Ujjain

Ujjain, on the banks of the Shipra River, is one of India’s oldest continuously inhabited cities and one of the seven sacred Sapta Puri. In ancient times it was known as Avantika and served as the capital of the Avanti Mahajanapada (c. 6th century BCE), a major political and commercial centre on the trade route connecting the Ganga plains with western India. During the Mauryan period, Ujjain was so important that Ashoka is traditionally said to have served here as governor before becoming emperor.

Over the centuries, Ujjain flourished under the Shungas, Satavahanas, Guptas and Paramaras, emerging as a great centre of learning, astronomy and literature. Legendary scholars like Varāhamihira and Brahmagupta worked in Ujjain, helping establish it as a key observatory town of the Indian world. The city’s sacred status is anchored in the presence of Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga and the belief that Ujjain is a principal site of the Kumbh/Simhastha Mela, held every 12 years.

From the medieval era, Ujjain passed under Delhi Sultanate, Mughal and later Maratha (Holkar/Scindia) control, remaining a vital commercial hub of Malwa. Under the British it retained regional importance, and in independent India it is renowned as a major pilgrimage, educational and cultural city, where ancient ritual life continues alongside modern development.