Millions arrive in Ujjain every year with folded hands, seeking blessings at its ancient temples. They walk through sacred corridors and immerse themselves in a city whose spiritual legacy stretches back centuries.
But few stop to wonder what Ujjain looked like before the temples.
Long before it became one of India’s holiest pilgrimage centres, ancient texts described it as Mahakal Van — a vast forest where nature and spirituality existed side by side. Over centuries, however, urban growth gradually replaced that green cover, leaving behind a city where open natural spaces are now few and far between.
For Anurag Tiwari, an Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer from the 2018 Madhya Pradesh cadre and the Divisional Forest Officer of Ujjain, that forgotten past offers a roadmap for the city’s future.
“The first challenge was identifying land where greening could actually happen. Ujjain is an ancient city, and land availability is never easy,” he says.
Historically, Mahakal Van is believed to have spread across much of present-day Ujjain, which today covers between 51.83 and 157 sq km.
Finding space, however, wasn’t straightforward. Much of the city’s open land falls under the Revenue Department rather than the Forest Department. So Tiwari and his team began searching for places where nature could return in a way that also resonated with people’s faith.
That search led them back to scripture.
Recreating the sacred forest of Mahakal Van
The Skanda Purana describes Ujjaini as the City of Mahakal Van. Many of the city’s famous temples are believed to stand where shrines once existed within this sprawling forest.
Drawing inspiration from these texts, the Forest Department is creating Aastha Vans — sacred groves along the Panchkoshi Yatra route. Each grove combines native tree species with plants traditionally associated with the deities worshipped in the region, bringing together ecology and faith.
Long before it became one of India’s holiest pilgrimage centres, ancient texts described it as Mahakal Van — a vast forest where nature and spirituality existed side by side. Photograph: (Holidify)
The effort goes beyond planting saplings.
The department is also trying to restore species that have quietly disappeared from Ujjain’s landscape. Tamarind, once common, now survives only in scattered pockets. Miswak, which was once native to the Kshipra river basin, is now found mostly in southern India.
“We are trying to develop Aastha Vans that can function as sacred groves while showcasing local biodiversity,” says Tiwari. “The idea is to reconnect people with nature through the spiritual identity of Ujjain.”
This isn’t Tiwari’s first urban greening project. During his earlier posting in Khargone’s Barwani division, he developed three biodiversity-focused urban forests, work that earned recognition from the World Book of Records. He is now applying those learnings to Ujjain.
Turning communities into custodians
Planting trees is only the beginning. Protecting them for decades requires local ownership.
Instead of managing the groves entirely through the Forest Department, the plan is to hand each Aastha Van over to nearby temple trusts and Gram Panchayats.
“The idea is that temple organisations and Gram Panchayats become the custodians of these sacred groves,” says Tiwari.
As one of India’s busiest pilgrimage destinations, Ujjain sometimes becomes a transit point for banned wildlife products such as Hatha Jodi and Sehi Singhi, which are linked to wildlife crime and superstition. Photograph: (Trawell)
The response has been encouraging, with plantation work already underway and strong community participation.
To strengthen this connection, the department organised a six-day Van Mela earlier this year. The event brought together more than 60 Non-Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) cooperative societies, over 100 traditional healers and herbal brands.
More than 1.5 lakh people visited the fair, while herbal product sales crossed Rs 1 crore, demonstrating how conservation can also support local livelihoods.
Protecting more than just trees
The department’s work extends beyond restoring forests.
As one of India’s busiest pilgrimage destinations, Ujjain sometimes becomes a transit point for banned wildlife products such as Hatha Jodi and Sehi Singhi, which are linked to wildlife crime and superstition.
To tackle this, the Forest Department has stepped up surveillance, carrying out four to five major enforcement drives in a single month.
At the same time, it is developing a 210-hectare naturalistic zoo on reserved forest land. The project has already received in-principle approval from the Central Zoo Authority and forms part of the city’s broader green vision ahead of the Ujjain Simhastha Kumbh Mela 2028.
For Tiwari, however, the heart of the effort lies in the Aastha Vans.
If the sacred groves flourish, native species return and local communities continue to care for them, Ujjain could once again become a city where faith and forests grow together.
His vision is simple: not just to plant more trees, but to help one of India’s oldest sacred cities rediscover the forest that once gave it its identity.
