Rama-Janardana Mandir

Getting there

• By air

  Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport in Indore is 53 km away, the nearest airport.

• By train

  Ujjain railway station, code UJN, is on the Western Railway zone.

• By road

  Buses run regularly between Ujjain and Indore, Bhopal, Ratlam, Gwalior, Mandu, Dhar, Kota and Omkareshwar.

Why devotees come here

Rama-Janardana Mandir is in Ujjain district, Madhya Pradesh, and the district government lists it as a historic and religious place. It is a pair of temples, admired for their structural art. Its images range from the tenth century to the seventeenth century.

Rama-Janardana Mandir has two shrines. One is for Rama with Lakshmana and Sita. The other holds Janardana-Vishnu. The district government lists the place as both historic and religious.

Raja Jaisingh built the temples in the seventeenth century. The boundary wall and the tank were added later, in the Maratha period of the eighteenth century. Maratha rule gave impetus to a cultural renaissance in the Malwa region, and most of Ujjain's temples were built in this period. Maratha-style painting is also found in the temples of Ram Janardan, Kal Bhairava, Kalpeshwar and Tilakeshwar.

Both temples are admired for their structural art. Examples of Maratha paintings are seen on the walls of both. An image of Govardhandhari Krishna near the tank dates to the eleventh century. Images of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesha date to the twelfth century.

Tips for your visit

• Vishnu images from the tenth century stand between the assembly hall and the Rama temple interior.
• The image of Govardhandhari Krishna is near the tank, and dates to the eleventh century.
• Images of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesha date to the twelfth century.
• Look for the Maratha paintings on the walls of both temples, so you see them in each shrine.

Questions people ask