Grand Bhasma Aarti Marks Janmashtami At Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga

The Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh is one of the most widely visited religious sites in the country. The deity, Baba Mahakaal, an avatar of Lord Shiva, is worshipped and revered greatly. On the occasion of Shri Krishna Janmashtami, thousands of devotees gathered at the temple to witness the Bhasma Aarti conducted in the court of Baba Mahakal. The Bhasma Aarti at the Mahakaleshwar temple was performed with grandeur today at 2:30 am, on the first Monday of Bhadrapad Krishna. During the ceremony, Baba Mahakal was also specially adorned to resemble Lord Krishna.

Pandit Mahesh Sharma, the priest of the world-renowned Shri Mahakaleshwar temple, mentioned that Baba Mahakal awakened at 2:30 am. The temple doors opened at 4 AM, the Lord was bathed, followed by Panchamrit Abhishek and a saffron-infused water offering. After this, Baba Mahakal was adorned in the form of Lord Krishna. Those who witnessed this divine decoration, made with cannabis and dry fruits, were captivated by its splendour. On the sacred festival of Janmashtami, the deity was adorned with special decorations. During the Bhasma Aarti, ash was presented to Lord Mahakal. Mahakal was adorned with a silver crown resembling Sheshnag, a silver Mundmaal, and a Rudraksha garland, complemented by a garland of aromatic flowers.

At the Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple, devotee Dhirendra Sakhya from Bengaluru donated a piece of silver crown to Lord Shri Mahakaleshwar. The silver crown weighs approximately 3246.00 grams. Assistant Administrator Prateek Dwivedi and Rakesh Srivastava from the Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple Management Committee honoured the donor and issued a formal receipt. This information was provided by Kothari Manish Panchal of the temple management committee’s storehouse branch.

Madhya Pradesh has two Jyotirlingas, the second one, Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga, is situated about 140 km south of Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga.