Bhopal, Dec 29 (UNI) Pointing out that over five lakh devotees have had ‘darshan’ of Lord Mahakal at the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain in just past 3-4 days, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav today stated that all devotees visiting Ujjain are not just guests but invitees of Baba Mahakal himself, who has called them for his ‘darshan’, so every arrangement for their reception must therefore reflect sensitivity and warmth.
The CM was addressing an event at the Nanakheda stadium in Ujjain, his hometown.
At the event, the CM performed ‘bhoomi poojan’ of, and inaugurated 12 development projects worth approximately Rs 129 crore. The Chief Minister simultaneously launched three major youth-centric initiatives in Ujjain, Project Swadhyaya (Coding for All), which connects students to coding and digital thinking from a young age, UtkarshUjjain.com web portal, an integrated digital platform for youth learning, guidance and opportunities, and Kaushal Setu Industry-Lead Skill Development event, which bridges the gap between education and industry to prepare youth for real-world needs.
Chief Minister Dr Yadav also performed ‘bhoomi-pujan’ for 11 development projects worth Rs 124 crore in Ujjain urban area, including road widening (Rs 102 crore), enhancement of Kapila Gaushala for 3,000 cattle (Rs 9.50 crore), EWS colony development in Panwasa (Rs 8.75 crore), sports complex at Kanipura (Rs 3.47 crore) and new Janpad Panchayat building (Rs 5 crore). Projects worth Rs 45 crore are underway.
He announced the installation of modern astroturf at Ujjain’s old hockey stadium for international matches and noted that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Indian athletes are winning medals in nearly all sports.
The Chief Minister said the Simhastha is the world’s largest religious fair, a magnificent confluence of Indian religion, culture, spirituality and tourism.
He informed that preparations have commenced with the objective of enabling more than 5 crore devotees to perform the holy bath and ‘aachman’ in the purified waters of the Shipra River along 30 km of ghats within 24 hours.
He said that to strengthen these arrangements, 33 major projects worth Rs 2,675 crore have been approved in Ujjain, and their implementation is underway. Special emphasis is being placed on effective crowd management and on connecting the entire fair area with four- and six-lane roads to ensure seamless connectivity.
Dr Yadav said that Ujjain is being developed as a medical tourism hub with modern health facilities, and a Medicity is under construction, alongside a new industrial park, IT park and Science City at the old engineering college campus.
He said, skill development centres have started for 3,000 youth at Ninaura and 2,000 at Maksi under Project Swadhyaya today.
He said that the Vande Bharat Train will be introduced between Indore and Ujjain. The Chintaman Ganesh Station is being upgraded as the main railway station, and a new railway station will be constructed at Mohanpura. A major airport is being developed nearby, enabling devotees to arrive directly in Ujjain.
Dr Yadav announced the construction of Shani Lok in Ujjain with an approved cost of Rs 140 crore, creating a new landmark for faith and tourism. He said that four-lane roads are being developed in all directions, along with the construction of 12–13 new bridges to strengthen connectivity. Ujjain will become part of the Indore-Ujjain Metropolitan Area spanning 14,000 sq km—India’s second largest after Delhi—including Shajapur, Susner, Dewas and Ratlam from Ujjain division.
The CM announced that for the first time after 1980, the water of Kshipra river would be used for Simhastha bathing.
Dr Yadav urged Ujjain residents to wholeheartedly assist visitors during Simhastha and directed the district administration to prepare a list of volunteers.
