The famous Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain, India is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is also known as the Mahakal temple. One of India's 12 Jyotirlingas, it is in Ujjain, which is in the state of Madhya Pradesh, on the banks of the River Shipra. A big exercise to bring good luck to three 'jyotirlinga' sites has begun at the Mahakal temple. The first two were the Vishwanath temple in Varanasi and the Kedarnath shrine in Uttarakhand. Also, the temple is right next to the lake Rudra Sagar. The ruling god, Shiva in the form of a lingam, is thought to be Swayambhu. It gets its power (Shakti) from within, unlike other pictures and lingams that are set up ritually and given energy through mantras. Lord Shiva is worshiped here in his fiercest form, Mahakaleshwar. You can also find the Mahakaleshwar form in ShivPuran, where Ujjain was called Avanti. The carving in the holy room is of Dakshinamurti, who faces south.
Because of its rich history and current splendor, the Shiv Temple (mandir) in Ujjain has long been on the itineraries of spiritual tourists. The once-every-12-years Simhastha fair (Kumbh Mela) has made it famous both nationally and internationally. The Sanskrit term maha means "great"; the Sanskrit word kaal means "time and death"; and Lord Shiva is widely held to be the deity responsible for both. Together, these two words form the name Mahakal. In honor of this, he is commonly referred to as Mahakaleshwar, and the temple itself is sometimes referred to as the Mahakal (Mandir) Temple.
The lingam of Nagachandresvara can only be seen (Darshan) once a year, on Nag Panchami. On the top level of the temple is a picture of Nagchandreshwar, which depicts Shiva and Parvati riding a ten-headed snake. The Omkareshwara linga is located on the upper level, directly above the Mahakaleshwar Linga. A large Kunda, or Koti Tirtha, was constructed there as well. Ganesha, Kartikeya, and Parvati statues can be found not far from Koti Tirtha. The silver Ganesh, Kartikeya, and Parvati statues add to the beauty of the temple.
Temple of Mahakaleshwar Ujjain's past is interesting and fun to read. The temple of Mahakal was built between the 4th and 5th decades of the 18th century A.D. An interesting mix of the Bhumija, Maratha, and Chalukya styles can be seen here. People think that King Chandrasena of Ujjain loved Lord Shiva a lot. A young boy named Shrikhar wanted to pray with him while he was doing it. That was not allowed, though, and he was sent to the edge of the city. He heard that enemy kings Ripudamana and Singhaditya were planning to attack Ujjain with the help of a demon named Dushanan. He prayed to Lord Shiva to keep the city safe. Vridhi, a priest, heard him and asked the Lord to save the city. During this time, the other kings struck Ujjain. It looked like they were going to take over the city when Lord Shiva appeared in his Mahakal form and saved them. People who worship Lord Shiva asked him to live on in the form of a Linga from that day on in this famous Ujjain temple.
The Shri Mahakal Lok Corridor extends for more than 900 meters in total length. The historic RudraSagar Lake, which will be reconstructed as part of the expansion, surrounds the area. The passageway has 108 pillars, some 200 statues, and murals depicting scenes from Shiva's life. The Bhasma Aarti, which takes place at 4:00 a.m., is one of the most revered ceremonies at this temple. While it was traditionally performed with cremation ashes, modern-day Bhasm Aartis use ash made from cow dung.
It is done in the month of Shravan-Bhado, which is the name of Shri Mahakaleshwar Baba's horse. The praise to Rajadhiraj (Mahakaleshwar Baba) is one of the most interesting parts of the Mahakal Sawari. The last ride is called the Royal Ride of Mahakal or Baba Mahakal Ki Shahi Sawari. There are celebrations of Maha Shivratri all over the country, but you should go to Ujjain to see the best of it. There is only one Shiva temple in Mahakal where Shiva Navratri lasts for nine days. A big party is held at Mahakal temple on the last day of Shiva Navratri to enjoy the festival. A special Panchamrit Abhishek and Bhasmarti Puja are also held there.