Siddhavat

An immense old banyan on the bank of the Shipra, counted alongside the sacred banyans of Prayagraj and Gaya; the Avantikhanda of the Skanda Purana credits its planting to Parvati, and a small Pataleshwar Shiva shrine stands beneath the branches. This is where Ujjain families come to perform pind daan and tarpan, the offerings made for ancestors, and the mood is domestic and unhurried in a way the main ghat rarely manages. Nothing here is arranged for visitors, which is exactly why the tour circuits leave it out. Early morning is the hour. Keep a respectful distance from rites in progress and ask before photographing anyone.

The one stretch of riverbank here where nothing has been arranged for visitors