📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Anchal lilhare
Religion
Baba Mahakal Adorned with Bhang, Silver Crown and Mundi Mala During Bhasma Aarti in Ujjain
✍️ Amar Ujala · Ujjain
🗓 18 Oct 2026, 08:15 AM
👁 15
On Sunday morning, the Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain performed a special Bhasma Aarti, adorning Baba Mahakal with bhang, a silver crown and a mundi mala after the early‑morning Panchamrit abhishek.
The world‑renowned Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain opened its gates at 4 a.m. on Sunday, marking the start of the Ashwin Shukla Paksha Saptami celebrations. Devotees gathered before dawn to witness the sacred Bhasma Aarti, a ritual that is considered highly auspicious in the Shaivite tradition.
During the ceremony, priests performed a Panchamrit abhishek, bathing the lingam with a mixture of milk, curd, honey, ghee and sugar. Following the ablution, the deity was specially adorned: a paste of bhang was applied, a gleaming silver crown was placed on the head, and a traditional mundi mala was draped around the neck.
The elaborate decoration is reserved for this particular lunar day and is intended to invoke divine blessings for the faithful. The use of bhang, a ritual offering in many Shiva temples, along with the silver crown and mala, underscores the temple’s commitment to preserving age‑old customs while drawing large crowds of worshippers.
Officials reported that the event proceeded without any disruptions, and the temple management emphasized that the ritual will continue throughout the auspicious period, inviting pilgrims from across the state to partake in the spiritual experience.
During the ceremony, priests performed a Panchamrit abhishek, bathing the lingam with a mixture of milk, curd, honey, ghee and sugar. Following the ablution, the deity was specially adorned: a paste of bhang was applied, a gleaming silver crown was placed on the head, and a traditional mundi mala was draped around the neck.
The elaborate decoration is reserved for this particular lunar day and is intended to invoke divine blessings for the faithful. The use of bhang, a ritual offering in many Shiva temples, along with the silver crown and mala, underscores the temple’s commitment to preserving age‑old customs while drawing large crowds of worshippers.
Officials reported that the event proceeded without any disruptions, and the temple management emphasized that the ritual will continue throughout the auspicious period, inviting pilgrims from across the state to partake in the spiritual experience.