Mahakaleshwar Temple Ujjain - One of the Twelve Jyotirlingas Ancient Hindu Shiva Temple.

 

Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple is a ancient Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. shrines which are said to be the most sacred abodes of Shiva, It is located in the ancient city of Ujjain in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. The Mahakaleshwar Temple is situated on the side of the holy river Shipra. The presiding deity, Shiva in the lingam form is believed to be Swayambhu, deriving currents of power (Shakti) from within itself as against the other images and lingams that are ritually established and invested with mantra-shakti. The shrine is revered as one of the 18 Maha Shakti Peetham. According to the Puranas, the city of Ujjain was called Avantika and was famous for its beauty and its status as a devotional epicenter. It was also one of the primary cities where students went to study holy scriptures.

 

When did the Mahakala temple first come in existence, is difficult to tell. However, the event may be assigned to the Pre-historic period. Puranas narrate that it was first established by Prajapita Brahma. Mahakala temple is also mentioned in several ancient Indian poetic texts. According to these texts, the temple had been very magnificent and magnanimous. Its foundation and platform were built of stones. The temple rested on the wooden pillars.There had been no sikharas on the temples prior to the Gupta period. The roofs of temples had mostly been flat.Possibly due to this fact, Kalidasa in Raghuvansam described this temple as ‘Niketana’.The palace of the king had been in the vicinity of the temple. In the early part of the Meghadutam (Purva Megha),Kalidasa gives a fascinating description of the Mahakala temple.

 

 

The temple complex was destroyed by Sultan Shams-ud-din Iltutmish during his raid of Ujjain in 1234-35. The Jyotirlinga was dismantled and believed to be thrown into a nearby 'Kotiteerth Kunda' (a pond neighbouring the temple).The present structure was built by the Maratha general Ranoji Shinde in 1734 CE after Baji Rao I appointed him to collect taxes in malwa region. Further developments and management was done by other members of shinde dynasty. The Maratha Empire regime was established in Ujjain in the 4th decade of the 18th century. The administration of Ujjain was assigned by Peshwa Bajirao-I to his faithful commander Ranoji Shinde, the Diwan of Ranoji was Sukhatanakar Ramchandra Baba Shenavi who was very wealthy he decided to invest his wealth for religious purposes. In this connection, he re-built the Mahakaleshwar Temple during the 4th-5th decades of the 18th century. After India became independent in 1947, the Mahakaleshwar Dev Sthan Trust was replaced by the municipal corporation of Ujjain. Nowadays it is under the collectorate office of Ujjain districrt. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to inaugurate the Mahakaleshwar Corridor, constructed at a cost of Rs 350 crore, on October 11, 2022. Mahakaleshwar Corridor is a Mahakal Maharaj Mandir Parisar Vistar Yojna is a plan for the expansion, beautification, and decongestion of the Mahakaleshwar temple and its adjoining area in Ujjain district.

 

 

The idol of Mahakaleshwar is known to be dakshinamukhi, which means that it is facing the south. This is a unique feature, upheld by the tantric shivnetra tradition to be found only in Mahakaleshwar among the 12 Jyotirlingas. The idol of Omkareshwar Mahadev is consecrated in the sanctum above the Mahakal shrine. The images of Ganesh, Parvati and Karttikeya are installed in the west, north, and east of the sanctum sanctorum. To the south is the image of Nandi, the vehicle of Shiva. The idol of Nagchandreshwar on the third storey is open for darshan only on the day of Nag Panchami. The temple has five levels, one of which is underground. The temple itself is located in a spacious courtyard surrounded by massive walls near a lake. The shikhar or the spire is adorned with sculptural finery. Brass lamps light the way to the underground sanctum. A very large-sized Kunda named Koti Tirtha also exists in the temple-complex. The Kunda is built in the sarvatobhadra style. The Kunda and its water both are treated as very celestial. On the path adjoining the stairs of the Kunda, may be seen many images representing the sculptural grandeur of the temple built during the Paramara period. In the southern side of the main shrine, there stand many small Saivite temples built during the shinde regime among these the temple of Vrddha Mahakalesvara, Anadi Kalpesvara and Saptarshi are prominent and are the remarkable pieces of architecture. It is believed that prasada (holy offering) offered here to the deity can be re-offered unlike all other shrines.

 

 

Mahakaleshwar Temple midst of the busy routine of modern preoccupations provides an unbreakable link with ancient Hindu traditions. The Bhasm Aarti that takes place in the Mahakaleshwar Temple on a daily basis is a prime attraction. During this religious ritual, the idol of Lord Shiva is worshipped with sacred ash brought from the ghats, and the ash is then applied to the lingam before conducting the holy prayers. On the day of Maha Shivaratri, a huge fair is held near the temple, and worship goes on through the night. Devotees are not allowed to bring bags , mobile phones and cameras during the visit . Lockers and Cloak Rooms are there for devotees where they can keep their belongings. On last Monday of the holy period of Sawaan a huge participation of devotees in the procession of God Mahakaal travel in his Palanquin (called Savaari) to the river Kshipra is an awesome spectacle.

 

Located in Ujjain, the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple is quite easy to reach via flights, bus and trains. The Jyotirlinga Temple has a well-connected roadway with different cities such as Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune and Bhopal. Ujjain Junction is the closest railway stations to the temple and Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport Indore is the closest airport to Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple is just about 51 km.

 

 

Bhasma Aarti: 04:00 AM

Closing time: 11:00 PM

 

Dress Code:

No dress code for normal darshan

Jalaabhishek Dress: Men - Dhoti and Shawl (available at the shops outside the temple or on rent at the temple) Women - Saree

 

Entry Fee: No entry fee

VIP Darshan: INR 250

 

Facilities:

Wheelchair Accessible

Lockers for Mobile Phone and Valuables

 

Time Required: 4-5 hours