The temple doors were opened before dawn as part of the established ritual sequence. After paying obeisance to Veerbhadra and performing the swasti vachan, priests sought permission to open the silver gate. Once the sanctum doors were opened, the priests removed the previous adornments of the deity and performed the Panchamrit abhishek, followed by the traditional camphor aarti.
During the ceremony, Lord Mahakal was bathed first with water and later with Panchamrit, a sacred mixture of milk, curd, ghee, sugar, honey and fruit juices. The deity was then offered dry fruits, fruits and sweets as bhog. The distinctive highlight of Wednesday’s ritual was the special adornment, in which Lord Mahakal was decorated as Lord Ganesha, symbolising wisdom and auspicious beginnings.
The deity was adorned with a silver crown shaped like Sheshnag, a silver skull garland, rudraksha malas and fragrant floral garlands. Sacred ash, or bhasma, was ceremonially offered to the deity, a ritual believed to represent the transcendence of life and death. The bhasma for the aarti was offered by the Maha Nirvani Akhara, as per long-standing tradition.
Simultaneously, rituals were performed in the Nandi Hall, where Nandi, the divine vehicle of Lord Shiva, was bathed, worshipped and offered prayers. Temple priests conducted meditation and puja rituals before proceeding with the main offerings to Lord Mahakal in the sanctum.
According to temple tradition, it is believed that after the offering of bhasma, Lord Mahakal grants darshan in a tangible, manifest form to devotees. The belief draws thousands of pilgrims from across the country, especially on auspicious days such as Wednesdays, Mondays and during religious festivals.
Temple authorities said arrangements were made to manage the large turnout of devotees during the early morning hours, ensuring smooth conduct of rituals and orderly movement of pilgrims. Devotees expressed reverence and spiritual fulfilment after witnessing the rare and symbolic adornment of Lord Mahakal.
The daily Bhasma Aarti remains a central spiritual attraction of the Mahakaleshwar Temple, reinforcing Ujjain’s status as one of India’s most significant religious centres.
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