Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga, Ujjain
Lord Mahakal (Shiva)
Ujjain, Ujjain district, Madhya Pradesh
South-facing Jyotirlinga famous for the pre-dawn Bhasma Aarti, on the Shipra river in Ujjain.
History
Ujjain (ancient Avantika) is one of the seven sacred cities of Hinduism. The Mahakal linga is the only south-facing (Dakshinamukhi) Jyotirlinga, a feature linked in Tantric tradition to Shiva as the lord of time and death. The temple was destroyed by Iltutmish in 1234–35 and rebuilt in the 18th century by the Maratha general Ranoji Shinde. The Mahakal Lok corridor was inaugurated in 2022. The temple is a major centre during the Simhastha Kumbh held every 12 years.
Architecture
Five-level temple (one underground) in Maratha, Bhumija and Chalukya styles; Omkareshwar and Nagchandreshwar shrines on upper levels (the latter opens only on Nag Panchami).
Festivals
- Maha Shivaratri
- Simhastha Kumbh
- Shravan Sawari
- Nag Panchami
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Plan your visit
Weather at the temple
Directions to Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga
How to reach
- By air
- Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport, Indore, about 55 km
- By train
- Ujjain Junction, about 2 km
- By road
- Well connected by road to Indore and Bhopal.
Near the temple
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