Ujjain

Just over an hour’s drive north of Indore this Hindu pilgrimage site also plays host to The Kumbh Mela, every 12-years, the last being in 2016. Famed for the centuries-old Mahakaleshwar Temple, a towering structure with an impressively ornate roof, it’s easy to see why Ujjain has been attracting travellers and traders for centuries. Winding your way along the banks of the Shipra River, passing the Ram Ghats and pious pilgrims, it is a heady mix of culture and religion, although nowhere near as frenetic as the other pilgrimage towns of Varanasi and Rishikesh. For the best weather, travel between October and March.