Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple - Ujjain - Yatrasthal

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Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple - Ujjain

Mahakaleshwar Temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of India. This temple is the main temple of Lord Mahakaleshwar located in Ujjain city of Madhya
Mahakaleshwar Temple

Mahakaleshwar Temple

Mahakaleshwar Temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of India. This temple is the main temple of Lord Mahakaleshwar located in Ujjain city of Madhya Pradesh state of India. This is one of the ancient temples and cities of India, whose description of this temple can be seen in the works of great poets like Puranas, Mahabharata and Kalidas. Due to this temple being self-owned, grand and facing south, Mahakaleshwar Mahadev has a very virtuous significance, about which it is believed that devotees attain salvation just by seeing it. The great poet Kalidas has praised this temple while discussing Ujjaini in his poem Meghdoot. This ancient temple was destroyed by Iltutmish in 1235 AD, after which all the rulers who lived here paid special attention to the restoration and beautification of this temple, due to which the temple has been able to attain its present form today.

Mahakaleshwar Temple History

The history of Mahakaleshwar temple shows that Ujjain was ruled by the Yavanas from 1107 to 1728 AD. During the reign of the Yavanas, the ancient religious traditions of the Hindus, established in Avanti for about 4500 years, were almost destroyed. In 1690, the Marathas attacked the Malwa region and on 29 November 1728, the Maratha rulers established their supremacy over the Malwa region. After the victory of the Marathas, the lost glory of Ujjain was returned and from 1739 to 1809 this city remained the capital of Malwa. During the reign of Marathas, two important events took place in Ujjain. First: the reconstruction of the Mahakaleshwar temple and the full consecration of the Jyotirling and the establishment of the Sihastha Parva Snan, which were a great achievement for the Hindus. Later, this temple was developed and expanded by Raja Bhoj.

Legends of Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga

According to Shivpuran and mythology, there was a beautiful city named Avanti which was very dear to Lord Shiva. In this city there lived a knowledgeable Brahmin named Vedpray who was very intelligent and a great devotee of Lord Shiva. He used to worship Shiva every day by making a mortal Shivalinga. There lived a demon named Dushan on Ratnamal mountain who had received a boon from Lord Brahma. After receiving the boon, the demon Dushan started attacking and torturing religious people. Dushyaan Raksha also decided to attack the Brahmins of Ujjain and started troubling the Brahmins there with his activities.

Due to such repeated actions of Dushan, the Brahmins there got disturbed and started praying to Lord Shiva to protect them. Seeing Dushan's atrocities against the townspeople, Lord Shiva warned Dushan but this did not affect the demon Dushan. Seeing such actions of Dushan, Bholenath became extremely angry and appeared in the form of Mahakaal after sweeping the earth and destroyed the demon with a single roar. After that, the Brahmins prayed to Mahadev to reside here, on the request of the Brahmins, Lord Shiva started residing here in the form of Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga.

Best Time to Visit Mahakaleshwar Temple

According to pilgrims and tourists, Mahakaleshwar Temple should be visited during the months of October to March. The weather during these months is very pleasant and pleasant and breezy. The temperature here remains up to 20 degrees Celsius during the winter months. Ujjain is a hot place due to which the temperature here reaches 45 degrees Celsius during the summer season. It is considered best to visit Ujjain during winters especially in the month of March as this is the month in which the Kumbh Mela is held once in 12 years.

Nearby tourist Attractions to visit in Ujjain

Apart from Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga temple, there are many places to visit in Ujjain. Which are explained in detail below. After visiting Mahakaleshwar Temple, definitely visit these places also.
  • Shri Kaal Bhairav Temple, Ujjain: Kaal Bhairav Temple is located in the city of Ujjain in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. This temple is dedicated to Kaal Bhairav, the patron deity of the city. This temple is an active temple situated on the banks of river Kshipra where hundreds of devotees come every day to have darshan of Kaal Bhairav.
  • ISKCON Temple, Ujjain: ISKCON Temple is one of the famous temples of Ujjain. This temple is located 5 kilometers away from Ujjain Junction and near the bus stand. It is one of the major ISKCON temples of India. This temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna and Radha Rani. This temple is built with marble stones and was inaugurated in 2006.
  • Gopal Temple: Gopal Temple is located in the middle of Bada Bazaar Chowk of Ujjain. It was built in the 19th century by Queen Bijibhai Shinde of Maharaja Daulat Rao Shinde. This temple is a beautiful temple based on Maratha architecture which is made of marble.
  • Shri Chintaman Ganesh Temple: This temple is the largest temple of Lord Ganesha located in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. This temple is built across the Kshipra River which is located about 7 kilometers southwest of Ujjain city. At present this temple is situated in the middle of the market.
  • Maharishi Sandipani Ashram: This ashram is dedicated to Maharishi Sandipani who left Kashi and came to Ujjain. He was a learned sage versed in 18 arts. This is a very beautiful ashram which also includes a pond.
  • Ramghat Marg Ujjain: Ramghat Marg is the oldest and sacred ghat situated in the city of Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh which is situated on the banks of river Kshipra. This is a very beautiful ghat, Kumbh Mela is held at this ghat once in 12 years. On the banks of this ghat we also see boatmen who guide us on the journey across the river.
  • Bharathari cave: Bharathari caves are artistically carved caves located near the Gadkalika temple above the banks of river Kshipra. It is one of the major tourist destinations of Ujjain where thousands of tourists from all over the world come every year to see the cave architecture. This is a very ancient cave which is looked after by the Government of Madhya Pradesh.

Things to Know Before Visiting Mahakaleshwar Temple

  • This temple is spread over 1077×1077 square meters and its height is 2,871 meters.
  • The temple is situated inside a wall where a staircase has been built to reach it.
  • Just above this there is a second chamber in which Okareshwar Shivalinga is installed.
  • There is a small water source called Kotitirtha along with the temple. It is believed that when Iltutmish demolished the temple, he had thrown the Shivalinga in this Koti Teerth.
  • An administrative committee has been formed for the arrangements of Mahakaleshwar temple, under whose direction the arrangements here run smoothly.
  • Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of India.
  • Here Lord Shiva is worshiped in the form of Mahakaleshwar which is the fierce form of Lord Shiva.
  • Bhasma Aarti is the most important ritual of Mahakaleshwar for which it is famous which is performed at 4:00 in the morning.
  • The former name of Ujjain was Avanti.
  • This temple is a five-storey building which houses the presence of deities like Ganesha, Parvati, Kartikeya, Nandi and Nagachandreshwar.
  • Nageshwar temple is opened only on the day of Nag Panchami.
  • According to the ancient text Shiv Purana, there is mention of Bhasma being collected from the pyre for Aarti at night, but in the present times, Bhasma is made from cow dung.

How to Reach Mahakaleshwar Ujjain?

Mahakaleshwar Temple of Ujjain can be reached by rail, air and road. Ujjain is very well connected to all these routes so that one does not face any difficulty in reaching here.

By Air: The nearest airport to Ujjain is Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport Indore which is located 53 kilometers from here. There is only taxi service available from Indore Airport to Mahakaleshwar Temple. This airport is well connected to other cities of India.

By Rail: The nearest railway station to Mahakaleshwar Temple is Ujjain Junction which is located 2 kilometers away from the temple. This railway station is well connected to other cities of India.

By Road: Mahakaleshwar Temple is very well connected to other cities of India by road. You can reach here easily by bus, car or even your vehicle. Mahakaleshwar Temple is connected to National Highway 52 (NH52).