Hotels, roads and the race against time: Inside Ujjain’s Simhastha 2028 makeover

Ujjain, a city steeped in history, is undergoing a massive transformation as it prepares for the grand Simhastha 2028 pilgrimage. The ancient temple town is being modernized in an unprecedented way, with bulldozers, widened roads, and concrete replacing its traditional streets and structures. On September 27, crowds gathered at the Shahi Masjid to protest the removal of a portion of the mosque within the proposed road alignment, as the administration pressed ahead with its plans.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav even personally demolished his grandfather's ancestral home in Abdalpura, signaling the government's commitment to the project.

The government has approved 128 projects worth approximately Rs 13,851 crore across 10 departments for the Simhastha Mela 2028. Chief Minister Yadav has made Simhastha his defining project, with the administration fully mobilized to transform the city before the arrival of pilgrims. The most visible changes are on Ujjain's roads, with the Ujjain-Indore six-laning project and a separate Indore-Ujjain greenfield four-lane corridor currently under construction.

Additionally, a 98.73-km Ujjain-Jaora greenfield four-lane corridor, costing about Rs 5,017 crore, has received its foundation stone and is expected to be completed by December 2027.

Over 80% of the road and connectivity works have reached the ground, with the road component around 70% complete. More than 10 five-star hotels are either coming up or planned in Ujjain, while new ghats and associated works are being built along the Shipra River, stretching approximately 29.2 km. The Kanh closed-duct diversion scheme, costing Rs 919.94 crore, aims to prevent polluted water from the Kanh River from entering the Shipra.

Despite the rapid pace of development, there is a human cost involved, as residents' trust in the administration erodes due to the speed at which changes are being implemented.