Ujjain Mahakal Temple

Ujjain Mahakal Temple is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of India. It is the main temple of Lord Mahakaleshwar, located in Ujjain city of Madhya Pradesh state. Ujjain Mahakal Beautiful descriptions of this temple are found in the works of great poets like Puranas, Mahabharata, and Kalidas. Due to being self-made, grand, and south-facing, Mahakaleshwar Mahadev has extremely virtuous significance. It is believed that one attains salvation just by seeing it. The great poet Kalidas has praised this temple while discussing Ujjaini in Meghdoot. After the destruction of this ancient temple by Iltutmish in 1235 AD, all the rulers who lived here paid special attention to the restoration and beautification of this temple, which is why the temple has been able to attain its present form. This temple is decorated every year and before Simhastha.

Before coming to ujjain you musts see how to book tickets for Bhasm Aarti

History

History shows that Ujjain was ruled by the Yavanas from 1107 to 1728 AD. During his reign, the ancient religious traditions of Hindus established in Avanti for about 4500 years were almost destroyed. But in 1690 AD, the Marathas attacked the Malwa region and on 29 November 1728, the Maratha rulers established their supremacy in the Malwa region. After this, the lost glory of Ujjain returned and from 1731 to 1809 this city remained the capital of Malwa. Two important events took place here during the reign of Marathas – first, the reconstruction of Mahakaleshwar temple and the re-establishment of Jyotirlinga and the establishment of Simhastha festival bath, which was a huge achievement. Later, Raja Bhoj expanded this temple.

Elucidation

The temple is situated within a wall. There is a staircase to reach the sanctum sanctorum. Just above this, there is another chamber in which Omkareshwar Shivalinga is installed. The area of the temple is 10.77 x 10.77 square meters and its height is 28.71 meters. There is a huge crowd in this temple every Monday during Mahashivratri and Shravan month. There is a small water source adjacent to the temple which is called Kotitirtha. It is believed that when Iltutmish demolished the temple, he had thrown the Shivalinga in this Kotitirtha. Later it was re-established. Before the Simhastha Mahaparva of 1968, the main gate was expanded and decorated. Apart from this, another gate was also constructed for evacuation. But keeping in view the huge crowd of visitors, a huge assembly hall was constructed by the Birla Industrial Group before the Simhastha in 1980. An administrative committee has been formed for the arrangements of the Mahakaleshwar temple, under whose direction the arrangements here are running smoothly. Recently, its 118 peaks have been coated with 16 kg gold. Now internet facility for donations has also been started in the temple.

Bhasma Aarti at Mahakaleshwar Temple Ujjain

Mahakaleshwar Temple is also famous all over the world for the Bhasmarti, which is performed every day at Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga. The Bhasmarti begins every morning at 4:00 a.m. to wake up Lord Shiva. It is believed that in the past, the Bhasmarti was performed with the funeral ashes, but in present times, this tradition has changed and ash is prepared from cow dung.You can book ticket for bhasmarti online for free.

Mahakal Lok Corridor

To develop tourism, preserve ancient heritage, and provide world-class modern facilities to the pilgrims, the ‘Mahakal Lok’ project has been implemented in Ujjain. The first phase of this Mahakal Corridor project has been completed.
The length of the Shri Mahakal Lok Corridor is more than 900 meters. It is surrounded by the old Rudrasagar Lake, which is also a part of the development project. Once you enter the corridor, you will see 108 pillars, around 200 statues, and murals that display stories of Shiva.
The pillars, sculptures, murals, fountains, and parks are adorned with colorful lights and look very beautiful at night.  Apart from this, there is also a Bharat Mata Mandir where the Vande Mataram song is sung daily at 8 pm. Later the echo of the slogans of Bharat Mata Ki Jai and Vande Mataram awakens the spirit of patriotism in the hearts of the tourists.

Distance Of Ujjain From Major Cities

• Indore – 50 kms
• Bhopal – 183 kms
• Ahmedabad – 402 kms
• Mumbai – 655 kms
• Delhi – 772 km

Climate And Geology

Climate of Ujjain

The city of Ujjain comes under the Malwa region which is famous for its climate which permits normal activities all year round. The following table gives the overall climatic picture of the city:

• Climatic features– Geographical location 23°-11 North
• Latitude – 75°-45 East
• Longitude – Unique geographical location from where the tropic of cancer passes.

Atmospheric Temperature Conditions Ujjain

• Maximum temperature- 39◦. The hottest months are April to June.
• Minimum temperature- 5◦. The coolest months are from December to February.

Annual Rainfall in Ujjain

• Average annual rainfall 900 mm, Shallow groundwater (pre-monsoon) 20 mts.
• Shallow groundwater (post-monsoon) 8 mts.