In the ancient city of Ujjain, on the bank of the Rudra Sagar near the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga, stands the temple of Harsiddhi, worshipped as Mahakali — one of the eighteen Maha Shakti Peethas named in Adi Shankaracharya's stotram, "Ujjainyam Mahakali." In the tradition of the Peethas, a part of Sati's form fell here, and the Goddess is revered as the fierce, protective Mother who grants victory (jaya) and accomplishment (siddhi) — the meaning devotees find in her name Harsiddhi.
Legend links her closely to the emperor Vikramaditya, whose devotion to the Goddess is woven into the lore of Ujjain. The temple is famed for its two tall Deep Stambhas — lamp-pillars set with hundreds of niches that, kindled at Navaratri, blaze with light in a breathtaking display.
As the seat of the Goddess in the sacred trio of Kamakhya, Gaya, and Ujjain, Harsiddhi is among the most revered Devi shrines of central India.
