Ujjain

Ujjain (, Hindi pronunciation: [ʊ̯d͡ːʑæn] , [əʋən̪t̪ɪkaː]), also known as Ujjayini, is a city in Ujjain district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Pradesh by population and is the administrative as well as religious centre of Ujjain district and Ujjain division. It is one of the Hindu pilgrimage centres of Sapta Puri famous for the Kumbh Mela (Simhastha) held there every 12 years. The ancient and world famous temple of Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is located in the center of the city. The city has been one of the most prominent trade and political centres of the Indian subcontinent from the time of the ancient Mahājanapadas until the British colonisation of India. An ancient city situated on the eastern bank of the Shipra River, then known as Avantika, it was the most prominent city on the Malwa plateau of central India for much of its history. It emerged as the political centre of central India around 600 BCE.