Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga - Temple, Story, Significance, and History

The 12 Jyotirlingas located in India have their own mythological stories, religious significance, and mysteries. The 3rd Jyotirlinga among these 12 Jyotirlingas is positioned in Ujjain, which is known as the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga. It is said in the Puranas that spiritual life is not complete until one has darshan of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Mahadev. Ujjain is a holy religious place. Where Baba Mahakal resides. Baba Mahakal is the king of Ujjain, and since he has been established as the king here, no other king can stay here for the night.

Among all the Jyotirlingas in the country, Mahakal is the only Jyotirlinga that faces south; all other Jyotirlingas face east. It is stated that the route of dying is south, and to keep away from untimely death, human beings worship Baba Mahakaleshwar. The Mahakal temple is stated in many historical poetic texts. The description of the temple is observed at the beginning of Meghdutam, written using Kalidas. In the holy land of Ujjain, one gets the privilege of not only visiting and worshipping Baba Mahakaleshwar but also visiting Mata Harsiddhi Mata, one of the 51 Shaktipeeths.

3rd Jyotirlinga - Mahakaleshwar

Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga comes in the 3rd place among the twelve Jyotirlingas. It is located in the city of Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, which has been considered a holy city and a center of astrology since ancient times. This is the type of shape of Shiva who also controls Kaal (death and time), this is why he's known as 'Mahakal'.

Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Story

There are many legends and stories about the origin of the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga. According to the 22nd chapter of the latter half of the Shiva Mahapuran, there was a city named Avanti, which was very dear to Lord Shiva. In this city lived a knowledgeable Brahmin, who was very intelligent and ritualistic. He became additionally a super devotee of Lord Shiva. Every day, he used to make an earthen Shivling and worship it. The name of this Brahmin was Ved Priya, who was always engaged in acquiring the knowledge of the Vedas. The Brahmin got the full fruits of his deeds. At the same time, a demon named Dushan lived on the Ratnamal mountain.

This demon had received the boon of invincibility from Lord Brahma. Being arrogant about the boon, he started harassing everyone and attacked the Brahmins of Ujjain. Troubled by the demon, the Brahmins started praying to Shiva Shankar for their protection. Lord Shiva was pleased with the prayers of the Brahmins and appeared in the form of Shiva Mahakal by tearing the earth in place of the earthen Shivling. Lord Shiva destroyed the demon Dushan and his army with just one roar. And then adorned himself with the same ashes. Since then, Baba Mahakal is adorned with ashes in the morning aarti, and the ashes are blown. Which is called Bhasma Aarti.

Earlier, this aarti was performed with the ashes brought from the crematorium. But at present, Mahakal's Bhasmaarti is performed with the ashes of cow dung cakes. Lord Shiva was pleased with the faith of the Brahmins and their prayers and asked them to ask for a boon. On this, the Brahmins said that you should sit here to free them from this world and destroy the evil ones. Lord Shiva was overwhelmed by this demand and sat there. Lord Shiva came as Kaal for the demon Dushan. That is why he was named Mahakaal.

Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Significance

The importance of the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is very special from a religious, spiritual, and tantric point of view. This is the only Jyotirlinga which is called 'Dakshinmukhi', that is, its face is towards the south, which is considered to be very effective in tantric sadhana. Mahakaleshwar is considered to be the god who controls the time of all times, that is, death and time.

It is believed that by visiting Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga, worshipping it, and especially participating in the morning Bhasma Aarti, the devotee does not have the fear of untimely death and he gets mental peace, self-confidence, and salvation in life. This temple is located in Ujjain, the king of pilgrimages, where, by worshipping Mahakal, a person's sins are destroyed and one gets freedom from the bondage of rebirth. This is the reason why Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is worshipped as Mokshadayak Jyotirlinga.

Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga History

According to the Puranas, the Mahakaleshwar temple was established by Brahma. The Mahakal temple has additionally been stated in ancient poetic texts. The foundation and platform of this magnificent temple were made of stone, and the temple rested on wooden pillars. It is believed that before the Gupta period, there was no spire on the temple, and the roofs of the temple were almost flat. However, the information about when the Mahakaleshwar temple came into existence for the first time is not given even on the website related to the Mahakal temple. Therefore, nothing can be said about it with certainty.

The history of the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is pretty exciting. It is said that in 1235, the Mahakaleshwar temple was completely demolished by the Sultan Iltutmish of Delhi. During the invasion, the self-manifested Jyotirlinga located in the sanctum sanctorum of the Mahakal temple was kept in a well built nearby for about 550 years to protect it from the invaders.

Aurangzeb had built a mosque from the remains of the temple. After the temple was destroyed, the Mahakal temple remained dilapidated for more than 500 years, and Mahadev was worshipped in the destroyed temple. Many years later, on 22 November 1728, when the Maratha warrior Ranoji Rao Scindia defeated the Mughals, he demolished the mosque that was built by demolishing the temple, and in 1732, he rebuilt the temple in Ujjain and established the Jyotirlinga. It was Ranoji who had Baba Mahakal Jyotirlinga taken out of the Koti Tirth Kund and had the Mahakal temple rebuilt. After this, Ranoji also restarted the Simhastha occasion that had been closed for 500 years.

Rajasthan's King Jai Singh II had gold-plated the inscription on the peak of Mahakal in 1280. He also built Koti Tirth. At the same time, in 1300 AD, King Hamir of Ranthambore had come to visit Baba Mahakal after bathing in the Shipra River. Seeing the dilapidated condition of the Mahakal temple, he expanded it. In the 17th century, King Jagat Singh of Mewar made a pilgrimage to Ujjain and got many construction works done here.

About Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple

The land of Ujjain is considered very sacred. This ancient religious city is one of the 51 Shaktipeeths and four Kumbh sites of the country. Simhastha is related to the Leo zodiac. When Jupiter enters Leo and the Sun enters Aries, Kumbh is organized in Ujjain, which is known as Simhastha.

Mahakaleshwar Temple is a huge five-level temple, with the sanctum sanctorum housing the self-manifested Jyotirlinga. The atmosphere here is extremely spiritual and full of energy. Thousands of devotees visit the temple every day, especially during the month of Shravan, Mahashivratri, and Navratri. A large number of devotees gather here.

Mahakaleshwar Puja Method

Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Puja Vidhi, if performed with devotion, rules, and purity, bestows the special blessings of Lord Shiva's "Mahakal" form. Meditate on Lord Mahakaleshwar with a calm mind and take a resolution in your mind that you are worshipping him with full devotion. Sankalp Mantra: "ॐ महाकालेश्वराय नमः, today I worship you with devotion. The forte of the Mahakaleshwar temple is Bhasma Abhishek, in which ashes (भस्म) are offered to the Lord.

Chant Mantra: "ॐ त्र्यम्बकाय नमः" or "ओम महाकालाय नमः". Incense, lamp, and AartiOffer incense sticks and lamp to Lord Shiva. Perform Aarti with the flame of the lamp and sing "ओम जय शिव ओंकारा" or "महाकालेश्वर आरती". This Aarti provides divinity and energy to the soul.

Conclusion

Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga, located in Ujjain city of Madhya Pradesh, is the only south-facing Jyotirlinga in the country. Here, Lord Shiva gives darshan to the devotees in the form of Mahakal, the time of all times. There are many ancient traditions and mysteries associated with the Mahakal temple. It is said that King Vikramaditya of Avantikapuri was a devotee of Baba Mahakal and, with the blessings of Lord Shiva, he ruled here for about 132 years. It is very difficult to get accurate information about how old the Mahakaleshwar temple is. If you want to know about the Temple, Story, Significance, and History of Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga, then online astrology consultation.