Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh): The restrictions over visiting the sanctum sanctorum of the Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain were lifted after the Bhasma Aarti on Monday morning. This has come off as a great relief to several of Baba Mahakal's devotees, as they had been waiting for this since the past 20 months. Bhaiyyaji Joshi, the former Sarkaryavah of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), also reached the Mahakal temple on the occasion. The temple got extremely crowded and the Covid-19 guidelines were clearly broken at the temple.
Although the entry of the devotees has been permitted in the sanctum sanctorum, there will still remain restrictions on the worship-arti owing to the Covid-19 guidelines. Temple Administrator Ganesh Dhakad said that the entry onto the sanctum sanctorum of the Ujjain Mahakal temple will be allowed for 2 devotees on receipt of Rs1,500, 3 devotees on receipt of Laghu Rudra of Rs3,000 rupees and 5 devotees on receipt of Maharudra of Rs15,000. These devotees will be allowed to do the Jalabhishek of the Shri Mahakaleshwar Murti.
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On the other hand, there will be no fee for ordinary devotees. They will be allowed to enter the temple directly by standing in line. In case of extreme crowd, the authorities hold the power to close the sanctum sanctorum again. In such a situation, only those with receipt of Rs1,500 will be able to enter the sanctum sanctorum. There will also be a ban on carrying milk, flowers and offerings or any kind of worship material. Devotees will immediately leave after offering only water to Lord Shri Mahakaleshwar. A dress code will be compulsory for all the devotees entering the temple, with a sola for men and saree for women.
For the smooth operation of these arrangements, the Mahakal Temple Management Committee has assigned shifts, responsibilities and duties to all the employees at the temple trust, which are to be strictly followed. While entering the sanctum sanctorum, it will be mandatory for all the visitors to follow the necessary corona guidelines.
