Ujjain: The doors of the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, which opened at 2:30 AM on Wednesday, will remain open for 44 hours straight, to mark grand Mahashivratri celebrations.
Lakhs of devotees thronged the Mahakal temple as chief priest Mahesh Sharma performed Panchamrit Abhishek of the Lord, which was followed by offering of holy ashes to the deity by Mahant Vineet Giri ji Maharaj of Mahanirvani Akhara.
As per the traditions, Baba Mahakal was then adorned like a King, a visual spectacle that soaked the devotees in devotion and spirituality.
Temple Open For 44 Hours To Mark Mahashivratri
In anticipation of heavy footfall, the Mahakal temple will remain open for devotees for an uninterrupted 44 hours, facilitating smooth darshan. For nine consecutive days, Lord Mahakal gave darshan to his devotees in different divine forms. Today, on the pious occasion of Mahashivratri, devotees will catch a glimpse of the Lord in his royal avatar throughout the day. At midnight, Lord Mahakal will be dressed like a groom. After this, special Bhasma Aarti will be performed by the priests on Thursday morning. Bhasma Aarti is performed only once a year, on Mahashivratri. The doors of the temple will be closed after 11 PM Thursday night.
No Restrictions For Devotees Without Permission
In a welcome move, devotees who did not get prior permission will also be allowed to witness the Bhasma Aarti. For Mahashivratri, a queue for darshan will be formed near the Chardham temple. From there, devotees will reach the sanctum to seek blessings of Mahakal by entering Mahakal Lok and then Mansarovar through Shakti Path from Nandi Dwar. The temple management and local authorities have made elaborate security and traffic arrangements to manage the crowd.
In view of heavy congregation of devotees and pilgrims, traffic diversions have been put in place to ensure smooth movement. Those with two-wheelers have been advised to avoid high-traffic areas like Hari Phatak, Begumbagh, Mahakal Chauraha, Topkhana, Gudri Chauraha, Patni Bazaar, Gopal Mandir, Harisiddhi Ki Paal, Jaisingh Pura, Jantar Mantar, Chintaman Road, and Neelganga area. Vehicular movement on these 12 roads have been restricted from February 25-27 to prevent traffic congestion. Designated parking places have been set up at 10 different places for visiting devotees.
1600 Policemen, 200 CCTVs, 3 Drones
The authorities have deployed 1600 police personnel, including 150 women officers and 150 traffic personnel, to ensure safety and security of the devotees. Round-the-clock monitoring and surveillance is being done via 200 CCTV Cameras and three drone cameras.
Superintendent of Police Pradeep Sharma said, "For Mahashivratri festival, a total of 1600 police personnel have been deployed near Mahakal temple, on the main roads and various other places across the city to maintain law and order. These include 150 women police personnel, 150 traffic police personnel, four Additional SPs, 12 DSPs, 24 Inspectors. Additionally, 200 CCTVs and three drone cameras will continously monitor temple premises and other locations of the city."
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