On the banks of the Shipra River, stands an elegant city which glorifies the Mauryan age of India. Asoka had been the King of Ujjain; his memories are sharply linked in every nook and corner of the city of Ujjain. Asoka was a great king, and always tried to expand his empire beyond its present boundaries. But afterwards, the sight of thousands of dead bodies at the Kalinga War he changed his mind and he embraced Buddhism that preaches the doctrine of Universal Love. He became more interested on the welfare of his subjects and tried to extend his love across the boundaries of his empire. That is why, he sent ambassadors to China and other distant places. Today Buddhism has been embraced by so many; Asoka is behind the expansion of this religion. At Ujjain, Chandragupta II who adopted the title Vikramaditya reigned here. He had nine talents in his court and he used to call them Navaratna, or nine gems. The Number-System including zero and the negative numbers emerged here from the court of the King Chandragupta-II. The city of Ujjain was attacked by Iltutmish later. But still the glory of the city continues to attract tourist from distant places.
Modern Ujjain is situated on the banks of the River Shipra, regarded since times immemorial as sacred. The belief in the sacredness of Shipra, has its origins in the ancient Hindu mythological tale of churning of the Ocean by the Gods and the Demons, with Vasuki, the serpent as the rope. The ocean bed first yielded fourteen gems, then Lakshmi the Goddess of wealth, and finally the coveted vessel of Nectar. Then began the wild scramble for immortality with the demons chasing the Gods across the skies and in the process a few drops were spilt that fell at Haridwar, Nasik, Prayag, and Ujjayini. Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh is an important heritage site. Tour to Madhya Pradesh today, includes a must-do tour to Ujjain. Located on the eastern banks of River Shipra in Malwa plateau, Ujjain earlier was the capital of ancient Avanti and also of King Vikramaditya. Tourist sites in Ujjain range from temples to observatory palaces and heritage structures. For Hindus, this is a holy site where Hinduism flourished intensely centuries ago. According to the religious scripts, two parts of the Skanda Purana, a holy text, were composed in Ujjain. This city was projected as the center of earth and the fittest meridian for astronomical measurements.