📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Anchal lilhare
Religion
Baba Mahakal Adorned with Panchamrit Abhishek During Ujjain's Ash Aarti
✍️ Amar Ujala · Ujjain
🗓 30 Aug 2026, 08:02 AM
👁 5
On Sunday morning, priests performed a Panchamrit abhishek on Baba Mahakal, decorating the deity with Vaishnav tilak and sun‑moon motifs during the temple’s ash arati.
Ujjain’s historic Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple hosted a distinctive ritual on Sunday morning as the ash arati commenced. Senior priests applied a ceremonial Panchamrit abhishek— a mixture of milk, curd, honey, ghee and sugar— to the idol of Baba Mahakal, a practice reserved for auspicious occasions.
The deity was then embellished with symbolic ornaments, including a Vaishnav tilak on the forehead and stylised sun and moon motifs on the crown, creating a striking visual contrast against the usual austere appearance of the Shiva lingam.
Devotees gathered in large numbers to witness the event, chanting traditional mantras and offering incense. Temple officials said the special decoration underscores the syncretic traditions of the shrine, which attracts pilgrims from across the country.
The ritual concluded with the customary distribution of prasad, and the temple management announced that the ash arati will continue as per the regular schedule, inviting worshippers to partake in the next session.
The deity was then embellished with symbolic ornaments, including a Vaishnav tilak on the forehead and stylised sun and moon motifs on the crown, creating a striking visual contrast against the usual austere appearance of the Shiva lingam.
Devotees gathered in large numbers to witness the event, chanting traditional mantras and offering incense. Temple officials said the special decoration underscores the syncretic traditions of the shrine, which attracts pilgrims from across the country.
The ritual concluded with the customary distribution of prasad, and the temple management announced that the ash arati will continue as per the regular schedule, inviting worshippers to partake in the next session.