Ujjain: The City of Temples

This book describes the temple culture of Ujjain. Of the thousands of temples in the city, the book describes the history, the mythology, the infrastructure, the rituals, and the festivals of the most important ones as well as smaller ones in the temple complexes. It goes on to describe the importance of River Shipra and its role in the religious, cultural, social, economic, and political life of the people of Ujjain from the beginnings of the city’s history. Ujjain is important not only for Hindus but also for Buddhists and Jains from time immemorial. The book describes the rise and fall of the city at different times under various Indian rulers and foreign invaders. It is generously strewn with beautiful photographs of the temples, their deities, and their festivals. The book lists out the 84 Mahadevas in Ujjain and 12 Jyotirlingas in India. This lavishly illustrated book is a result of the long and extensive research done by the author. This will be of great value to those interested in the history and mythology of Ujjain, including students, researchers, and academics. The book acts as a guide to tourists as well as to pilgrims visiting the city

M.K. Pal

M.K. Pal has been an ardent researcher in the field of arts and crafts and socio-cultural studies for more than four decades. As a Museum professional especially during his tenure in the National Handicrafts and Handlooms Museum, New Delhi, M.K. Pal has conducted several projects and he has actively participated in the Festivals of India Exhibitions held in U.K. and U.S.A in 1982 and 1985 respectively. As a Consultant of the National Museum of Ethnology, Osaka, Japan (1980-1995), he has collected/documented hundreds of Indian artefacts which now form the bulk of collection of the Indian Section of the said museum. He has also designed and got made a 35-feet replica of the old wooden Ratha (Temple Car) now preserved in the Parthasarathi Temple, Chennai. The replica made in 1990-1991 is now displayed as a permanent exhibit in the museum under reference. As a connoisseur of Indian art and culture, M.K. Pal has also organized some folk cultural programmes in Japan, France and Switzerland during the years 1991 and 1997. As an author of a number of publications in the form of illustrated books, monographs, papers and articles on Indian art and culture and craft heritage, M.K. Pal is credited to have analysed in depth the basic data obtained through archaeological, historical and literary sources as well as field investigations and Museum collections. His present work is the result of his painstaking research and field investigations.