Mahakaleshwar Temple, Ujjain

Mahakaleshwar Temple, Ujjain
Lord Shiva has many forms and different forms have different names. Lord Shiva is known by the names Bholenath, Shambhu, Omkeshwar, Vishwanath, Kedarnath and Trimbakeshwar, Vaidnath etc. Along with all this, Lord Shiva is also known as Kaal Mahakal. Mahakal i.e. Mahakaleshwar which is included in the 12 Jyotirlingas. Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is located in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. His glory is unique. This form of Lord Shiva is most prevalent.

Mahakaleshwar Temple
Mahakaleshwar temple complex is very large. Where there are small big temples of many gods and goddesses apart from Mahakaleshwar. The Jyotirlinga of Mahakal is divided into three sections. Mahakaleshwar is located in the lower section, Omkareshwar in the middle section and Nagachandreshwar in the upper section. The Nagachandreshwar form is seen on the day of Nagpanchami. The temple has a huge Dakshinamukhi Shivling of Mahakaleshwar. Which has been said to be of immense importance in the Vedas. Goddess Parvati Lord Ganesha and Karthikeya ji statue are also installed in the womb itself. Nandideep is always established in the womb, which is always prevalent. The statue of Nandi has been installed in the huge room just in front of the sanctum sanctorum. Devotees worship Shiva by sitting in the same room.

History of Mahakaleshwar Temple

The Mahakal temple of Ujjain is mentioned in religious texts from the sixth century. In the sixth century, King Chandrabos of Ujjain appointed his son Impossible to arrange the Mahakal complex. In the eighth decade of the 11th century, Ghaznavi attacked the Mahakaleshwar temple and tried to destroy the temple. After which the 12th century temple was rebuilt. Even after this, Sultan Iltutmish attacked in 1234–35. But once again the temple was rebuilt.

Bhasma Aarti of Mahakaleshwar Ji
The most important in the Mahakaleshwar temple is the Bhasma Aarti of Mahakaleshwar. People start arranging for the Aarti at Mahakaleshwar Temple many months in advance. For the first Bhasma Aarti, Lord Mahakal is adorned with fresh dead but presently the Bhasma Aarti of cow dung is used. The greatest benefit of going to have a darshan of Mahakal is obtained only when you see the Bhasma Aarti of Mahakaleshwar.

Mystery of Bhasma Aarti

According to mythology, it is believed that Maharaj Chandrasen was formerly ruled by Ujjain and was an ardent devotee of Mahakal. Once the king's palace was attacked by the guards and he started torturing the entire subjects. On the call of Chandrasen and Praja, Lord Shiva killed Rakshaka corruption. After the slaughter, Lord Mahakal made up his face from the ashes of corruption and they settled there on praying. In this way Lord Shiva was named Mahakaleshwar and since then it has become a tradition to perform the Bhasma Aarti of Mahakaleshwar.

It is believed that Bhasma Aarti is performed to awaken Lord Shiva. This aarti is performed everyday at 4 am. King Chandrasen had the Shivalinga installed in the temple.

How to reach Mahakaleshwar Temple

Mahakaleshwar Temple is accessible by air, road and rail via three routes. The nearest airport here is Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport, Indore. Also, there are regular flights from here to Delhi, Mumbai, Bhopal, Pune, Jaipur and Hyderabad. Regular bus services are available from Indore, Bhopal, Ratlam, Kota and Omkareshwar by road. Talking about the rail route, trains are available from here to many cities.