What to Eat After Darshan, Depending on the Time of Day

The question most visitors ask is where to eat in Ujjain. We think the more useful question is what to eat, and the answer depends almost entirely on when you finished darshan.

Someone walking out at seven in the morning after Bhasma Aarti needs something completely different from someone who queued through the middle of the day in May. Most food guides ignore this entirely and just hand you a list of restaurants.

So here is the same area, organised by the clock.

Early morning, straight after Bhasma Aarti

You have been awake since three. You have been standing in cool temple air for a couple of hours. You are running on nothing at all, and there is a specific hollow feeling that comes with it.

This is not the moment for a full thali. Your body will not thank you.

Poha is the local answer and it is the right one. Light, warm, quick to arrive, easy to eat when you are not quite awake. Add jalebi if you want the sugar, which after a start like that you probably do, and there is nothing wrong with wanting it at seven in the morning. This is Madhya Pradesh.

If you want something softer, idli with sambhar does the same job. The warmth is the point more than the food.

Drink something hot. Filter coffee or masala chai, not a cold drink, whatever the season. You have been sitting still for hours and your body is colder than you realise.

Mid morning, after the general queue

If you skipped the aarti and joined the normal queue, you are coming out somewhere between nine and eleven depending on the crowd and the day of the week.

By now you have been standing for a while and you are properly hungry, not just peckish. Dosa is the reliable order at this hour. Crisp, quick, filling without being heavy. Chole bhature if you want something that will genuinely hold you until the evening, which on a sightseeing day is often the smarter choice.

This is also when families with children start coming out, and dosa and idli are usually the path of least resistance with a child who has been standing in a queue and has opinions about it.

Afternoon

The thali comes into its own here. You get dal, sabzi, roti, rice and something sweet without having to make five decisions, and it is the meal most likely to leave a whole table satisfied at the same time. When a group cannot agree, thalis solve it.

Rajma chawal is the other good afternoon order, simpler and comforting. Papdi chaat if you only want something small because you ate late in the morning.

One thing about summer afternoons: drink before you eat. Masala chaas or lassi, ordered first. Ujjain in May is not forgiving, and most people badly underestimate how much the queue and the corridor walk have taken out of them. Rehydrate, then eat.

Evening

Lighter is better in the evening, particularly if you are travelling that night.

South Indian works well. So does dal and roti. Medu vada if you want a snack rather than a full meal, which is often all you need after a big afternoon thali. Kheer if the day has earned it, and after a full Ujjain day it usually has.

A word of warning that comes from watching a lot of people do it: a heavy dinner immediately before a long road journey is a decision you regret somewhere around midnight on the highway. Eat lighter than you want to.

Why the hours matter when choosing where to go

Most places near the temple cover part of the day. Very few cover all of it.

Rasmantra is open 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM, every day, which is the whole span from the aarti crowd to a late dinner. Being inside Mahakal Lok Mandir Parisar, near Triveni Sanghralaya, also means you are not walking out to the main road and back when you are already tired.

Pure vegetarian throughout, which for most people visiting Mahakaleshwar is the deciding factor before anything else on this page.

One practical note, whatever the hour

Go before you are desperate. The gap between hungry and genuinely unpleasant is short after you have been standing in a queue, and it is shorter still if you are travelling with children or older relatives. Eat slightly earlier than you think you need to, and the rest of the day stays enjoyable.

Come and eat with us

Rasmantra is inside Mahakal Lok Mandir Parisar, near Triveni Sanghralaya, on the corridor road. Pure vegetarian, open every day from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM, which covers everything from the Bhasma Aarti crowd at dawn to a late dinner before your train.

Walk in whenever suits you. If you are six or more, or you are coming during a festival week, call ahead on +91 90390 20855 and we will keep a table.

See the full menu or plan your visit at rasmantra.com.