The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of Ujjain

Madhya Pradesh celebrates its foundation day on November 1st every year. The state was recognized within its current political boundaries in 1956, almost ten years after India’s independence. But the regions that make up the state today had a glorious past, many of which served as the nerve centers of Vedic civilization.

The most prominent name in this list of historically significant geographical regions is Avantika, or as we know it now, Ujjain. Today the city is synonymous with the Mahakaleshwara Temple, one of the twelve temples. jyotirlingas. But Ujjain is on many layers of history—literally.

From time immemorial it has been a center for the study of the Holy Scriptures. It is said that Sri Krishna was a student of Sandipani Ashram. Stories of Sri Krishna in the ashram are mentioned in the Bhagavat Purana as well as in the Harivamsham.

It is said that Shri Ram visited this region during his exile. It is generally accepted that he committed Pind Daan for his father, Raja Dashrath, on the banks of the Kshipra River, where the modern Ram Ghat is located.

Ujjain has been recognized as a major urban settlement ever since attempts have been made to date the history. Chalcolithic settlements dating back to 2000 BC (BC) have been discovered around Ujjain. Over time, Avantika is increasingly referred to as a powerful political and spiritual center of a developing civilization.

Avantika was one of the 16 Mahajanpadas – 16 major kingdoms that existed around the fourth century BC. This is the period when Bharat was regrouping, so to speak, when the Saraswati-Sindhu civilization disappeared while the contours of the subcontinent as we know it today were evolving.

With the rise of the Mauryan dynasty, the Avantika region became the western outpost of the Mauryans. It is said that Ashoka, the third Mauryan king, served as the governor of this region during the reign of his father, King Bindusara. It was during this period that he got married in the modern city of Vidisha.

It is said that during this era, Ujjain was an important trading center on the historical trade route Dakshinpatha. This route is said to have connected important political and commercial centers such as Varanasi, Nalanda and Mathura with the city of Pratishthan, modern Paithan in Maharashtra.

Ujjain is also said to have had connections with ancient ports on the west coast of today’s Gujarat state and served as a key transit hub.

Ujjain later came under the control of the Gupta dynasty, which expelled the Sakas who had come to control the western parts of Bharat. At the height of the Gupta dynasty’s influence, the city, then called Ujjayini, served as one of the capitals of the dynasty.

Ujjayini’s literary swan song came during this period. Legendary ancient playwrights and poets such as Bhartrahari, Bhasa, Kalidasa and Shudraka based some of their most famous works in the city. Virat Katha And Threads Sataka Bhartrahari and Mricchakatika Shudraka were installed in the city. The epic creation of Kalidasa, Meghdootdescribes the wealth and grandeur of Ujjayini.

The Parmara dynasty was the last major Hindu dynasty to control the city. It was during their era that the foundations of the modern city were laid, although the Parmar kings preferred to rule from modern Dhar.

However, starting from the eighth century, Ujjain was attacked by invaders coming from the west. The Umayyads, Mahmud of Ghazni and Iltutmish regularly attacked the city. The temple complex of Mahakaleshvara, described in the works of Kalidasa. Meghdootwas destroyed by Iltutmish in the early thirteenth century. The city eventually came under Mughal rule, but remained an important center of trade and learning.

Having withstood the brunt of invasions that began nearly 1,000 years ago and led to nearly 500 years of rule by these invaders, it was only in the early nineteenth century that Ujjain’s former glory began to be restored.

The Scindias made Ujjain their capital for several years before eventually moving to Gwalior. Ranoji Scindia founded Ujjain as the capital of the Scindia state. The state was part of the Maratha Empire, which territorially controlled most of the country after the Mughals and before the British rule. Mahaji Scindia, who consolidated Maratha power in northern India, succeeded Ranoji and continued the development and restoration of Ujjain.

It was during their reign that the Mahakaleshwara temple was built including Shivling was restored to its current glory. Now, of course, the majesty of the temple is added by the Mahakal Lok – a significant cultural and spiritual project, designed as a mega-corridor more than 900 meters long. Mahakal Lok was inaugurated in 2022 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In the modern era, Ujjain also had political significance. Two chief ministers of Madhya Pradesh – Prakash Chandra Sethi and current chief minister Mohan Yadav – represented constituencies in the city.

In recent years, Ujjain has seen an increase in interest in spiritual tourism. With good road connectivity to Indore, especially the Indore Airport, which is just an hour’s drive from the city, Ujjain has a growing number of Shiv bhakta visit. Around 1.5 million pilgrims visit the Mahakaleshwar Temple every year.

State Foundation Day provides an opportunity for the state government and the intelligentsia to reflect on how to utilize such rich diversity of religiosity, spirituality, history and culture for the benefit of not only Ujjain but the state as a whole.