The first Mahakal procession of the Bhadau month will be taken out in Ujjain on Monday, August 31, at 4 pm. It will be the fifth procession of Lord Mahakaleshwar during the ongoing season.

After special prayers and rituals at the temple’s Sabha Mandap, Baba Mahakal will be placed in a palanquin and taken through the city. At the main entrance of the temple, an armed police contingent will present a ceremonial salute to the deity.

The procession will include mounted police personnel, armed police forces, Home Guards, bhajan groups, jhanj (cymbal) groups and a police band.

Procession to Reach Ram Ghat

The procession will move from the Mahakal Temple through Mahakal Chauraha, Gudri Chauraha, Bakshi Bazaar and Kahaarwadi before reaching Ram Ghat on the banks of the Shipra River.

At Ram Ghat, Lord Mahakal will be given an abhishek using water from the Shipra, followed by prayers and rituals. The procession will then begin its return journey to the temple.

Return Route

The return procession will follow this route:

Ramanujkot → Modh Ki Dharamshala → Kartik Chowk → Khati Ka Mandir → Satyanarayan Temple → Dhaba Road → Tanki Chauraha → Chhatri Chowk → Gopal Mandir → Patni Bazaar → Gudri Bazaar → Mahakal Temple.

Live Broadcast Arrangements

Devotees who are unable to attend the procession in person will also be able to watch it online. The Mahakaleshwar Temple Management Committee will provide a live broadcast through its official Facebook page.

A mobile chariot equipped with an LED screen will also display the procession towards the end of the event, allowing devotees gathered along the route to watch the proceedings.

The procession is expected to draw devotees along its traditional route as Baba Mahakal makes the first ceremonial city visit of the Bhadau month.

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The dispute over the right to conduct the daily Shipra Aarti at Ram Ghat in Ujjain has intensified, with the Panda Committee announcing a Jal Satyagraha in the Shipra River on Saturday evening. The protest comes after police removed priests from the ghat on August 7 when they opposed the Mahakal Temple Committee's attempt to conduct the aarti.

The dispute has been continuing since August 5 and centres on who should have the responsibility of conducting the Shipra Aarti. While the administration wants to develop the ceremony on the lines of the grand Ganga Aarti in Haridwar and Varanasi, the Panda Committee says the move threatens the traditional role of the city's teerth purohits.

Dispute Started on August 5

According to the Panda Committee, priests have been conducting the Shipra Aarti at Ram Ghat every evening at around 6:30 pm for the past 11 years.

The latest dispute began on August 5 when the Mahakal Temple Committee sent a letter to the Mahakal police and local administration seeking security arrangements and other requirements for conducting the aarti. Around 5 pm, members of the temple committee, accompanied by batuks, reached Ram Ghat.

The Panda Committee members reportedly stopped them from conducting the ceremony. Later, the temple committee's batuks performed the aarti at another location on the ghat.

Police Removed Priests

The situation escalated again on August 7 when members of the Panda Committee opposed the Mahakal Temple Committee's batuks conducting the aarti at Ram Ghat.

Police personnel and two SDMs reached the spot and attempted to resolve the dispute. When the standoff continued, police removed the priests from the area and allowed the Mahakal Temple Committee's batuks to conduct the aarti at another location.

The police action has now become a major point of contention, with the Panda Committee deciding to stage a water protest in the Shipra.

'Aarti for 11 Years'

Panda Committee representative Rajesh Trivedi said the city's teerth purohits have been conducting the Shipra Aarti since 2015.

He said the format of the ceremony had already been expanded and improved over the years and argued that handing the responsibility to the Mahakal Temple Committee after 11 years amounted to removing the traditional priests from the event.

The committee has maintained that the priests will continue to conduct the aarti and that they will oppose any attempt by the temple committee to take over the ceremony.

Administration Cites Singhस्थ Preparations

SDM Pawan Baria said the administration's objective is to provide devotees visiting Ujjain during the upcoming Simhastha with an aarti experience comparable to those in Haridwar.

According to the administration, the Mahakal Temple Committee has decided to start the aarti along the Shipra River as part of preparations to improve the overall experience for pilgrims.

Another SDM, LN Garg, said the administration had proposed that priests from the Panda Committee join the temple committee's batuks for the ceremony. However, the proposal was not accepted.

The administration has indicated that the Shipra Aarti will now be conducted daily by the Mahakal Temple Committee.

Smart City Plans Bigger Event

The dispute has also emerged at a time when Ujjain Smart City Limited has floated a tender to develop the Shipra Aarti as a larger cultural and tourism event.

The tender, titled 'Ujjain Mein Maa Shipra Aarti Ka Ayojan', proposes using a private agency for organising, managing, branding and digitally promoting the ceremony.

According to Smart City CEO Sandeep Shiva, the selected agency will conduct daily and special aartis at the Shipra Ghat located behind Unity Mall under a public-private partnership model.

Water Protest Planned

The Panda Committee has announced that its members will conduct the Jal Satyagraha at 4 pm on Saturday to protest the police action and the proposed change in responsibility for the Shipra Aarti.

The continuing standoff has now placed the administration and traditional priests directly opposite each other. With Simhastha preparations gaining momentum, the manner in which the Shipra Aarti is organised is likely to remain a sensitive issue in Ujjain.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav will participate in the annual Shipra Teerth Parikrama in Ujjain on May 26 during the Ganga Dussehra celebrations. The religious procession, organised every year along the banks of the sacred Shipra River, is considered one of the major spiritual events in the region and attracts large participation from devotees, saints and social organisations.

The yatra will conclude with a traditional chunari offering ceremony at Ram Ghat, where the Chief Minister is scheduled to attend the final programme and participate in rituals dedicated to Maa Shipra. Preparations for the two-day religious event are currently underway across the city. The Bharatiya Janata Party’s city unit has already held important meetings with local mandals and organisational teams to finalise arrangements related to crowd management, security, volunteer deployment and pilgrim services.

Yatra To Begin From Ram Ghat

According to organisers, the Shipra Teerth Parikrama will begin on the morning of May 25 at 9 am from Ram Ghat in Ujjain. The event will start with ceremonial worship of Maa Shipra and puja of the religious flag before the procession begins its route across various ghats and important areas of the city. Devotees carrying religious flags, saints from different akharas and BJP workers are expected to participate in large numbers. Organisers said the atmosphere during the procession will include devotional chants, bhajan programmes and religious ceremonies along the route. The annual parikrama has gradually emerged as one of the important spiritual gatherings in Ujjain, especially during the period leading up to Ganga Dussehra.

Chief Minister To Attend Final Ceremony

Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav is expected to attend the concluding event on May 26, coinciding with the Ganga Dussehra festival. During the closing ceremony at Ram Ghat, devotees and organisers will offer a ceremonial chunari to Maa Shipra as part of traditional rituals associated with river worship. Party leaders said the Chief Minister has remained closely associated with initiatives linked to the conservation and cultural significance of the Shipra River for many years. Officials connected with the programme said the final event is likely to witness participation from a large number of saints, social workers, religious leaders and residents from nearby districts as well.

BJP Units Finalise Preparations

District media in-charge Dinesh Jatwa said BJP city units recently conducted meetings with mandal-level office bearers regarding preparations for the annual yatra. During the meetings, responsibilities were distributed among party workers and volunteers to ensure smooth management of the event. Teams have been assigned duties related to crowd coordination, traffic management, pilgrim assistance, water supply and medical support.

Organisers stated that volunteers will remain stationed across major points of the procession route to guide devotees and manage movement during the event. Separate arrangements are also being planned for elderly devotees and women participating in the parikrama.

Event Linked To Shipra Conservation

According to organisers, the Shipra Teerth Parikrama has been organised for several years under the guidance and support of Dr. Mohan Yadav. Party representatives said the initiative was originally started nearly 23 years ago with the aim of spreading awareness about the protection and conservation of the Shipra River. Over the years, the event has expanded into a large religious and cultural programme associated with faith, environmental awareness and river conservation. The Shipra River holds deep religious significance in Hindu traditions and is closely connected with Ujjain’s spiritual identity. Thousands of pilgrims visit the riverbanks every year during festivals and religious gatherings.

Route Through Key Locations

Organisers said the religious procession will pass through several important ghats and areas during the parikrama. The yatra route includes Narsingh Ghat, Lalpul and Triveni before moving through major city roads and returning to Ram Ghat on May 26 for the concluding ceremony.

Authorities are also coordinating with police and municipal officials to manage security arrangements and maintain smooth traffic flow during the event. Barricading, parking management and emergency response systems are expected to be deployed at sensitive locations due to the anticipated crowd. Officials said drinking water arrangements, sanitation facilities and medical assistance centres will also be made available for devotees throughout the procession route.

Religious Programmes Planned

A large-scale Ganga Dussehra celebration has also been planned at Ram Ghat on the concluding day of the yatra. Religious rituals, devotional programmes and cultural activities dedicated to Maa Shipra will be organised during the evening hours. Saints and priests are expected to perform special prayers and aarti ceremonies on the riverbank. Organisers said efforts are being made to make this year’s Shipra Teerth Parikrama more organised and spiritually significant while ensuring proper facilities for visiting devotees. The annual event continues to remain an important part of Ujjain’s religious calendar and regularly draws attention in spiritual tourism and cultural coverage across Madhya Pradesh.