The Story of Mahakal & Jyotirlingas
Shiva Purana mentions about an incident when Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu had argument over the supremacy. Just to judge their powers Lord Shiva made a pillar of light (Jyotirlinga) out of these worlds. He then asked both lords to move upwards and downwards. Brahma made a lie that he has found the end while Lord Vishnu accepted his defeat and told the reality. Thus Lord Shiva gave a boon to Lord Vishnu that you will be worshipped in all ceremonies. While Brahma has no place.
Thus the inception of Jyotirlingas is the place where Lord Shiva appeared. This happened in the form of a fiery column.
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What is the history behind Mahakaleshwar?
Most of the people believe that Lord Brahma initiated the process of establishing the temple at Mahakal site. The coins which have been found in the excavation at Ujjain have the mark of Lord Shiva and his family. We also find mention of this multi-tier temples in various scriptures and the texts of Sanskrit. Kalidas the Sanskrit poet mentions Ujjain and Mahakal. The Parmar dynasty rules of Ujjain and Dhar were great devotees of Mahakal and the poetic texts of that extra mentions about the temple.
This famous Mahakal temple was attached by the invaders and destroyed. Several times. The same way it was rebuilt with the due course of time this temple was invaded by Iltutmish in 13 century and was demolished. Later Marathas rebuilt it and restored its grandeur in 19th century A.D
Same folk lous mentions when Dushan, the demon king at leaked the old Avantika (Present Ujjain city) the earth under the state of Goddess Parvati split and Lord Shiva appeared in fury as Mahakal. He crushed all the demons.
Mahakaleshwar Temple Timings
This famous Jyotirlinga opens at 4 AM and closed at 11 PM. The temple remains closed in the afternoons like most of the other temples. During the day time, various rituals are performed
| Ceremonies | Timings |
| Morning Darshan | 04:00 AM |
| Bhasma Aarti | 04:00 AM to 06:00AM |
| Morning Pooja | 07:00 AM to 07:30 AM |
| Evening Pooja | 05:00 PM to 05:30 PM |
| Shree Mahakal Aarti | 07:00 PM to 07:30 PM |
Best Time to Visit Mahakal Temple
The best time to visit Mahakal Temple is from October to March while the temperature is very pleasant. It normally touches 20 Celsius and is lighters too hot or cold. Thus you can enjoy Darshan without any problem.
How to reach the Mahakal Temple?
Mahakaleshwar temple can easily visit from Indore. Indore is only 55 KMS from this & temple and can flu from any point of India to Indore airport.
Upon reaching there you can hire a cab can take public transport to Mahakal.
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How to reach Mahakal by train?
You have another option of train journey from Major tourist destinations of India such as Delhi, Mumbai, Mumbai, Agra, Hyderabad, Ahmadabad Varanasi etc. you can book train tickets to Ujjain. If you book the train tickets to Indore, you also can reach the temple by taxi.
You can also treat to Mahakal by bus. The bus services same available from the cities like Surat, Mumbai, Nasik, Udaipur, Pune etc. The best way to travel to Mahakal temple is via Ujjain Indore which takes normally one and half hours.
Bhasma Aarti of Mahakal
You can witness the divine Bhasma Aarti rituals. Nobody is allowed to enter the Sanctum during this ceremony. You are supposed to see it from outside. The entrance to the Garvgrah has limitations and only V.I.P’s can enter.
The entry for ladies in the Garvgrah is prohibited between 05:30 PM to 06:15 PM. Even for senior citizen there is the facility of wheel chairs available at the temple. Normally it take half an hour to 40 minutes to visit the temple.
How to Skip the line at Mahakaleshwar Temple?
After the ceremony of Bhasma Aarti is finished, the visitors are allowed to go inside the temple to offer prayers. Those who do not want to stand in the line for long have the option of buying paid Darshan tickets. Thus you can avoid the hassle of standing in the queue. What you need to do simply buy the paid Darshan tickets. They can be bought online or at the temple counter itself.
Architecture of Mahakaleshwar Temple
The temple architecture is based at the blend of Marathan and Chalukya style of temple architecture. The towering temple with five stories allures the visitors. The impressive idol of Lord Shiva is in the ground level and is Dakshina Mukhi which signifies it is south facing. This is only in Mahakaleshwar that the Lingam is south facing.
A large pond know as Koti Tirtha is in the compound and is considered very sacred
What to Keep in Mind Visiting Mahakaleshwar?
There are many things to keep in mind. The best suggestion is that you should try to stay close to the temple so that you can witness the Bhasma Aarti ceremony time and can reach in time.
To avoid to crowed, you can buy a VIP tickets at the cost of 250 Rs. You are suggested to be clad in traditional India attire like Dhoti Kurta and Sarees. You are also advised to keep your identity proof along with you.
