Just In
- 3 hrs ago Heeramandi Screening: Alia Bhatt, Ananya Panday, Rashmika Mandanna And Others Serve Finest Ethnic Style!
- 3 hrs ago From Alia Bhatt To Kriti Sanon, Korean Beauty Products That Bollywood Divas Swear By
- 6 hrs ago Exclusive: On World Malaria Day 2024, Dr Shares Danger Signs Parents Must Watch Out For In Child With Malaria
- 6 hrs ago Exclusive: Expert Debunks 5 Common Misconceptions About Expectant Mothers That You Need To Steer Clear From
Don't Miss
- Education AICTE introduces career portal for 3 million students, offering fully-sponsored trip to Silicon Valley
- Movies Vahbiz Dorabjee On Being Offered Mother Roles; Losing 10 Kgs & Stunning Transformation: I Was Impacting My…
- News Rs 4 Crore Cash Seizure Case: BJP Leader Nainar Nagendran To Appear Before TN Police On May 2
- Finance Rs 7.50/Share Dividend: Adani Group Cement Company Reports Strong Q4 Results; Profit Surges 2x YoY
- Automobiles Bajaj To Offer Chetak Electric Scooter At Lower Price Point: All Details Here
- Sports Bangladesh vs Zimbabawe: Will Shakib Al Hasan Play Home T20 Series In May Or Not?
- Technology Qualcomm Reveals Snapdragon X Plus Chip for Laptops: 10 Core CPU, On-Device AI, & Much More
- Travel Escape to Kalimpong, Gangtok, and Darjeeling with IRCTC's Tour Package; Check Itinerary
My Travel Diary - Ujjain: The city of temples
Some where in the eastern horizon the sparkling rays of sun had spread a reddish shade. It was around 6:30 morning. The train repeatedly whistled as if to wake up all the half awaken passengers as it almost reached the final halt, beginning the journey back to three days from Trivandrum, the southern tip of India. Ahalyanagari Express had at last reached the city of Ahalya, as it's name says.
Looking out through the window, everything looked typical to any Indian railway station. Tea and breakfast sellers in dirty clothes ran across the platform to sell as much as possible before the passengers and the train leave the station. Coolies in red uniform rushed through the crowd to find a 'good catch'. And passengers with a hangover of the incomplete sleep moved towards the entrance with indifferent faces, so did I, with the weight of few bags on my shoulder.
Out of the station, my first step on the soil of the holy city of Ujjain, the city of temples, fused some unknown nostalgic moods into my thoughts. It might be some where here Shakuntala and Dushyanta, the popular Indian classic characters, had all their romantic but tragic episodes. It might be through the narrow road seen right in front of me, that Lord Krishna and his brother had walked to their 'guru' 'Sandipani'. Also it was on the sky above me the popular Indian poet Kalidasa had send his verses of love on the wings of clouds, which came to be known as 'Megasandesha'. And the faded ancient buildings should have had echoed the footsteps of the horses of King Vikramaditya who built the city into fame and prosperity.
Looking around for a vehicle to transport all of us, my friends and me along with the bulging luggages, we stood at the exit of the station for a while. Ujjain, at this part, looked like a city still back to hundreds of years. Narrow dirty roads, fruits and food sellers, wooden horse cabs.... Not a single sign to believe that I stand in a city of 21st century. As the cab sent from the college where I was supposed to stay and undergo studies reached, we accommodated ourselves in it and passing through a pretty wide road we moved towards the destination about 5 kms away from the station. The sign board on the road said that we were on 'Agar Road'.
Temples everywhere... on the roadside, under the trees, amidst houses... No wonder the city is called the city of temples. There are 200 temples, big and small, in the city itself. The mornings in Ujjain are voiced with hundreds of temple bells and 'Gayatri Mantra'. Tones of milk is poured on the numerous 'Shiva Lingas' in the temples. There are also temples that offer toddy to god as part of 'pooja'. Amidst all these temples there flows peacefully the holy river Shipra, in which the Maha Kumbamela takes place once in every twelve years.
The land of serpents and sadhus, the land of weired festivals and culture, the land of child marriages, the land of illiteracy and exploitations, the land religious extremism and irrational lifestyles, the land of poverty and extreme climate conditions... Ujjain was an unexplored mystery for me through out the years I stayed in the city and... and still!
- yoga spiritualityMahakal Jyotirlinga in Ujjain: Unveiling the Divine Abode of Lord Shiva!
- faith mysticismThe Mystery And Significance Of Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Of Ujjain
- faith mysticismBhasm Aarti At Mahakaleshwar, Ujjain: Procedures And Aartis By Naga Sadhus
- insyncKalidas Festival From Nov 9
- faith mysticismThe Spiritual Importance Of Prayagraj
- wellnessFoods To Carry While Travelling
- lifeExotic Indian Summer Destinations For 2012
- pulseAirplane Etiquette Rules To Remember!
- life5 Romantic Countries: Your V Day Getaway!
- lifeTop 5 Skiing Destinations For 2011
- lifeTop 5 UNESCO World Heritage Sites In Russia
- lifeExpensive Romantic Getaways For Valentine's Day