Ujjain
One of the seven mokshadayini cities — Mahakal’s city on the bank of the Shipra
- State
- Madhya Pradesh
- River
- Shipra
- Temples
- 4
- Texts
- 12
Temples here
Ujjain — ancient Avantika — is counted among India’s seven mokshadayini (liberation-giving) cities and stands on the bank of the river Shipra. Here resides Shri Mahakaleshwar, the only south-facing Jyotirlinga among the twelve, whose pre-dawn Bhasma Aarti is famous the world over. Every twelve years the city hosts the Simhastha Kumbh.
A circuit of the city takes in, alongside Mahakal, the Shaktipeeth of Harsiddhi, the city-guardian Kaal Bhairav, and Mangalnath — held to be the birthplace of the planet Mars. The texts recited at each shrine are gathered below.
Temples of Ujjain
Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga 3
The only south-facing of the twelve Jyotirlingas. The pre-dawn Bhasma Aarti is its distinctive tradition.
Shri Harsiddhi Shaktipeeth 3
A Shaktipeeth where Sati’s elbow is said to have fallen, and the tutelary goddess of King Vikramaditya. Its signature rite is the evening lighting of the deepa-stambhas — no aarti text is transmitted for it, so the Devi texts recited here are gathered instead.
Shri Kaal Bhairav Temple 3
Foremost among the eight Bhairavas, revered as the guardian (kshetrapala) of Ujjain.
Shri Mangalnath Temple 3
Held by the Matsya Purana to be the birthplace of Mars; the Bhaat Puja for Mangal dosha is performed here. The temple’s "Mangal Aarti" is a dawn rite rather than a sung text — the stotram and kavachas addressed to Mangala are gathered here instead.
