Ayodhya Mathura Maya Kasi Kaschi Avantika
Puri Dvaravatichaivasaptaitamoksadayikah
– Garuda Purana
The Garuda Purana enumerates seven cities as giver of Moksha.
They are Ayodhya, Mathura, Maya, Kasi, Kanchi, Avantika, Dvaraka.
Various Names of Ujjain
Since Ujjain is one of the oldest cities in India, it has been known by many names:
Avantika, Padmavati, Kushasthali, Bhagavati, Haranyavati, Kandakatringa, Kumudvati, Pratikalpa, Ujjayani, Udeni Vishala.
It is said that to the Western astronomers it was known as “Arin”
Ujjain is an ancient city on the eastern bank of the Kshipra River (क्षिप्रा),today part of the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. In ancient times the city was called Ujjayini. As mentioned in the Mahabharata epic, Ujjayini was the capital of the Avanti Kingdom. Ujjain is regarded as one of the seven sacred cities (SaptaPuri) of Ancient India. It is one of the four sites that host the KumbhMela (also called the SimhasthaMela).
It is also home to the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga, one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines to Lord Shiva.
An ancient seat of learning, Ujjain is the place where Lord Krishna, along with Balarama and Sudama, received education from Maharishi Sandipani.