Locations - Ujjain

Ujjayinee

Present Ujjain in MP. One of the 7 sacred cities of Hindu; the others being Ayodhyaa (in UP), Mathuraa (in UP), Maayaa Pur (Haridwaar in UP), Kaashee (Vaaraanasee, or Banaaras in UP), Kaanchee (Kaancheepuram in Tamilnaadu), and Dwaarakaa (in Gujraat). One king Vikramaaditya used to live here in this city. Shree Krishn, Balaraam and Sudaamaa studied here under Saandeepan Muni.
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[Ujjayinee was described by Sanskrit poet Kaali Daas in very admiring language in his Meghdoot poetry. It was the capital of Avantee, when Buddha was born. It is one of the oldest cities of India. In the 18th century AD, Jaya Sinh, the king of Jayapur, chose Ujjayinee to build an astronomical observatory. It is here that Vikram Samvat (calendar) started in 58 BC, named after king Vikramaaditya. During the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, Ujjayinee had developed into one of the foremost centers of learning in India for studying mathematics, astronomy and literary composition, especially drama. It is one of the seven holy cities for Hindu. It has Mahaakaaleshwar temple which is one of the 12 Jyotirling Shiv temples."]
(Aangiras, p 80-81)
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Legend has it that Shiv commemorated his victory over the demon ruler of Tripur by changing the name of his capital from Avantikaa to Ujjayinee. It is believed that Vikramaaditya (hero of Vikram-Vaitaal stories) held court in Ujjain. Many Dynasties ruled here - Shaks, Gupts, Parmaars, slve Dynasty of Dehlee, the Mugals, Marathaas. Ashok was here in 275 BC. His sons were born here and preached Buddhism here. The great poet Kaalidaas was here as one of the 9 gems of Vikramaaditya's court. Even Krishn, Balaraam and Sudaamaa also studied here.

It stands on the 1st meridian of longitude for Hindoo astronomers who believed that Tropic of Cancer also passed through the site, so there is an astronomical observatory built by Raajaa Jaya Sinh II of Jayapur around 1730 when he was the Governor of Maalavaa under the Mugal Emperor Muhammad Shaah. Even today the Ephemeris are published here. It is very small in comparison to Jaya Sinh's other observatories, Jantar-Mantar in Dehlee and Jayapur and contains only five instruments.

There are several temples there - Mahaakaaleshwar Temple, Bade Ganesh Jee Kaa Mandir, Harsiddhi Mandir, Gopaal mandir, Chintaamani Ganesh Temple.
[India Handbook, p 405-

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