Ujjain ke Maharaja...LORD MAHAKAAL.

Mahakala of Ujjain is known among the twelve celebrated Jyotirlingas in India. The glory of Mahakaleshwar temple has been vividly described in various puranas. Starting with Kalidasa, many sanskrit poets have eulogised this temple in emotive terms. The tradition of Mahakala in minds of the people is eternal Ujjain used to be centre point of the calculation of the Indian time and Mahaklala was considered as the distinctive presiding deity of Ujjain
The main deity, shiva in the lingam form is believed to be swayambhu (born of itself), deriving currents of power (Shakti) from within itself as against the other images and lingams which are ritually established and invested with mantra-shakti. The idol of Mahakaleshwar is known to be dakshinamurti, facing the South.

Mahakaleshwar temple at Ujjain is located near a holy lake named Rudra Sagar; it is three storied temple.
Ancient Shri Mahakaleshwara temple was renovated in 11th century. Delhi sultan Iltutmish, 140 Years later during his attack on Ujjain demolished the temple. The present temple is considered to be that of Maratha period. The temple was renovnated by Baba Ramchandra Shenvi, the devan of Sindhia state some 250 years ago.

The temple is three-storeyed. In the lowest middle and uppermost parts are respectively installed the lingams of Mahakalesvara, Omkaresvara and Nagachandresvara. The pilgrims and the visitors can only have the glimse of Nagachandresvara on the festive of Naga Panchami. A very large-sized Kunda named Koti Tirtha also exists in the temple-complex. The Kunda is built in the sarvatobhadra style

Night view of the Shri Mahakaleshwar temple

The lingam of Mahakalesvara is colossus. The silver plated Naga Jaladhari and the inscribed and esoteric silver-plate covering the roof of the garbhagrha add extra grandeur to the shrine. Besides Jyotirlinga, attractive and small-sized images of Ganesa, Kartikeya and Paravati can be seen in the garbhagrha.
All around the walls classical eulogies in the praise of Lord Siva are exhibited. The Nanda Dipa always remains lit. In the exit-path, there is a wide hall in which a most attractive metalquoted stone Nandi, in the sitting humble pose may be witnessed. The courtyard just opposite to the Omkaresvara temple add much to the magnanimity of the temple-complex. Just adjoining to this temple, there are two pillared projections facing the east and adding a lot to the architecture of the temple.

History of the temple:

According to the Puranas, the city of Ujjain was called Avantika and was famous for its beauty and its devotional epicenter. It was also one of the primary cities where students went to study holy scriptures. According to legend, there was a ruler of Ujjain called Vrishabhsen, who was a pious devotee of Lord Shiva and worshipped him all the time. One day, a farmer's boy named Shrikhar was walking on the grounds of the palace and heard the King chant the Lord's name and rushed to the temple to start praying with him. However, the guards removed him by force and sent him to the outskirts of the city near the river Kshipra. Kings of the neighboring kingdoms decided to attack the Kingdom and take over its treasures around this time. Hearing this, Shrikhar started to pray and the news spread to a priest named Vridhi. He was shocked to hear this and upon the urgent pleas of his sons, he started to pray to Lord Shiva inside the river Kshipra. The Kings chose to attack and were successful; with the help of the powerful demon Dushan, who was blessed by Lord Brahma to be invisible, they plundered the city and attacked all the devotees of Lord Shiva.
Upon hearing the pleas of His helpless devotees, Lord Shiva appeared in his Mahakal form and destroyed the enemies of King Vrishabhsen. Upon the request of his devotees Shrikhar and Vridhi, Lord Shiva agreed to reside in the city and become the chief deity of the Kingdom and take care of it against its enemies and to protect all His devotees. From that day on, Lord Shiva resided in His light form as Mahakal in a Lingam that was formed on its own from the powers of the Lord and His consort, Parvati. The Lord also blessed his devotees and declared that people who worshipped Him in this form would be free from the fear of death and diseases. Also, they would be granted worldly treasures and be under the protection of the Lord himself.
Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga

Shri Mahakaleshwar is the lord or king of the earth Out of the 12 Jyotirlingas only Mahakaleshwar is known as the lord of the earth and the lord of death.
The meaning of word 'Mahakala' is taken as 'Lord of time' and also 'Lord of death

In astronomical calculations Shanku-Yantra is an important instrument. It is believed that at the center of earth Ujjain, at the place of that Shanku-Yantra the Jyotirlinga Mahakal is established. From thes place the astronomical calculations for the whole world were done.

At the navel point of the earth south facing Mahakal is situated, the only Jyotirlinga of its kind. This fact has a special significance in the Tantrik tradition. It is among the oldest Jyotirlinga, extrolled in the Puranas. Due to these considerations certainly. Shri Mahakaleshwar is the oldest referred Jyotirlinga of Puranas. From the Shivapurana reference it appears that the temple was build eight generations before Nanda, the guardian of Krishna. Perhaps at that time the Jyotirlinga was established. The Shikhar of the temple has been high and the premises been large from ancient times.

May Shree Mahakaleshwar lingam bless us all with health , wealth and prosperity

Some Other temples close to Shri Mahakaleshwar and famous temples of Ujjain Mahakali Temple Entrance
Mahakali Temple

Mahakali - May Godess Mahakali give us the will power to always do what is right.

Navagraha Temple, Triveni: Situated on the Triveni Ghat of the Shipra, the temple is located away from the old site of Ujjaini town. It is dedicated to the nine planets, attracts large crowds on new moon days falling on Saturdays.

The Navagraha Temple is a small one, with nine square rooms set out in a 3X3 matrix, thus 9 big rooms with a swayambhu idol of each planet at the inner corner, the central room with an idol of Surya (Sun). The main door opens into the sanctum of Shani, and then we circumambulate the temple, viewing all the other planets through the open doors.

Shani Dev Mandir: This is another new temple, inspired by the recent TV serial dedicated to Shani Dev – the planet Saturn. In these days of blatant wrong doing, it is no surprise that the most revered deity should be the one who is said to give one the fruits of their actions – good or bad. It is no wonder that people rush to appease the lord and hope for a favourable glance from him!
The vehicle of Shani is supposed to be a crow, and so it is in all the temples of Shani but over here Shani is depicted on an elephant. According to the pujari, this temple has been built for the purpose of ridding people of financial worries, which are, of course, of prime importance today. Since the elephant is the vehicle of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, Shani Dev has been depicted here with the elephant as vahana. All the other Shani temples in India have the idol of black rock. Here, it seems, the idol has been made of iron, the metal most loved by Shani, hence the idol is more powerful!

Sandipni Ashram where Lord Krishna took Tuition : The fact that ancient Ujjain apart from its political and religious importance, enjoyed the reputation of being a great seat of learning as early as the Mahabharata period is borne out by the fact that,
Lord Krishna and Sudama received regular instruction in the ashram of Guru Sandipani. The area near the ashram is known as Ankapata, popularly believed to have been the place used by Lord Krishna for washing his writing tablet. The numerals 1 to 100 found on a stone are believed to have been engraved by Guru Sandipani. The Gomti Kunda referred to in the Puranas was the source of water supply to the ashram in the olden days.

Kund dug by Krishna’s Arrow

Kal Bhairav TempleKal Bhairava: The worship of the eight Bhairavas is a part of Saivite tradition and the chief among them is Kal Bhairava, believed to have been built by King Bhadresen, on the banks of the Shipra. There is mention of a Kal Bhairva temple in the Avanti Khanda of the Skanda Purana. Worship of Kal Bhairava is believed to have been a part of the Kapalika and Aghora sects. Ujjain was a prominent centre of these two sects. Even today, liquor is offered as a part of the ritual to Kal Bhairava Beautiful paintings in the Malwa style once decorated the temple walls, only traces of which are visible.

Mangalnath Mandir: Another temple close to Mahakaleshwar temple is Believed to be the birthplace of Mangal – the planet Mars – and is known as the Mangalnath Mandir .

Bada Ganpati Mandir: This is a small temple right opposite the Mahakaleshwar temple, known for its huge Ganpati.
Ganesh ji Viraajmaan at Bada Ganpati Temple --- May Lord Ganesh remove all the hurdles from our life and fill our lives with love, joy, success and good health

Shivling with goddess Parvati

This holy Shivling with Parvati is located at Cave No 4 , Udayagiri Caves , Sanchi , Madhya Pradesh , India.

Gouri Somnath Mandir: Omkareshwar

Temple, containing a gigantic six feet tall shivlinga, around which as the legend goes two grow up persons embracing it cannot reach their hands unless they are a internal uncle and nephew (Mama-Bhanja). The lingam though very old of a smooth black stone with shinning polish. There is a sitting Nandi(Scared bull) of similar stone outside. As per legend if anyone looked into it he would see the figure of his next birth.

More about Gouri Somnath Mandir Emperor Aurangzaeb, the devout son of Islam and arch iconoclast, while marching to the south, on his way near by Omkareshwar he heard of the rich temples and monuments therein, so he could not resist temptation to come to a spot full od spils. He came and did spoil by multitating the figures as apparent even now. Curious to test the legend, he stood before the Lingam, and on gazing he saw a pig in it . In his rage he hurt the Lingam, and sicethe it has assumed its The properties have been lost present jet black hue and the properties have been lost col. James Tod, in his ‘Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan’ written about two centuries back, makes mention of Aurangzeb’s visit to Omkareshewar but with a different version, saying the emperor broke the idol out of which blood had gushed out.

Snake on SHIV LINGA at Vadodara Shrine.

A living Snake was found on the Shiv Linga in a shrine located at Vadodara,Gujarat.

                                                                               Photo credit:- Bharat Parekh

Pashupata Saivism the most controversial and the most ancient of all the sects of Saivism

The Pasupatha or Pashupata Saivism is perhaps the most controversial and also the most ancient of all the sects of Saivism. It is possible that the people of Indus valley practiced some form of Pasupatha Saivism. Its founder is considered to be Siva himself who passed on the knowledge to several ancient sages. The Atharvasira Upanishad mentions Pasupatha rite for the removal of animal bonds, probably a practice initially associated with this sect. Etymologically, pasupatha means the herdsman's staff. Symbolically it represents the trident, the weapon of Siva with which He destroys our ignorance and impurities.
The sect became popular mostly through the contribution of the legendary Lakulisa (meaning lord with the club) who lived around 200 BC in the Kathiawar peninsula of present day Gujarat. His teachings are available to us in the form of sutras known as Pasupatha Sutras. He introduced a strict code of conduct and certain yogic practices and established a specific procedure for admitting members into the sect. He also started the tradition of admitting only the three upper castes (Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas) and thereby deviated from the earlier practice of admitting lower castes. Probably drawing inspiration from Buddhism, he introduced a more lenient path for the householders.
Somanath in Gujarat was one of the most revered centers of this sect. The Siva temple that was built there by the patrons of the sect received maximum destruction during the early raids of the Muslim invaders. At one time the sect was popular in many parts of India and its followers were both feared and revered. Hsuen Tsang, the Chinese traveler who visited India during the seventh century AD noted several thousand Pasupathas gathered in Varanasi alone. They zealously guarded their faith against Buddhism and would not hesitate to defend it at any cost. By the medieval period, the popularity of the sect remained confined to a few places in western India, Nepal and the Himalayan region. To this day the Pasupathinath temple in Nepal stands as a testimony to the popularity of this ancient sect.
Originally Pasupatha Saivism was dualistic. Its followers believed that Siva was the efficient cause only of the universe but not its material cause. The individual soul and Siva were different entities. After liberation, the soul would not merge with Siva but continue its separate existence as a liberated being without undergoing modifications or suffering from pain. Lakulisa retained some of the beliefs of the earlier teachers but considered Siva as both the material and efficient cause of the creation and that the liberated beings maintain closeness (sayujya) with Siva but would not dissolve into him.

Much of the Pasupatha doctrine is kept secret from non-followers. So little is known about it outside the fold. Followers are admitted initially into the sect through a diksha ceremony and are advised to break their fetters of social conditioning through such practices as laughing, singing and dancing. Once they show progress, they are advised to go into society and practice the same principle in more obvious and shocking ways to invite public ridicule and criticism. Getting rid of the social conditioning and becoming free from the egoistic attachment to ones name and self-image are considered important first steps in freeing oneself from the three bonds of egoism (anava), karma and maya.

In the next stage the aspirants are advised to observe austerities and a strict code of conduct, called yamas and nimayas, with emphasis on celibacy, non-injury and meditation. They are introduced to the secrets of Kundalini yoga and guided on the path till they mature in its practice. If the guidelines of the guru are followed strictly an aspirant would experience supernatural powers and closeness with Siva. He would become self-aware and Siva-aware and free from the limitations of our existence.

The Kapalika and the Kalamukha ¹ sects are close to Pasupatha sect in many ways but differ in matters of practice. They follow more shocking and outrageous methods to attract public ridicule and criticism and free themselves from social conditioning and egoistic attachment to their physical selves. While externally they are encouraged to indulge in controversial behavior, internally they are advised to lead pure and austere lives. The Kalamukhas who lived in parts of Karnataka enjoyed a good reputation for their asceticism, celibacy and inner purity.

Followers of Pasupatha Saivism can still be found in parts of India even today. If you come across a fierce looking Saivite beggar seeking alms in the streets with unkempt hair or a huge wig, ashes smeared all over his face and body, wearing a garland of bones or leaves or a tattered black dress, singing loudly or making strange noises with a whip or a dumru (a musical instrument) or a staff, promising to do magic with some grains of rice or wheat, he would probably be either a Pasupatha or Kapalika or Kalamukha... or a real mad person. And if you fail to distinguish, the seeker has achieved his objective.

Lord Hatkeshwar- Vadnagar

Lord Hatkeshwar is the ishtadeva of all the six sects/ factions of Nagars. It is believed that Lord Hatkeshwar was incarnated in Vadnagar, some time in the third century A.D. The earliest reference to Vadnagar as Anandpur is available in a copper-plate inscription dated 541 A.D of Vallabhi Samvat 221. Skand Puran contains description of the importance of Hatkeshwar kshetra. The area around Anartpur (which is the modern day Vadnagar), as described in Skand Puran is the Hatkeshwar Kshetra. The Hatkeshwar kshetra is said to be situated in the south-west of Mount Abu covering an area of five Kosas.

References are also found in Mahabharat which give an account of the incarnation of Lord Hatkeshwar and the temple at Vadnagar. During their period of exile the Pandavas were moving around the bharat varsha and it was during this exile that Arjun once visited the present day Assam which was at the time ruled by the Nag dynasty. Arjun stayed for two years with the Nag King and married his daughter Ulupi. From this marriage Arjun had a son called Babrovahan. Arjun left his son with Ulupi and went back to his brothers, the Pandavas, only to return several years later when Pandavas, now the rulers of Indraprastha, were performing the Ashwamegha yagna. The Horse of the Yagna remained undefeated till it reached the Nag Kingdom where it was stopped by Babrovahan, now a well trained warrier. A fierce battle ensued between Arjun and Babrovahan, both oblivious of their mutual relation. In the battle Arjun got killed by Babrovahan. When Babrovahan gave the news of the slaying of Arjun to his mother Ulupi, she rushed to the battle field and looking to the slain body of Arjun told Babrovahan of Arjun being his father. The matter was referred to the Nag king, father of Ulupi, who was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiv. The Nag king asked Babrovahan to worship Lord Shiva and please him. Babrovahan carried out a very difficult and arduous penance and pleased Lord shiv and pleaded him to bring Arjun back to life. Lord Shiv blessed Babrovahan with Sanjivani- the wonder drug- which brought Arjun back to life. The name of the Nag King, the grand father of Babrovahan was Hatak and therefore Lord Shiv, his principal deity, whose penance Babrovahan carried out was, called Lord Hatakeshwar. It is believed that Babrovahan joined his father Arjun and established a temple of Lord Hatkeshwar at Vadnagar.

The Hatkeshwar Temple of Vadnagar is also referred to as “Pushkar” as this is the place where the Lotus thrown by Lord Brahma from the Pushkar situated at Ajmer, fell. Lord Brahma desired that the Lotus should fall at a place which is sacred and where Ma Kali had never entered.

Hatkeshwar Kshetra at Vadnagar is also the place where Rishi Durvasa and Rishi Gautam had carried out their Penance.

It is also believed that along with Ma Parvati, Lord Shiva resides at the Hatkeshwar Temple of Vadnagar during winters when Kailash Parvat becomes inhabitable and unapproachable due to heavy snowfall.

However, curiously none of the Nagar families have ever been able to permanently settle at Vadnagar. It is believed that it is because of a curse of Lord Hatkeshwar. The temple of Lord Hatkeshwar at Vadnagar is build outside the fort area of the town and because of this Lord Hatkeshwar had cursed Nagars that just as my temple is outside Vadnagar, none of the Nagars will ever be able to settle in Vadnagar.

The universal lord- LORD SHIVA

Shiv Tandav -a weapon to face all challenges of life.