Essentially a pilgrim town in central India, traces its antecedents to the legendary times. Located on the bank of Shipra river, its high point is the Mahakaleswar temple. One of the 12 Jyotirlingas. Ujjain is one of the four Kumbh Mela site; during the fair, the town takes on the looks of a mini India. The next fair is in 2004. Various other temples and the school where supposedly Lord Krishna studied, the Sandipan Ashram, are also important religious centres.

BASICS

STD Code: 0734

Airport: Indore
Rail: Ujjain is connected to Delhi via Bhopal, Jhansi, Gwalior and Agra, there are also direct connections to Indore, Jabalpur, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

Road: Major distances:
Indore-- 55 kilometres
Bhopal-- 188 kilometres
Mandu-- 146 kilometres
Best time: November to March is comfortable. Winter is the best season.

Accommodation: Plentiful.
MP Tourism's Hotel Shipra (Tel: 551495), Hotel Vikram (Tel: 562220), Hotel Surya (Tel: 560747), Hotel Ajay (Tel: 551354).

Local transport: autorickshaws, horse drawn carriages, private cars.

Contact: Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation.