Ujjain Simhastha 2028 · Getting there
Indore to Ujjain for the Simhastha: Train, Bus or Road
Indore is the nearest big city to Ujjain, 53 km away by road, and has the nearest airport. Trains from Indore Junction take about 1 to 1.5 hours on most services; buses, taxis and your own car are the other ways.
If you are flying in to Indore, or staying in Indore and travelling in each day, this page covers that leg. The Simhastha is expected from 27 March to 27 May 2028; see the Ujjain Simhastha guide for the bigger picture.
The ways in, at a glance
- By train, arrive at4Ujjain Junction railway stationAbout 1.5 km from Mahakaleshwar Temple in a straight line
- By bus, arrive at5Dewas Gate bus standAbout 1.5 km from Mahakaleshwar Temple in a straight line6Nanakheda bus standAbout 3.4 km from Mahakaleshwar Temple in a straight line
- By roadParking set by the Simhastha traffic plan, once it is published
- By air, nearest airportDevi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport, Indore
- 1Mahakaleshwar TempleTemple
- 2Kal Bhairav TempleTemple
- 3Chintaman Ganesh TempleTemple
- 4Ujjain Junction railway stationRailway
- 5Dewas Gate bus standBus
- 6Nanakheda bus standBus
A guide to where places are, not a route plan. During the mela, roads and ghats open and close by the official plan; follow police and mela directions.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Some temple locations from Wikidata (CC0). openstreetmap.org/copyright
Indore to Ujjain at a glance
| Mode | How | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Train | 44 trains from Indore Junction (INDB) to Ujjain Junction (UJN) on NTES, 15 of them daily. Most take about 1 to 1.5 hours; the Vande Bharat takes about 40 minutes. | The running days, and any change on NTES or IRCTC |
| Bus | Regular buses, the Ujjain district says. The state’s new public bus service started in Indore in September 2026. | Times on the Lokpath app or at the bus stand, and where the bus stops in Ujjain |
| Car or taxi | 53 km by road, by the district’s figure. The Indore to Ujjain highway is being widened to six lanes. | The route on the day, and diversions and parking near bathing days once announced |
| From the airport | Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport is about 58 km from Ujjain, the temple’s website says | A taxi or bus by road, or a train from Indore Junction |
By train from Indore
When we checked the NTES enquiry on 18 October 2026, it listed 44 trains from Indore Junction (INDB) to Ujjain Junction (UJN), 15 of them daily.
- Through the day: the first listed train left Indore at about 05:30 and the last at about 23:30. Most express trains take about 1 to 1.5 hours.
- Fastest: the Vande Bharat (20911), six days a week, leaves Indore at about 06:10 and reaches Ujjain at about 06:50.
- Daily local trains: two MEMU trains, the 69212 at about 08:10 and the 69214 at about 10:35, and two passenger trains, the 59388 at about 08:00 and the 59307 at about 18:00. They take about 1.5 to 3 hours.
- Daily expresses: among them the Malwa Express (12919) at about 12:15 and the Avantika Express (12962) at about 17:45, each about 1 to 1.5 hours. Several more leave between about 16:00 and 18:30.
- Specials: a few listed trains run as Train On Demand services, which may not run on a given date.
Timetables change. Check your train on NTES or IRCTC before you book, and again on the day you travel.
No Simhastha special trains have been published yet. See what changes during the Simhastha, below.
By bus from Indore
The Ujjain district says regular buses connect Ujjain with Indore.
Madhya Pradesh restarted state-run public buses on 25 September 2026, after 21 years, under the Mukhyamantri Sugam Parivahan Seva, run through Madhya Pradesh Yatri Parivahan and Infrastructure Limited. In the first phase Indore got 145 buses, 50 of them intercity, the state said. Its releases do not list the intercity routes, so check whether an Indore to Ujjain service runs on your day.
The state says the timetable of these buses will be on the Lokpath app. You can also ask at the bus stand in Indore.
By car or taxi from Indore
The Ujjain district puts Indore 53 km from Ujjain by road. The road between them, State Highway 59, is being widened to six lanes for the Simhastha. The Chief Minister said in August 2026 that 80 per cent of the work was done.
A separate Indore to Ujjain greenfield four-lane road is also planned. The state wants its Simhastha road works finished a few months before the event, but has not given opening dates.
Check the route and the time on a map on the day you travel. A normal-day time does not tell you how long the trip will take during the Simhastha, and the 2028 traffic and parking plan has not been published.
Further ahead, the state has committed to extending the Indore metro to Ujjain. It is a plan, not a service you can use for 2028 yet.
From Indore airport
The airport is Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport, run by the Airports Authority of India. The Ujjain district puts it 53 km from Ujjain and the temple’s website about 58 km.
From the airport, go on to Ujjain by taxi or bus, or into the city to Indore Junction for a train.
The state aims to finish a new airport at Datana-Matana near Ujjain before the Simhastha. Until it opens and airlines announce flights, Indore is the airport to use. See how to reach Ujjain for flights and other routes.
Getting around once you reach Ujjain
Ujjain Railway Station and the bus stand are both stops on the Ujjain Darshan electric bus route, which the state launched on 27 September 2026. It runs a 27 km loop from Meghdoot Van Parking past Mahakal Lok, the Harsiddhi temple, the Shipra, Kal Bhairav, Mangalnath, Sandipani Ashram, Chintaman Ganesh and other temples. You can get off at a stop and board the next bus there while your ticket is valid. Ask about tickets at the stop or on the bus.
The same launch set 12 city bus routes in Ujjain, among them Ujjain Railway Station to Kaliyadeh Palace and several from Dewas Gate. These are everyday services; how city buses will run during the Simhastha has not been announced.
Ram Ghat on the Shipra is the main Simhastha ghat. See the ghats guide and the Mahakaleshwar guide for the old city.
What changes during the Simhastha
The transport plan for 2028 has not been published. This is what the railways planned for the last Simhastha, in 2016, and what has been said so far for 2028.
- 2016: special trains and stations around Ujjain. Before the 2016 Simhastha, the Ministry of Railways told Parliament it would run special trains where feasible, use MEMU and DEMU trains for short trips and add coaches to regular trains. It listed works at Ujjain and at stations around it: Nagda, Vikram Nagar, Shipra Bridge, Fatehabad, Naikheri, Chintaman Ganesh, Pingleshwar, Indore, Ratlam, Pawasa and Mohanpura, with temporary halt stations at Pawasa and Mohanpura.
- 2028: special trains planned, not published. In June 2026 the state government said 236 special trains will run for the Simhastha, and that seven stations are being upgraded: Ujjain, Nai Khedi, Chintaman, Panwasa, Mohanpura, Pingleshwar and Vikram Nagar. When we checked on 18 October 2026, no list of trains, routes or dates had been published by Indian Railways.
- Indore is part of the rail plan. Indore was among the stations with Simhastha works in 2016. Which Indore trains will run as Simhastha specials in 2028 has not been announced.
- Your train may stop short of Ujjain Junction. Western Railway’s Ratlam division told Amar Ujala in January 2026 that it plans to spread arriving passengers across several stations around Ujjain, with some major trains stopping there instead of at Ujjain Junction, and a route from each station to the mela area. Check your stop when special trains are announced.
- Parking and buses. In April 2026 the Chief Minister asked for parking, homestays and public amenities within 100 km of Ujjain, and the state approved a transit hub at the Dewas Gate bus stand with a skywalk to the railway station. The 2028 traffic and parking plan has not been published.
Book only what NTES, IRCTC or the state bus services show, not a train or bus you read about in a forwarded message. Before you pay for a package, read Is this Kumbh booking real?
Shahi snan days usually draw the most pilgrims; follow police and mela instructions on the day. For the road, bridge and ghat works under way, see Ujjain Simhastha 2028: the works under way.
Plan around the Simhastha window
The Simhastha is expected from 27 March to 27 May 2028. The bathing days, including the shahi snans, have not been announced.
Book travel you can change until the dates are fixed. The Ujjain Simhastha 2028 dates page tracks what has been announced. If you plan to stay in Indore and travel in, read where to stay for Ujjain Simhastha 2028 first.
Pick your month and who is coming below to see what fits your trip.
Plan my Kumbh in three taps
- Haridwar Kumbh 2027: Thu 14 Jan to Tue 20 Apr 2027
- Nashik–Trimbakeshwar Simhastha: Main bathing Aug to Sep 2027
- Ujjain Simhastha 2028: 27 Mar to 27 May 2028
- Prayagraj Magh Mela 2027: Magh Mela, 15 Jan to 6 Mar 2027
Questions people ask
How long is the train from Indore to Ujjain?
About 1 to 1.5 hours on most express trains. On NTES on 18 October 2026, the fastest was the Vande Bharat (20911) at about 40 minutes, six days a week, and the daily MEMU and passenger trains took about 1.5 to 3 hours. Check NTES or IRCTC before you travel.
Is there a bus from Indore to Ujjain?
Yes. The Ujjain district says regular buses connect the two cities. The state’s new public bus service started in Indore in September 2026 with 50 intercity buses, but its releases do not list the routes; check the Lokpath app or the bus stand.
Are there special trains from Indore for Simhastha 2028?
Not yet published. In June 2026 the state said 236 special trains will run for the Simhastha, but no list of trains, routes or dates had been published when we checked on 18 October 2026.