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 Mahakaleshwara
Ujjain is one of the celebrated Shiva sthalas of yore in the banks of the river Shipra, in Madhya Pradesh, which is distinct by the fact that it is the only river in India that flows from south to north while all the flow the other way.
Lord Shiva is known as Mahakal or
Mahakaleshwara, the ruler of the Time spirit. Like Thirupullani which is also known Dharbasayanam in the South, Ujjain is one of those places where drops of nectar - amrutha - is believed to have fallen and therefore is considered as one of the holiest of holy centres of pilgrimage.
It is due to this fact that Ujjain is one of the sites of
Kumbh Mela, which attracts the largest number of people from all over the country.
Ujjain was known by different names in the past, one of them being
Avanti, the capital city of Malwa. The city has seen great emperors like Asoka, the Maurya princes and even the great
Vikramaditya.
According to the Sivapurana the people of Avanti were troubled by a demon by name Dushana. The people who were unable to bear the tortuous acts of the demon approached a Brahmin, who was a practitioner of yoga. With his penance, Lord Shiva appeared and killed the demon. People worshipped the Lord and requested him to have his abode in the place forever. The Lord then resided in the
Mahakala Jyotirlinga.
 The idol of Mahakala is quite huge and is canopied by a snake. The base in which the idol is installed is made of silver. The divine bull - Nandi - the carrier of Lord Shiva is installed in front of the sanctum sanctorum that faces south. There are Ganesh and Parvati shrines facing west and north respectively, close to the shrine of
Mahakaleshwara.
Two lamps - one of oil and the other of ghee - are lit in the Shiva sannadhi. This is observed as a matter of custom. The first puja of the day is performed early in the morning and is known as Basma Aarti, with ashes brought from a freshly lit pyre from a cremation ground with the pundits reciting mantras from the Shiva Purana, to the beating of drums and cymbals and bells. The chanting of mantras to the beating of drums, kettledrums etc., say those who experienced it first hand, results in pure ecstasy, hair standing on end, tears rolling down on cheeks, body attaining a state of levitation and the entire atmosphere is charged, they say.
 There is a
Rudra Yantra installed on the roof in the sanctum sanctorum. The Yantra is made of silver and is said to weigh about 100
kg.
After the first puja, which starts at 4.00 a.m., there are two more pujas in the day, one in the afternoon and one in the evening. The Utsava Murthi of Mahakala is taken in procession on all Mondays in the month of Shravan. The Utsava Murthi is taken to the river Shipra where the Lord is worshipped and then the deity is taken through all important lanes of Ujjain, after which the deity reaches the temple for a special worship.
Ujjain is yet another temple that has come down to us as a gift from our ancestors and a rich treasure house of our history and tradition.
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