What are the darshan timings of Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga?
Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga in Ujjain is open for darshan 4:00 AM – 11:00 PM. The temple is located at 2 km from Ujjain Junction.
Timings can change on festivals, eclipses and special occasions. Please confirm with the temple before you travel.
What is Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga known for?
One of the twelve Jyotirlingas, or shrines purported to be the most sacred dwelling places of Shiva, is Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga in Ujjain, is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Shiva. It is situated in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, in the historic city of Ujjain. The shrine is located next to the revered Shipra River. With its back to the south, the idol of Mahakaleshwar is recognized as Dakshin Mukhi. Out of all the 12 Jyotirlingas, this one is exclusive to Mahakaleshwar Shivling which is Dakshin Mukhi. Significance of Shree Mahakaleshwar temple: Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva: One of the twelve Jyotirlingas, which are regarded as the holiest images of Lord Shiva, is housed at the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain, which is the main reason for its significance.
Why is Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga significant?
Mahakaleshwar is named among the twelve Jyotirlingas in the Shiva Purana, and is the only one of them that is dakshinamukhi — the linga faces south, the direction associated with Yama and with time itself. The name carries that same sense: Mahakal, the great lord of time. Ujjain's identity is built on it.
The city was the reference meridian of classical Indian astronomy, the point from which time was reckoned across the subcontinent, and the presiding deity of that city is the lord of time — the two facts belong together and are why Ujjain is called the kshetra of kaal.
The linga is held to be swayambhu, self-manifested, rather than installed. The temple stands within what the texts call Mahakal van, and the present structure, rebuilt in the eighteenth century under the Marathas, sits over far older foundations; the sanctum is below ground level, reached by a flight of steps.
Which rituals and festivals are held at Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga?
Mahakaleshwar keeps a full daily cycle of worship. The temple opens before dawn, and a sequence of aartis and offerings follows through the day until the Shayan Aarti at night, when the deity is put to rest. Between them the linga is worshipped in abhishek — with water, milk, curd, honey and ghee — and offered bel patra, flowers and dhatura.
Shringar darshan, when the linga is adorned with flowers, a silver mask and ornaments, is among the most loved sights of the day, and the adornment changes with the festivals and the seasons. Monday is the customary day of Shiva worship and Shravan the great season, when the Mahakal Sawari — the procession of the deity through the city — is taken out on each Monday of the month.
Mahashivratri is the principal festival, kept over several days as Shiv Navratri with a different shringar each day. Hari Har Milan on Baikunth Chaturdashi, when Mahakal is carried in procession to the Gopal Mandir, is the other observance the temple is known for.
How do you reach Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga?
By train: The rail system connects Ujjain Junction to many of India's largest cities. Ujjain Junction is the terminus of or a passing point for many railroads. One can take any pubic taxi aur auto-rickshaws from here.
By air: The closest airport to Ujjain is located in Indore, from where it is connected by several flights to Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Bhopal, and Ahmadabad. From this airport, a direct taxi to Ujjain may be taken. By road: Since the 2016 Kumbh mela, the government of Madhya Pradesh has largely worked upon the road connections from various nearby district and towns for local public and tourists to give an ease of travelling.