“Exploring Malwa beyond Ujjain: The forgotten heritage of Mandsaur”, First Post, August 31, 2025:

“A visit to Ujjain is always memorable. However, while it leaves a person feeling spiritually satiated, a history buff may come back feeling somewhat unfulfilled. If that seems contradictory in a town that has one iconic Jyotirlinga and two Shaktipeethas, apart from innumerable other shrines, it is perhaps because little in the temple town feels ‘ancient’.

The oldest shrines in Ujjain are mediaeval in terms of their current structure, having been rebuilt by rulers such as the Marathas, following the depredations of earlier eras.

To get a feel of what was truly ancient in this region of Malwa, drive north of Ujjain. To a place where there are no crowds of pilgrims jostling for a darshan of the divine, no tourists adding to the surround sound and no traffic. After a mesh of newly built and repaired highways is left behind, an explorer here feels like he is falling off the map. Except that he isn’t!……”

Read the full article at Firstpost.com