Madhya Pradesh has two out of twelve jyotirlingas. One is Omkareshwar, and the other is Mahakaleshwar. I’ve already posted the Omkareshwar temple guide. Refer to it for darshan-related info, travel tips and more. And this article pertains to the Mahakal temple. The Ujjain Mahakaleshwar travel guide provides information about the temple, darshan-related details, how to get there, where to stay, places to see nearby and travel tips.

Every jyotirlinga has a history or legend. The Mahakaleshwar temple has it too. Let’s begin the Ujjain Mahakaleshwar travel guide by knowing about the temple.

LEGEND OF UJJAIN MAHAKALESHWAR TEMPLE

The Mahakal temple has numerous legends and tales revolving around it. Which one is the apt one, I don’t know. But the following story is well-known and is mentioned in the Puranas.

Ujjain is the historical city of Avantika. It was a beautiful and picturesque city and was a religious centre. In the past, devotees came here and learned scriptures.

According to the legend, the ruler of Avantika, King Chandrasena, was a devotee of Lord Shiva. One day while praying, a farmer’s boy, Shrikhar, ran over to join him. But he was removed from the temple and sent to the city’s outskirts.

The king’s enemies were planning to attack Avantika (modern-day Ujjain). The young boy overhead them. He wanted to protect the city. So, he began praying to Lord Shiva. Soon the news reached Vridhi, a priest. He started praying to Lord Shiva on the banks of the Shipra River. King Ripudamana, King Singhaditya and Dushan, a demon, attacked Ujjain and were almost successful.

Upon hearing the prayers of his devotees, Shiva appeared. He was in his Mahakal avatar, the deity of time and death. Lord Shiva then defeated the enemies and saved Ujjain.

Shrikhar and Vridhi pleaded with Lord Shiva to stay and protect Ujjain. Since then, Lord Shiva settled in Ujjain as linga formed with the powers of Shiva and Parvati.

DARSHAN-RELATED INFO

There are two types of darshan- free and VIP darshan.

The temple complex has two entrances. One is for free darshan, and the other gateway is for the VIPs. The free darshan line is long and takes 2-3 hours. But, the VIP queue is shorter and takes 20-30 minutes.

A single VIP darshan ticket costs Rs. 350. The price doesn’t include abhishek. If you add an abhishek or puja, a VIP ticket costs Rs. 750.

The Mahakaleshwar temple is renowned for the Bhasma aarti and the Sandhya aarti. Bhasma aarti takes place at 4 am. It is God’s awakening ceremony. And the Shayan aarti takes place at 10:30 pm.

There are two queues for Bhasma aarti, free and VIP lines. Devotees start lining up at 1 am for Bhasma Aarti. So if you don’t want to queue up so early, purchase the VIP ticket. A single Bhasma Aarti VIP ticket costs Rs. 1500.

You can book your tickets online or offline at the ticket counter near the front gate.

If you miss out on the Bhasma and Shayan aartis, don’t worry. Four more different aartis take place during the day. There are aartis at 7 am, 10 am, 5 pm and 7 pm.

TIP:- Pre-book tickets for Bhasma Aarti. The hall can contain up to 500 people, so tickets get sold out within minutes.

BHASMA AARTI

The Bhasma aarti takes place at 4 am daily. However, devotees start lining up hours before. So, what exactly is the Bhasma aarti?

Bhasma aarti is the first aarti of the day. It is Lord Shiva’s awakening ceremony.

According to legend, Dushan, a demon, terrorised Ujjain. The people prayed to Lord Shiva to destroy the monster. Lord Shiva defeated Dushan and turned him into ash. After the battle, the devotees covered Lord Shiva’s body with human ash. From that day, the Bhasma Aarti used human ash.

One day there was no funeral. As a result, there was no ash for the Bhasma aarti. So, a pandit sacrificed his son and used his ashes to perform the ceremony. Lord Shiva was pleased by his devotion and proposed using cow dung or wood ash instead of human ash.

MAHAKAL CORRIDOR

The Mahakal corridor is a recent addition bordering Rudrasagar Lake. It is a 900 m road with sandstone statues, pillars and murals. The structures depict scenes of Shiva from the scriptures.

Mahakal Corridor is a beautiful place and I recommend visiting it.

HOW TO GET THERE?

I’m from Pune, so all the ways to reach Ujjain are from Pune. Ujjain is connected to Pune and other Indian cities by road, train, flight and bus.

PUNE – UJJAIN BY ROAD

Ujjain is 666 km from Pune and takes more than 13 hours. The two cities are well-connected by national and state highways.

Pune – Chakan – Rajgurunagar – Manchar – Narayangaon – Alephata – Ghargaon – Sangamner – Nandur-Shingote – Sinnar – Lasalgaon – Chandwad – Malegaon – Dhule – Palasner – Sendhwa – Zulwania – Thikri – Khalghat – Dhamnod – Gujri – Manpur – Indore – Sanwer – Khitoda – Ujjain.

Ujjain is well-connected by national and state highways to other Indian cities and towns.

PUNE-UJJAIN BY TRAIN

There is a direct train from Pune station to Ujjain Junction. The Ujjain junction is 1.5 km from the Mahakaleshwar temple. Daily at 3:30 pm, the Daund-Indore SF express train leaves from Pune and takes 16 hours to reach Ujjain Junction.

The Indore-Daund SF Express train leaves Ujjain Junction at 5:55 pm and takes 15 hours to reach Pune. The train runs daily between Pune and Ujjain.

There are direct trains to Ujjain junction from Delhi, Kolkata, Banglore, Mumbai and Indore.

PUNE – UJJAIN BY FLIGHT

The Indore international airport is the nearest airport to Ujjain. It is 57 km from Ujjain Mahakaleshwar temple. From Indore, take a taxi, train or bus to Ujjain.

Indore is a popular destination. As a result, it is connected to other Indian cities by air.

PUNE-UJJAIN BY BUS

Several companies provide bus services between Ujjain and Pune. You can compare the prices and routes of various buses before booking.

WHERE TO STAY?

Ujjain is a big town and has a few hotels. However, many prefer staying outside Ujjain or in Indore. You can find decent accommodations outside Ujjain, along the highway. Pre-book your hotel in Ujjain, as they get sold out quickly.

Indore is a big city and has more variety of hotels and resorts.

TRAVEL TIPS

• Pre-book tickets for Bhasma aarti. You can purchase tickets online or offline at the ticket counter.
• Cellphones, cameras and other electronics aren’t allowed inside the temple. You have to deposit them at the counter. The service is free.
• You can carry your purses and handbags inside the temple.
• Ladies can attend the Bhasma Aarti. However, ladies have to cover their heads during the aarti.
• There is no strict dress code. But men and women are expected to wear appropriate clothing. Shoulders and knees should be covered when entering the temple.
• Avoid visiting Ujjain during the weekend. It is the busiest time.
• The temple is open from 3 am to 11 pm.

CONCLUSION

It concludes the Ujjain Mahakaleshwar temple guide. To summarise the Ujjain, Mahakaleshwar temple guide, discover information about the temple, darshan-related details, how to get there, where to stay, places to see nearby and travel tips.

I hope this guide was helpful, and if I missed something, let me know in the comments. Also, I hope this ignites your wanderlust.