Ujjain Municipal Corporation Moves To Widen Mahakal Temple Road From 12 To 24 Metres For Simhastha 2028

Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh): Ujjain Municipal Corporation (UMC) on Wednesday began preparations to remove encroachments along the road from Mahakal Temple to Mahakal Ghati Square as part of Simhastha Mahaparv-2028 works.

A UMC team reached the area with a JCB machine, police personnel and barricades. Shops selling bangles, clothes and 'puja' materials, along with restaurants, closed after news of the action spread. Some visitors staying in nearby hotels were also asked to leave as a security measure.

The widening of the nearly 200-metre-long road had remained caught in a legal dispute for three years. UMC initiated action after the court stay was lifted. A technical team had marked the stretch for demolition on Tuesday.

UMC official Rajkumar Rathore said the road is currently around 12 metres wide and is proposed to be widened to 24 metres to handle increased traffic and movement of devotees during Simhastha.

According to the Ujjain Master Plan, 39 illegal constructions and portions of permanent structures fall within the widening zone.

As the action began, local traders and shopkeepers requested more time to remove their belongings, citing the festive season. UMC granted them 24 hours and said the encroachment removal drive would resume on Thursday.

UMC said the widening was necessary for smooth movement of devotees and better traffic management during Simhastha.

Meanwhile, shopkeepers and hotel operators expressed unhappiness over action concerning the proposed widening of the road from Gate No. 1 of Mahakaleshwar Temple to Mahakal Chauraha. The road is currently around 12 metres wide.

Traders said marking for the widening was carried out only on Tuesday evening, while the municipal team reached the area the next morning and asked them to vacate their establishments.