Plan your trip · Ujjain
What's on in Ujjain
Upcoming festivals, fairs and events in Ujjain — plan your visit around them, then check the best time to visit.
Nothing dated is confirmed for Ujjain right now, so here is the year instead — the fixtures that come round annually, and what each one means for a visit.
The year in Ujjain
Ujjain packs most of its outdoor calendar into the cooler months; the pre-monsoon peak is hot enough that daytime processions are genuinely hard going. Broadly, Oct – Mar is when visiting is most comfortable here, and that is when the calendar is busiest — which also means accommodation is most expensive and books furthest ahead.
Most of these follow lunar calendars and move by weeks from year to year, so treat the windows below as the season rather than the date, and confirm the year’s dates before you book around one.
Signature to Ujjain
Simhastha Kumbh
🗓️ every 12 yearsThe Kumbh on the Shipra, alongside Mahakaleshwar's own festival calendar.
Planning: Mahashivratri is the other peak — Bhasma Aarti bookings vanish months ahead.
Nationwide
Diwali
🗓️ October–NovemberThe biggest holiday of the year — lamps, sweets, fireworks and a week of visiting family. Cities are lit up and markets stay open late.
Holi
🗓️ MarchColoured powder and water, thrown at anyone within reach, mostly through the morning.
Navratri and Dussehra
🗓️ September–OctoberNine nights of fasting, music and dance, ending with Dussehra. What it looks like changes completely by region — garba in Gujarat, pandals in Bengal, processions in the south.
Eid al-Fitr
🗓️ shifts ~11 days earlier each yearThe end of Ramadan. The old quarters of Delhi, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Bhopal are at their best in the evenings through the preceding month, when food streets run past midnight.
Makar Sankranti and Pongal
🗓️ mid-JanuaryThe harvest turn, marked with kites in the west and north and four days of Pongal in Tamil Nadu.
Ujjain's calendar follows Mahakaleshwar. Mahashivratri, usually in February or March, fills the city with pilgrims, with worship through the night and a big fair near the temple. On Mondays in Shravan (usually July–August) and the following month, the Mahakal Sawari carries the deity through the streets in a procession. On Nag Panchami, the Nagchandreshwar shrine on the third floor of the temple opens for its only day of the year. Navratri lights up the lamp towers of the Harsiddhi temple, and Kal Bhairav Ashtami, usually in November or December, draws crowds to Kal Bhairav. The Kalidas Samaroh, a week of Sanskrit drama and classical dance, begins on Dev Prabodhini Ekadashi, usually in November.
Every 12 years, the city hosts the Simhastha Kumbh Mela, when millions of pilgrims and sadhus bathe in the Shipra at Ram Ghat and the other ghats. The next Simhastha is expected from late March to late May 2028. Most festival dates follow the Hindu lunar calendar and move each year, so check them before you book, and see the best time to visit Ujjain for the weather. Book accommodation early if you plan your trip around an event.
Tips for Attending Events & Festivals in Ujjain
- Book accommodation and any Bhasma Aarti slots as early as you can for Mahashivratri, Shravan and New Year.
- Arrive early for processions and the evening aarti to find a good spot.
- Leave your phone at a locker before entering Mahakaleshwar, even on festival days.
- Carry water and a hat for daytime events in the hot months.
- Wear comfortable sandals that are easy to remove and grip well on wet ghat steps.
- Keep your belongings secure and agree a meeting point with your group in large crowds.
- Expect road closures and diversions around the temple and the ghats on major festival days.
Questions
Ujjain — FAQ
What are the main festivals in Ujjain?
The biggest are Mahashivratri, Shravan with its Monday Mahakal Sawari processions, and Nag Panchami at Mahakaleshwar. Navratri at the Harsiddhi temple, Kal Bhairav Ashtami, the Kalidas Samaroh and the Simhastha Kumbh, held every 12 years, are other highlights.
When is the next Simhastha Kumbh in Ujjain?
The next Simhastha is due in 2028 and is expected to run from late March to late May, with the main bathing days in April and May. The last one was held in 2016. Check the official dates before you plan, and book accommodation very early.
What is the Mahakal Sawari?
It is a procession in which the deity of Mahakaleshwar is carried through the city in a palanquin on Mondays in Shravan and the following month, Bhadrapada. It usually leaves the temple in the afternoon, stops at the Shipra for worship and returns in the evening, and the streets along the route get very crowded.
What happens on Nag Panchami in Ujjain?
Nag Panchami, usually in July or August, is the only day of the year when the Nagchandreshwar shrine on the third floor of the Mahakaleshwar Temple opens for darshan. Expect very long queues and plan to spend several hours in line.