest was pocketed by his officers. A force sent by Daulatrao Scindia later regained control of Ujjain. After both Holkar and Scindias accepted the

suzerainty, the British colonial administrators decided to develop Indore as an alternative to Ujjain, because the merchants of Ujjain had supported certain anti-British people.

John Malcolm Major-General Sir John Malcolm GCB, KLS (2 May 1769 – 30 May 1833) was a Scottish soldier, diplomat, East India Company administrator, statesman, and historian. Early life Sir John Malcolm was born in 1769, one of seventeen children of G ...

, the British administrator of

, decided to reduce the importance of Ujjain "by transferring a great part of that consequence it now enjoys to the Towns of Indore and Rutlam cities, which are and will continue more under our control." After Indian independence, Ujjain was placed in

Madhya Bharat Madhya Bharat, also known as Malwa Union, was an Indian state in west-central India, created on 28 May 1948 from twenty-five princely states which until 1947 had been part of the Central India Agency, with Jiwajirao Scindia as its Rajpramuk ...

state, which in turn was fused into

in 1956.

Geography

Ujjain is located in the west-central part of India, and is north of the upper limit of the

Vindhya The Vindhya Range (also known as Vindhyachal) () is a complex, discontinuous chain of mountain ridges, hill ranges, highlands and plateau escarpments in west-central India. Technically, the Vindhyas do not form a single mountain range in the ...

mountain ranges. Located on the

plateau, it is higher than the north Indian plains and the land rises towards the

Vindhya Range The Vindhya Range (also known as Vindhyachal) () is a complex, discontinuous chain of mountain ridges, hill ranges, highlands and plateau escarpments in west-central India. Technically, the Vindhyas do not form a single mountain range in the ...

to the south. Ujjain's coordinates are with an average elevation of 494 m (1620 ft). The region is an extension of the

Deccan Traps The Deccan Traps are a large igneous province of west-central India (17–24°N, 73–74°E). They are one of the largest volcanic features on Earth, taking the form of a large shield volcano. They consist of many layers of solidified flood ...

, formed between 60 and 68

million years ago Million years ago, abbreviated as Mya, Myr (megayear) or Ma (megaannum), is a unit of time equal to (i.e. years), or approximately 31.6 teraseconds. Usage Myr is in common use in fields such as Earth science and cosmology. Myr is also used w ...

at the end of the

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 mya (unit), million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era (geology), Era, as well as the longest. At around 77.1 million years, it is the ...

period Period may refer to: Common uses * Period (punctuation) * Era, a length or span of time *Menstruation, commonly referred to as a "period" Arts, entertainment, and media * Period (music), a concept in musical composition * Periodic sentence (o ...

. The city is on the bank of the river

Shipra Shipra (from Sanskrit Kshipra) is a river in Madhya Pradesh state of Central India. The river rises in the North of Dhar district and flows north across the Malwa Plateau to join the Chambal River at the MP-Rajasthan boundary in Mandsaur d ...

which flows into the nearby Chambal.

Climate

Climate of the city features a typical version of the

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Cwa''). Summers usually starts by the middle of March which lasts up until late June. During which temperatures normally reaches up to 45 °C, with average maximum peaking in May with 41 °C. Monsoon starts in late June and ends in late September. These months see about 36 inches (914 mm) of precipitation, frequent thunderstorms and flooding. This season usually features wet phase of comfortable with average temperatures around 24 °C (76 °F) but this is accompanied with frequent downpours. This wet phase is followed by dry phase which results in humid weather with high temperatures. Temperatures rise again up to early November when winter starts, which lasts up to early March. Winters are cool, dry and sunny with occasional cold snaps during which temperature may drop to close to freezing (0° to 3 °C). Otherwise temperatures are very much comfortable, with average daily temperatures around 16 °C (61 °F). Ujjain has been ranked 26th best “National Clean Air City” under (Category 2 3-10L Population cities) in India.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census, Ujjain had a population of 515,215, comprising 265,291 males and 249,924 females, giving a sex ratio of 942 per 1000. The overall literacy rate was 85.55%, with male literacy at 91.16% and female literacy at 79.62%. Hindi is the most-spoken language. Being the heartland of the Malwa region, Malvi is also widely spoken.

Government and jurisdiction

Most of the regions surrounding the city are administered by the

Ujjain Municipal Corporation Ujjain Municipal Corporation is the governing body of the city of Ujjain in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The municipal corporation consists of democratically elected members, is headed by a mayor and administers the city's infrastructur ...

(UMC). The city is administered by a Divisional Commissioner and a Collectorate Office as well as the Mayor. They are responsible for the town and Country Planning Department, Forest Department, Public Health Engineering, Public Works Department and MP Electricity Board. Ujjain has been a metropolitan municipality with a mayor-council form of government. The Ujjain Municipal Corporation (UMC) was established in 1956 under the Madhya Pradesh Nagar Palika Nigam Adhiniyam. The UMC was established in 1886 as Nagar Palika, but the Municipal Corporation of Ujjain was declared on a par with the Gwalior Municipal Corporation. The UMC is responsible for public education, correctional institutions, libraries, public safety, recreational facilities, sanitation, water supply, local planning and welfare services. The mayor and councillors are elected to five-year terms. The Ujjain Development Authority, also known as UDA, is the urban planning agency serving Ujjain. Its headquarters are located in the Bharatpuri area of Ujjain. It was established under the Madhya Pradesh Town and Country Planning Act, 1973.

Ujjain Lok Sabha constituency Ujjain is one of the 29 Lok Sabha constituencies in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It covers the entire Ujjain district and part of Ratlam district. This constituency came into existence in 1951 as one of the 9th Lok Sabha constituencies ...

is one of the 29

Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, also known as the House of the People, is the lower house of Parliament of India which is Bicameralism, bicameral, where the upper house is Rajya Sabha. Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by a ...

constituencies in

state in central India. This constituency came into existence in 1951 as one of the 9 LokSabha constituencies in the erstwhile

state. It is reserved for the candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes since 1966. This constituency covers the entire Ujjain district and part of Ratlam district. Previously, Dr.

Chintamani Malviya Chintamani Malviya () is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party and won the 2014 Indian general elections from the Ujjain Lok Sabha constituency Ujjain is one of the 29 Lok Sabha constituencies in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It cover ...

of the

Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; , ) is a political party in India and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. BJP emerged out from Syama Prasad Mukherjee's ...

was the member of parliament who won in the

2014 Indian general elections General elections were held in India in nine phases from 7 April to 12 May 2014 to elect the members of the 16th Lok Sabha. With 834 million registered voters, they were the largest-ever elections in the world until being surpassed by the 201 ...

. The Current Member of Parliament from

Ujjain Ujjain (, , old name Avantika, ) or Ujjayinī is a city in Ujjain district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Pradesh by population and is the administrative as well as religious centre of Ujjain ...

is Anil Firojiya (

BJP The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; , ) is a political party in India and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. BJP emerged out from Syama Prasad Mukherjee's Bharatiya Jana Sangh. Since 2014, ...

) after the

Election of 2019.

Tourism

* Chintaman Ganesh Temple
Harsiddhi Temple
* Kal Bhairav Temple * Sandipani Ashram * Mangalnath Temple * ISKCON Temple

Education

University

Maharshi Panini Sanskrit University Maharishi Panini Sanskrit Evam Vedic Vishwavidyalaya (MPSVV), formerly Maharshi Panini Sanskrit University or Maharishi Panini Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya, is a state university situated in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. It was established in 200 ...

Vikram University Vikram University is located in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. The university was named after the ruler Vikramaditya. It was established in 1957. It was evaluated by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council and was awarded B++ gra ...

Avantika University MIT Pune's Avantika University is a private, cross-disciplinary university based in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (; ; ) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and the largest city is Indore, Indore. Other major citi ...

Medical Colleges

* Ruxmaniben Deepchand Gardi Medical College Govt. Medical College Amaltas Medical College

Engineering Colleges

* Ujjain Engineering College (Govt.) * School of Engineering Vikram University (Govt.) * MIT Group of Institutes, Ujjain *Shree Guru Sandipani Institute of Science and Technology *Prashanti Institute of Technology *Alpine Institute of Technology

Schools

* St. Paul's convent H.S. School * Christu Jyoti Convent School * Ujjain Public School * Lokmanya Tilak higher Secondary School, Ujjain * St. Mary's Convent School * Nirmala Convent School * Takshshila Junior College * Kalidas Montessori Sr. Sec. School *Carmel Convent Sr. Sec. School

Industry

Major industrial areas surrounding Ujjain are '

Dewas Dewas is a city in the Malwa region of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The municipality was formerly the seat of two 15-Gun Salute state princely states during the British Raj, Dewas Junior state and Dewas Senior state, ruled by the Pa ...

Road Industrial Area', 'Maxi Road Industrial Area' Vikram Udhogpuri, and 'Tajpur Industrial Area'.

and

are the cities where majority of the industries are present. Both Indore and Dewas are in close proximity to Ujjain, providing employment to people in Ujjain and nearby areas. The

Government of Madhya Pradesh The Government of Madhya Pradesh (abbreviated as MP) or Madhya Pradesh Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and its 55 districts. It consists of an executive, led by the governor of Madhya Prade ...

has allotted 1,200 acres for the development of an industrial area on the Dewas-Ujjain Road (MP State Highway 18) near Narwar village. Originally named "Vikramaditya Knowledge City", the area was envisaged as an educational hub. Due to diminished investment prospects, it was renamed to " Vikram Udyog Nagari" ("Vikram Industrial City"). As of 2014, the government has conceptualised it as a half-industrial, half-educational area. The stakeholders in the project include the state government and the

Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its right bank, Del ...

(DMIC) Trust.

Transportation

Airport

Ujjain does not have any airport but has an

airstrip An aerodrome, airfield, or airstrip is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for public or private use. Aerodromes in ...

on Dewas road which is used for air transport purposes. In 2013, the

started a Ujjain-Bhopal air services as a joint venture with

Ventura AirConnect Ventura AirConnect is an Indian nonscheduled airline operating flights in the state of Gujarat with Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft in its fleet. Initially operating flights within Madhya Pradesh, the airline shifted to Gujarat upon being acquired by ...

. Due to very low booking, the ambitious project was scrapped. The main reason for the failure of the plan was due to improper timing of flights. The nearest airport is the

Devi Ahilyabai Holkar International Airport Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport is an international airport serving the city of Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India. It is the busiest airport in Central India and is located west of Indore. According to the statistics released by the Airports Autho ...

(57 km).

Railway

Ujjain Junction Ujjain Junction railway station is the main railway station of Ujjain city in the western part of Madhya Pradesh. Its code is UJN. Ujjain Junction falls under the administrative control of Western Railway Zone of Indian Railways. Ujjain Junction ...

is the main railway station of Ujjain, and it is directly or indirectly well-connected to all the major railway stations in India. It lies on the

–

Ratlam Ratlam is a city in the northwestern part of the Malwa region in Madhya Pradesh state of India. The city of Ratlam lies above sea level. It is the administrative headquarters of Ratlam district, which was created in 1947 after the independe ...

–

Bhopal Bhopal (; ISO 15919, ISO: Bhōpāl, ) is the capital (political), capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of both Bhopal district and Bhopal division. It is known as the ''City of Lakes,'' due to ...

–

and

Guna Guna may refer to: People * Guna people, Indigenous peoples of Panama and Colombia Philosophy * Guṇa, a Hindu philosophical concept * Guṇa (Jainism), a philosophical concept Places * Guna district, in Madhya Pradesh, India ** Guna, Indi ...

–

Khandwa Khandwa is a city and a nagar nigam in the Nimar region of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Khandwa district, formerly known as East Nimar District. Khandwa is a major railway junction; the Malwa line co ...

route. To the west it is connected to

Ratlam Junction Ratlam Junction railway station is a major rail junction on the New Delhi–Mumbai main line of Indian Railways. Ratlam is NSG-3 – category railway station of Western Railway Zone of Indian Railways. Its code is RTM. It serves Ratlam city. Th ...

, to the north it is connected with

Junction, to the east it is connected with

Maksi Maksi is a city and a municipality in Shajapur district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is famous for Jain Temple of Maksi Parshwanathh Ji. Maksi has an ever buzzing market which is famous for sweet samosas. Geography Maksi is locat ...

Junction,

Bhopal Junction Bhopal Junction railway station (station code: BPL) is a major railway junction of India and main railway station of Bhopal, the capital of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. This station also serves as a connecting point for various ...

, and to the south it is connected to

Indore Junction BG Indore Junction (station code: INDB) is one of the Railway junctions in Madhya Pradesh and serves Indore, the commercial capital of Central India. The railway station of Indore Junction BG (future Indore Central) falls under the administrativ ...

Junction Harda BG. C&W Training Centre/Ujjain/WR There are six railway stations in the Ujjain city and its suburbs:

Road

Dewas Gate Stand and

Nana Kheda Bus Stand Nana Kheda Bus Stand or Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Bus Stand is a bus terminus in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. It is a bus terminus that provides bus services within the state and also to destinations located in other states. And is the largest bus st ...

are the two bus stands in the city that provide service to destinations located in the states. A large number of state run private buses are available for

Ahmedabad Ahmedabad ( ), also spelled Amdavad (), is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 ...

Jaipur Jaipur (; , ) is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and the List of cities and towns in Rajasthan, largest city of the north-western States and union territories of India, Indian state of Rajasthan. , the city had ...

Ajmer Ajmer () is a city in the north-western States and union territories of India, Indian state of Rajasthan. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Ajmer district and Ajmer division. It lies at the centre of Rajasthan, earning it the ...

Khajuraho Khajuraho () is a city, near Chhatarpur in Chhatarpur district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. One of the most popular tourist destinations in India, Khajuraho has the country's largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, famous ...

Harda Harda is a city and a municipality in Harda district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Harda is the administrative headquarters of Harda. History Mughal period During the Mughal period, Harda was a mahal in the Handia sarkar. In 1742, ...

Pune Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

, Kota,

Mandu Mandu may refer to: Geographic toponyms * Mandu River, a river in Minas Gerais, Brazil * Mandu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, a village * Mandu, Madhya Pradesh, a ruined city in Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh, India * Mandu, Jharkhand, ...

Jhalawar Jhalawar () is a city, municipal council and headquarter in Jhalawar district of the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located in the southeastern part of the state. It was the capital of the former princely state of Jhalawar, and is the admi ...

and various other locations. The city has a well connected road network including Indore Road,

Badnagar Badnagar is a town, and a municipality in Ujjain district in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. Badnagar Tehsil Headquarters is Badnagar town and it belongs to Ujjain Division. It is located 45 km towards west from District headquarters U ...

Road,

Agar Agar ( or ), or agar-agar, is a jelly-like substance consisting of polysaccharides obtained from the cell walls of some species of red algae, primarily from " ogonori" and " tengusa". As found in nature, agar is a mixture of two components, t ...

Road,

Road and

Road. There are three national highways; 47 connects to

, proposed 148NG connects to Garoth and 552G connects to Indore. Other regional highways passing through the city are: *

– Ujjain Road via SH 27 part of NH 552G * Kota /

– Ujjain Road via NH 552G *

– Ujjain Road via SH 18 now NH 148NG *

/ Barnagar – Ujjain Road via SH 18 now NH *

Jaora Jaora is a city and a municipality in Ratlam district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Jaora is located in the Malwa region, between Ratlam and Mandsaur. It was the capital of the Jaora princely state of Jaora before Independence. Durin ...

Nimach Neemuch or Nimach is a city in the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh. The town shares its northwestern border with the state of Rajasthan and is the administrative headquarters of Neemuch District. Formerly a large British cantonment of Gwalior ...

– Ujjain Road via SH 17 *

– Ujjain Road (Connects to NH 3) *

- Ujjain Road (Connects to Via National Highway 59A NH 47) and SH 18 *Ujjain - Garoth Proposed New Green Field Four Lane National Highway No NH 148NG

Local transport

Ujjain depends on an extensive network of auto rickshaws, city busses, private taxis and Tata Magic, that operate throughout the city, connecting one part with another. UMC has recently introduced city buses with a public private partnership project as the city was identified urban agglomerations with less than 1 million population under the

Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) was a massive city-modernization scheme launched by the Government of India under the Ministry of Urban Development (India), Ministry of Urban Development. It envisaged a total investmen ...

Sports

Cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

is one of the most popular sports in the city. Ujjain is also home to the

Ujjain Divisional Cricket Association Ujjain Divisional Cricket Association is the governing body of the cricket activities in the Ujjain Division of Madhya Pradesh in India and the Ujjain Divisional cricket team. It is affiliated to the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association, which is a ...

which is affiliated to

BCCI The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is the principal national governing body of the sport of cricket in India. Its headquarters are situated at the Cricket Centre in Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. BCCI is the wealthiest governing body ...

. The city does not have any big stadium, but hosted

Ranji Trophy The Ranji Trophy is a premier domestic first-class cricket championship played in India and organized annually by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The teams representing regional and state cricket associations participate. BCCI ...

matches at Pipe Factory Ground in 1977 and 1980.

Kite flying A kite is a tethered heavier than air flight, heavier-than-air craft with wing surfaces that react against the air to create Lift (force), lift and Drag (physics), drag forces. A kite consists of wings, tethers and anchors. Kites often have ...

is another popular activity in the city around Makar Sakranti.

Smart city

Ujjain city was shortlisted under the Government of India's flagship programme

. Under the mission, UMC
UMC, Ujjain
Ujjain Municipal Corporation) shall participate in the smart cities challenge by

Ministry of Urban Development Ministry of Urban Development may refer to: * Ministry of Urban Development (Albania) *Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, India, formerly the Ministry of Urban Development * Ministry of Urban Development (Maharashtra), India *Ministry of Urban D ...

. As part of this, UMC is preparing a Smart City Proposal (SCP). SCP will include smart city solutions based on the consultations to be held with the key stakeholders of the city. UMC invited the suggestions from citizens of Ujjain to make ‘Ujjain as a smart city’. The citizens were able to post their views pertaining to basic services such as water supply, sewerage, urban transport, social infrastructure and e-governance.

Notable people

Notable people who were born or lived in Ujjain include: * Sage

Sandipani Sandipani (), sometimes rendered Sāndīpana, is the guru of Krishna and Balarama in Hinduism. He is regarded to have educated them regarding all the Vedas FIle:Atharva-Veda samhita page 471 illustration.png, upright=1.2, The Vedas are an ...

Varāhamihira Varāhamihira ( 20/21 March 505 – 587), also called Varāha or Mihira, was an ancient Indian astrologer-astronomer who lived in or around Ujjain in present-day Madhya Pradesh, India. Date Unlike other prominent ancient Indian astronome ...

Bhāskara II Bhāskara II ('; 1114–1185), also known as Bhāskarāchārya (), was an Indian people, Indian polymath, Indian mathematicians, mathematician, astronomer and engineer. From verses in his main work, Siddhānta Śiromaṇi, it can be inferre ...

Brahmagupta Brahmagupta ( – ) was an Indian Indian mathematics, mathematician and Indian astronomy, astronomer. He is the author of two early works on mathematics and astronomy: the ''Brāhmasphuṭasiddhānta'' (BSS, "correctly established Siddhanta, do ...

Chashtana Chashtana (Greek: (epigraphic), ; Brahmi: ; Kharosthi: , ), also known as Tisman Ror was a Kardamaka dynasty ruler of the Saka Western Satraps in northwestern India during 78-130 CE, when he was the satrap of Ujjain. He was a descendant ...

Kālidāsa Kālidāsa (, "Servant of Kali (god), Kali"; 4th–5th century CE) was a Classical Sanskrit author who is often considered ancient India's greatest poet and playwright. His plays and poetry are primarily based on Hindu Puranas and philosophy. ...

Devi (wife of Ashoka) Maharani Devi (302 BCE – 242 BCE) was, according to the Sri Lankan chronicles, the first wife of the third Mauryan Emperor Ashoka. She was also the mother of Ashoka's first two children—his son, Mahendra, and daughter, Sanghamitra—bo ...

Shivmangal Singh Suman Shivmangal Singh "Suman" (5 August 1915 – 27 November 2002) was an Indian poet and academician who wrote in Hindi. Biography Shivmangal Singh 'Suman' was born on 5 August 1915 at Jhagarpur, Unnao district in the United Provinces of Agra an ...

Shreeram Shankar Abhyankar Shreeram Shankar Abhyankar (22 July 1930 – 2 November 2012) was an Indian American mathematician known for his contributions to algebraic geometry. At the time of his death, he held the Marshall Distinguished Professor of Mathematics Chair ...

* Bharthari *

Yashoda Devi Yashoda Devi (1927–2004) was the first woman to be elected from a former princely state of India as a member of a legislative assembly. She was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Rajasthan from the Banswara constituency in 1953 as a can ...

Vivian Dsena Vivian Dsena (born 28 June 1988) is an Indian actor and a former model who predominantly works in Hindi television. Dsena is considered as one of the highly successful television actors in India. He is a recipient of several accolades including ...

Thawar Chand Gehlot Thawar Chand Gehlot (born 18 May 1948) is an Indian politician who is the current and 13th Governor of Karnataka, being the first person serving as the Governor of Karnataka from Madhya Pradesh. He assumed office of the Governor of Karnataka on ...

Gundecha Brothers The Gundecha Brothers are Indian classical singers of the dhrupad genre of the Dagar vani. From 1985 to 2019 the duo consisted of brothers Umakant Gundecha and Ramakant Gundecha and were awarded the Padma Shri for art for 2012. Following the d ...

Satyanarayan Jatiya Dr Satyanarayan Jatiya (born 4 February 1946) is an Indian politician. He was elected to the Lok Sabha seven times from Ujjain as a member of Bharatiya Janata Party, and served one term (2014–2020) in Rajya Sabha. He was cabinet minister in ...

Hukam Chand Kachwai Hukam Chand Kachwai (July 23, 1933 – 1996) was a leader of Bharatiya Janata Party, Social worker, trade unionist and a former member of Lok Sabha from Madhya Pradesh. Kachwai participated in Satyagraha and jailed for two months. To fulfill the ...

Sachida Nagdev Sachida Nagdev (25 October 1939 – 29 May 2017) was an Indian painter based in central Indian town of Bhopal. Nagdev is best known for his abstract oil paintings in harmonious colors, though his later works include some representational ar ...

Naman Ojha Naman Vinaykumar Ojha (born 20 July 1983) is an Indian former cricketer. He made his Test debut for India against Sri Lanka on 28 August 2015. He retired from all formats of cricket on 15 February 2021. Naman Ojha was named as the captain of ...

Paramartha Paramārtha (Sanskrit, Devanagari: परमार्थ; ) (499-569 CE) was an Indian monk from Ujjain, who is best known for his prolific Chinese language, Chinese translations of Buddhist texts during the Six Dynasties, Six Dynasties era.Toru ...

* Sartaj Singh *

Saumya Tandon Saumya Tandon (born 3 November 1984) is an Indian actress and television presenter, best known for her portrayal of Anita Vibhuti Narayan Mishra in the Hindi sitcom television series ''Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!''. She was a host on various TV show ...

* Viraj Mahajan *

Juhi Parmar Juhi Parmar (born 14 December 1980) is an Indian anchor, actress, presenter, singer and dancer predominantly known for her work in Hindi television industry. She gained recognition for her portrayal as Kumkum in the long-running soap opera ''K ...

Goverdhan Lal Oza Goverdhan Lal Jamnalal Oza (born 12 December 1924, date of death unknown), often shortened to G. L. Oza, was an Indian judge, independence activist and Justice of the Supreme Court of India. Early life Oza was born in December 1924 in Ujjain, Br ...

Sharma Bandhu Sharma Bandhu (Sharma Brothers) () refers to four Indian classical vocalist brothers, who perform bhajan and Hindu devotional music. They were born in the music family of Pandit Jyoti Prasad and Pandit Munshi Ram to the student of Pandit V. D. P ...

V. S. Wakankar Vishnu Shridhar Wakankar (4 May 1919 – 3 April 1988) was an Indian archaeologist. Wakankar is credited with the discovery of the Bhimbetka rock caves in 1957 and the Kayatha culture in 1964, among others. In 2003, UNESCO inscribed the Bhimbetk ...

Sharad Joshi Sharad Joshi was an Indian poet, writer, satirist and a dialogue and scriptwriter in Hindi films and television. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1990. Biography Early life and education Sharad Joshi was born on 21 May 1931 in Ujjain, Madhya ...

Mohan Yadav Mohan Yadav (born 25 March 1965) is an Indian politician and businessman serving as the 19th and current Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh since 2023. A member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, he represents Ujjain South constituency as Member of L ...

References

Bibliography

* * * Hunter, Cotton, Burn, Meyer
"The Imperial Gazetteer of India"
2006. Oxford,

Clarendon Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...

. 1909. * * Ujjain Metropolitan areas Sodang, Surasa, Tajpur, Chandesra, Chintaman-Jawasia, Chandukhedi.

External links

Official website of Ujjain Municipal Corporation

Official website of Ujjain district

Official website of Ujjain Kumbh Mela
* {{Authority control Hindu holy cities Hindu pilgrimage sites in India Populated places along the Silk Road Cities in Malwa Former capital cities in India Ancient Indian cities Cities in Madhya Pradesh Smart cities in India Holy cities Shaivism

History

Prehistoric era

Ancient period

Medieval period

Modern period

Geography

Climate

Demographics

Government and jurisdiction

Tourism

Education

University

Medical Colleges

Engineering Colleges

Schools

Industry

Transportation

Airport

Railway

Road

Local transport

Sports

Smart city

Notable people

See also

References

Bibliography

External links