Mahakaleshwar Temple

Gain Spiritual Solace in Mahakaleshwar Shiva Temple

The Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Shiva. Situated close to the Rudra Sagar Lake in Ujjain, the temple is one of the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas.

It is believed that the upper lip of Devi Sati, the consort of Shiva fell in this temple.

Some of the interesting facts related to the temple are mentioned below-

History

The temple has an interesting history. It is widely believed that the city of Ujjain was ruled by a king named Chandrasen who was a great devotee of Shiva.

A young man named Shrikhar was highly motivated by his prayers and wanted to join him for worshipping in the temple. However, he was not allowed to enter the temple by the royal cavalry.

At that time, some neighbouring kings were planning to attack Ujjain. Shrikhar and Vridhi, a local priest came to know about it and started to pray in a relentless manner.

Shiva heard their prayers and decided to guard the city forever in the form of a lingam. Thereafter, Chandrasen and his successors built this temple.

The Mahakaleshwar temple suffered numerous attacks throughout history and was destroyed and demolished. In the 19^th century, it was restored by the Scindias of Gwalior.

What is special about the temple?

One of the temple’s major attractions is the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga bhasma aarti. It happens daily at 4 am. The ceremony is performed by worshipping the idol with holy ash brought from the ghats and is applied while making sacred chants.

Architecture

The architecture of the temple is a unique combination of Bhumija, Chalukya and Maratha

Kartikeya, Rama, and Avantika are worth watching. The underground level of the temple houses the garbagriha(sanctum sanctorum).

The shivalinga here is considered to be swayambhu and derives power currents from within itself. This is not the case with other idols which are ritually established and are invested with mantra-shakti.

The idol of the deity is considered to be dakshinamurti(facing the south). This unique characteristic is due to tantric traditions which are visible only in this temple. Within the temple complex is a kunda(reservoir) which is regarded as holy.

Two blacked stone towers located at the temple entrance catch the attention of devotees who come here. Both the towers are used for lighting up diyas during the evening of the Dusshera festival.

According to Skandapuran, a goddess named Harsiddhi killed two demons Chanda and Prachanda.

As per Hindu tradition, Harsiddhi was a goddess worshipped by Vikramaditya. The temple of Harsiddhi has been mentioned in books dating back to the 13 th century. However, the existing temple was built during the Maratha period.

The two lamp columns which are situated in the courtyard are fine examples of the Maratha style of architecture. In one of the column gates of the present tank, there is an inscription of the year 1447.

Best time to visit the temple

The best time for visiting the Mahakaleshwar temple is during Maha Shivratri which is celebrated during the month of Magha (February-March) according to the Hindu calendar.

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