Chintaman Ganesh Temple

The Chintaman Ganesh Temple is the largest temple dedicated to Ganesha in Ujjain, the old Malwa city in Madhya Pradesh, standing on the Kshipra river. The image enshrined there is held to be swayambhu, self-manifested rather than consecrated by human hands, and Ganesha is worshipped under the name Chintaman, the remover of worries, flanked by his two consorts, Riddhi and Siddhi.

The stone building is dated to the 1000s and 1100s, when the Paramara dynasty ruled Malwa, while a local legend pushes its origins back to the age of the Ramayana and credits Sita with establishing the shrine. Its assembly hall is lined with finely carved stone pillars, and the sanctuary draws pilgrims seeking relief from their anxieties.