Mahakaleswar temple
Mahakaleshwar – Ujjain or Avanti in Madhya Pradesh. Ujjain, a historic capital of Central India in Madhya Pradesh is a venerated pilgrimage center enshrining Mahakaleshwara, one of the Dwadasa Jyotirlingas of Shiva. Ujjain is also one of the seven Mukti Stalas of India.
According to the scriptures Ujjain is one of the four places where drops of amrita, the elixir of immortality, fell during the samudra manthan, or churning of the ocean.. The other three are Haridwar, Nashik and Prayagraj (Allahabad).
The Skanda Purana describes the glory of Ujjain (Mahakaala Vana) in great detail. Ujjain was the capital of Avanti and it was here that King Udayana married princess Vasavadatta. Ujjain played an important role during the period of the Mauryas and the Guptas.
King Vikramaditya Chandragupta of the Gupta period ruled with Ujjain as his capital, and the Nava Ratnas or nine gems – Dhanvantari, Kshapanaka, Amarasimha, Sanku, Vetala Bhatta, Ghatakharpara, Varahamihira, Vararuchi and Kalidasa adorned his court. The Mahakaleshwar Temple has also been referred to in the Tamil hymns of the Nayanmar saints of the 1st millennium CE.
The Shiva Linga in this temple is quite unique as it is the only one that faces south (All other Shiva Lingas face North) hence it is called called Dakshinamurti.
Ujjain is home to the Kumbha Mela, when Jupiter resides in the zodiac sign of Scorpio.
The Mahakaleshwar temple at Ujjain is located near a lake; it has five levels, one of which is underground.The temple itself is located in a spacious courtyard surrounded by massive walls. The shikhara is adorned with sculptural finery. Brass lamps light the way to the underground sanctum. It is believed that prasada offered here to the deity can be re-offered unlike all other shrines.
Legend has it that a demon by name Dushana tormented the residents of Avanti and that Shiva appeared from the ground and vanquished the demon, and then upon the request of the inhabitants of Avanti, took up permanent abode here as Mahakaleshwara Jyotirlinga. Also in Ujjain is the place of Harasiddhi Devi one of the 18 major Shakti Peethas.
Ujjain Mahakal festivals:
Chaitra Navratri
Ashwin Navratri
Durga Puja
Shivratri
Magha Purnima
Falguna Purnima
Paush Purnima
Shravan Month
Maha Kumbh Mela
Temple Timings: Opens at 3:30 am and closes at 11:00 pm.
How to reach Ujjain:
By Air: Indore 49kms away is the nearest airport.
Train & bus: Many regular trains and busses to Ujjain from other major cities.
Accommodation: Many 1,3,4 and 5 star hotels are available.
Other things to see here:
The Maha kali Temple: One of th important 18 Shakti Peethas.
Chintaman Ganesh: A beautifully carved Ganesha temple of the Paramara period.
Bade Ganeshji Ka Mandir : It has a rare huge idol of Ganesha and also an idol of Pancha Mukhi(5 faced) Hanuman.
Mangalnath temple: According to the Matsya Purana this is the birth place of Mars. A nice place to offer homage to Mars if it is afflicted in your horoscope.
Vikram Kirti Mandir: Built to celebrate second millennium of the Vikram era, it has an archaeological museum, an art gallery and a great reference library which has rare manuscripts in Prakrit, Arabic, Persian and other Indian languages.
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See the 12 Jyotirlinga locations on map
