Ujjain collector offers liquor to Goddesses, seeks blessings for city's prosperity

Collector offers 'madira' to presiding deities at Chaubis-khamba temple to seek blessings for the well-being of the city and the entire world.

Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh): Liquor is one form of all worldly evils that can harm not just an individual but society as a whole. However, in the ancient city of Ujjain, liquor is offered to the Goddesses to seek blessings for the prosperity and well-being of the city. Like all religious events in Ujjain, the festival of Navratri also assumes a special significance and culminates with a mystic event featuring the collector of Ujjain offering liquor to the goddesses.

Maha Ashtami on Monday, the eighth day of Navratri, collector Ashish Singh offered liquor to the goddess in the Chaubis-Khamba temple which was later offered in Bhairav temple. The temple is in the vicinity of the world-famous temple-Jyotirlinga Mahakal. Goddess Mahamaya and Goddess Mahalaya are seated in this temple.

The priest of the temple said, "This tradition is going on since the reign of King Vikramaditya. Since the king of the district in today's era is the collector, the collector offers liquor to the goddesses. It is believed that both these goddesses are seated here to protect the city."

He also said that "after offering liquor to Mata Mahalaya and Mahamaya located at Chaubis-Khamba for the happiness and prosperity of the city and the world, the collector takes liquor in a vessel with a small hole and walks for about 27Km, offering this liquor to almost 40 Bhairav temples coming on the way. The journey ends at the Bhairav ​​temple at Mangalnath, after which the devotees are given this liquor as 'prasad'."

According to ancient epics, twenty-four pillars were installed here to protect the city of Ujjain, and 32 effigies were seated at this gate. Every day a king was made to answer questions asked by these effigies. The king used to get nervous and dread out of fear. When it was the turn of King Vikramaditya, he worshiped the Goddess on the Maha Ashtami of Navratri and received a boon from the Goddess. Both the goddesses enshrined at this gate are said to be the goddesses who protect the city.