The Mahakleshwar Jyotirling temple (also known as Mahakal) is one of the most famous Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingams, which are supposed to be the most sacred abodes of Lord Shiv !! The real establishment date/period of the temple cannot be ascertained, but earliest references to the Mahakal are from 6th century BC !! The temple, in its present form, was reconstructed in 18th century AD !!
The temple is located in the ancient city of Ujjain (Ujjaini) in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India, and is around 55 km away from Indore !! Besides Ujjain's & Indore's population and other devotees, many of India's famous business-persons, politicians, and film-stars are great devotees of Mahakleshwar Jyotirling !!
The most unique feature is the 'Bhasm Aarti' in the wee hours of morning (4 AM), where the lingam of Lord Mahakleshwar is showered with ashes (bhasm) everyday !! After this, the lingam is then bathed ritually and decorated !! The decorations are different everyday and are a treat to watch, especially the one with 'Bhaang' (prepared with leaves and flowers of Cannabis plant), which is also an almost sacred ingredient here !! The decor of the lingam is also suited as per the festivals !! Bhaang is an intoxicant that has been used in India since Vedic times, and is an integral part of Hindu culture !! Bhaang is available at government authorised shops outside the Mahakal temple !!
The temple administration has made it very convenient to book slots for watching the grand & unique Bhasm Aarti, on its website !! Up to 15 days in advance, bookings can be made for watching this ritual, for which one has to go to the temple by 3 AM !! There are certain Black-out dates when the on-line booking is not available, but passes are available at the temple premises !! The bookings can be made here: Bhasm Aarti bookings !! You can also offer 'Prasad' to the lord, make donations, and also book rooms or dormitories at the temple's 'Dharmshaalaas' (serai/lodge) on their website !!
Maha-Shivraatri, Pancha-Kosi Yatra, Somvati Amavasya, etc. are special religious occasions, interwoven with the regular rituals of the temple !! On the day of Maha Shivraatri, a huge fair is held near the temple, and worship goes on through the night !! It is believed that prasaad (holy offering) offered here to the deity can be re-offered, unlike all other shrines !!
The temple is located in the heart of Ujjain city, at a distance of 2 km from the Ujjain railway station !! It is accessible by shared taxis known as tempos, and by auto-rickshaws & private taxis/cars !!
In the city of Ujjain, the temple is situated on the side of the Rudra Sagar lake !! The presiding deity, Shiv 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 idol of Mahakaleshwar is known to be 'Dakshinamurti', which means that it is facing the South !! This is a unique feature, upheld by the tantric shivnetra tradition, to be found only in the Mahakaleshwar temple, among the 12 Jyotirlingas !! The temple has five levels, one of which is underground !! On the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd levels respectively, are installed the lingams of Nagachandreshwar, Omkareshwar, and Mahakaleshwar lords !! The visitors can have the glimpse of Nagachandreshwar lingam only on the festival of Naag Panchami !!
A very large-sized Kund (pond) named Koti Tirth also exists in the temple-complex !! The Kund is built in the sarvatobhadra style !! The Kund and its water both are treated as very celestial !! On the path adjoining the stairs of the Kund, there may be seen many images representing the sculptural grandeur of the temple built during the Parmar period !! In the East of the Kund is a large-sized verandah in which there is the entrance to the path leading to the 'Garbh-graha' !!
In the Northern side of the verandah, in a cell, the images of Sri Ram and goddess Avantika are worshipped !! In the Southern side of the main shrine, there stand many small Shaivite temples built during the Shinde regime !! Among these, the temple of Vraddha Mahakaleshwar, Anadi Kalpeshwar, and Saptarishi are prominent and are remarkable pieces of architecture !!
The lingam of Mahakaleshwar is colossus !! The Silver-plated Naag Jalaadhaari and the inscribed and esoteric Silver plate covering the roof of the Garbh-graha add extra grandeur to the shrine !! Besides the Jyotirlinga, attractive and small-sized images of Ganesh, Kartikeya, and Parvati can be seen in the Garbha-graha !! All around the walls, classical eulogies in the praise of Lord Shiv are exhibited, and inside the temple, the AkhandDeep (lamp) always remains lit !!
On the exit-path, there is a wide hall in which, a very attractive metal-coated stone Nandi, in the sitting pose, may be witnessed !! The courtyard, just opposite to the Omkareshwar temple, adds much to the magnanimity of this vast temple-complex !! Just adjoining this temple, there are two pillared projections facing the East adding greatly to the architecture of the temple !! The temple of Mahakaleshwar is a planned mixture of the Bhumija, Chalukya, and Maratha styles of architectures !! The Shikhar or the dome, with the mini-sringas, is very peculiar !! In previous years, its upper part has been plated with Gold !!
As seen earlier, the present temple of Mahakal was built during the 4th and 5th decades of Eighteenth Century !! Simultaneously, the religious-minded nobles of Maratha community also built many a temple in this sprawling complex !! During this period, many ancient traditions such as worshipping through abhishek, aarti, sawaari (procession), etc. in the Shraavan month, and Harihara-milan, etc. were also revived !! These are still continuing with joyful ceremony and devotional enthusiasm !!
HISTORY/MYTHOLOGY:
Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga - the presiding deity of time, Shiv, in all his splendour, reigns eternally in the city of Ujjain !! The temple of Mahakaleshwar, its shikhar soaring into the sky, an imposing façade against the skyline, evokes primordial awe and reverence with its majesty !!
The Mahakal dominates the life of the city and its people, even in the midst of the busy routine of modern preoccupations, and provides an unbreakable link with ancient Hindu traditions !!
According to the Puraans, the city of Ujjain was called Avantika and was famous for its beauty and its devotional epicentre !! It was also one of the primary cities where students went to study holy scriptures !!
According to the legend, there was a ruler of Ujjain called Chandrasen, who was a pious devotee of Lord Shiva and worshipped him all the time !! One day, a farmer's boy named Shrikhar was walking on the grounds of the palace and heard the King chant the Lord's name and rushed to the temple to start praying with him !! However, the guards moved him out by force and sent him to the outskirts of the city near River Kshipra !! Rivals of Ujjain, primarily King Ripudaman and Kind Singhaditya of the neighbouring kingdoms decided to attack the Kingdom and take over its treasures around this time !!
Hearing this, Shrikhar started to pray and the news spread to a priest named Vridhi !! He was shocked to hear this and upon the urgent pleas of his sons, he started to pray to Lord Shiv inside River Kshipra !! The Kings chose to attack and were successful; with the help of the powerful demon Dushan, who was blessed by Lord Brahma to be invisible, they plundered the city and attacked all the devotees of Lord Shiva !! Upon hearing the pleas of His helpless devotees, Lord Shiva appeared in his Mahakal form and destroyed the enemies of King Chandrasen !!
Upon the request of his devotees Shrikhar and Vridhi, Lord Shiva agreed to reside in the city and become the chief deity of the Kingdom and take care of it against its enemies and to protect all His devotees !! From that day on, Lord Shiva resided in His light form as Mahakal in a Lingam that got formed on its own from the powers of the Lord and His consort, Parvati !! The Lord also blessed his devotees and declared that people who worshipped Him in this form would be free from the fear of death and diseases !! Also, they would be granted worldly treasures and be under the protection of the Lord himself !!