On 28 August 2025, heavy rain swelled the Shipra and the temples at Ram Ghat in Ujjain went under water. That event matters if you are planning around Ram Ghat Ujjain aarti timing and the best time to go. The short version is that the evening aarti is held at sunset, so it falls roughly between 6 and 7 pm depending on the season (per MP Tourism). The cooler months, October to March, are the recommended season (also per MP Tourism). The rest of this post explains how an evening at the ghat runs and what to check before you travel.
An evening at Ram Ghat, step by step
Treat the times below as a rough shape, not a schedule. Sunset moves through the year, and the aarti moves with it.
- Before sunset, arrive early. One unofficial guide (ujjainyatra.co.in) suggests reaching the ghat around 5:30 pm to get a place on the steps. That is a single secondary source, so use it as a sensible margin, not a rule.
- At sunset, the aarti begins. MP Tourism says the Kshipra (Shipra) aarti is performed at sunset. Priests perform the rituals with bells, cymbals and drums, and devotees sing together.
- How long it lasts. MP Tourism says about one hour. A secondary guide (ujjainyatra.co.in) says 30 to 45 minutes. The sources differ, so plan for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Seasonal timings from a secondary guide. The same unofficial guide gives winter timings of about 6:30 to 7:30 pm and summer timings of about 7 to 8 pm. This is not an official schedule, and it differs slightly from MP Tourism's 6 to 7 pm range. Check on the day.
Best time to visit Ram Ghat: season and time of day
MP Tourism names October to March, the cooler months, as the best time. For time of day, the sunset aarti is the reason most people come, so the evening is the answer.
For the monsoon, the only flood we found documented is the one on 28 August 2025, covered in the box below. We did not find an official flood calendar, so check conditions locally before a monsoon visit.
Safety box: river, steps and bathing
- Flooding is real. On 28 August 2025 the temples at Ram Ghat were submerged after heavy rain, as reported by ThePrint and ANI. It coincided with Rishi Panchami crowds, and security was increased.
- Bathing advice from an official. An SDRF official, Devendra Singh, said: "We are requesting the devotees not to go into the depths and to take a bath only by sitting on the bank."
- Water quality. Some visitor reviews on Tripadvisor describe the Shipra water as stagnant and dirty, with garbage. These are reviewers' opinions, not an official assessment. Decide for yourself whether to bathe, and if you do, stay at the bank.
Address and how to reach Ram Ghat
MP Tourism lists the address as Ram Ghat Marg, Kartik Chowk, Ujjain.
| From | Distance | Source and note |
|---|---|---|
| Ujjain Junction | 3 km | MP Tourism |
| Mahakaleshwar Temple | Reported as 400 m, 1 km or 3 km by road | Unofficial guides disagree. Treat it as close, from under about 1 km straight-line to a few km by road, and verify. |
| Nearest airport (Indore) | 65 km | MP Tourism |
One unofficial source (simhastha.org.in) gives fares for the Ujjain railway station to Mahakaleshwar Temple leg only: an auto at Rs 40 to 80 and an e-rickshaw at Rs 30 to 60, about 10 to 15 minutes for roughly 2 km. These are not fares to Ram Ghat and come from a single source, so agree the fare before you get in.
What else is nearby
MP Tourism notes that the area holds 84 Shiva temples, including several at Ram Ghat itself. The same page mentions the Mahakaleshwar ash aarti at 4 am.
More from around Indore: our Omkareshwar pilgrimage guide from Indore, Maheshwar and its Narmada ghats, and Sarafa Bazaar, Indore's night food street.
Simhastha 2028: planned dates only
Ram Ghat is described as the principal bathing ghat for Simhastha, and a new 29 km Kshipra riverfront corridor with temporary ghats is reported as planned (secondary source, mpvacationindore.com). The dates below come from an unofficial site (simhastha.org.in) and are not confirmed. That site itself says to verify against the government notification.
- Planned period: 27 March to 27 May 2028
- Shahi Snan: 9 April (Chaitra Purnima), 23 April (another site, ujjaindarshan.com, says 24 April), and 8 May 2028
Please verify against the official notification before booking anything.
What we could not confirm
- Parking arrangements at or near the ghat
- Boat ride availability and prices
- Photography rules during the aarti
- Crowd levels on Kartik, Mahashivratri or Somvati Amavasya
- Any official statement from the municipal corporation or district administration on the aarti or ghat conditions
We did not find an official municipal or district page, so the timings above lean on MP Tourism and the secondary guides named. Ask at your hotel or a local priest on the day.
Last verified: 2026-09-26. Prices, timings and dates change, so confirm before you travel.
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