Mahakal Bhasma Aarti, Ujjain

The Mahakaleshwar temple situated on the bank of Shipra River in the city of Ujjain is one of the most esteemed Shiva temples in India. Being one of the 12 Jyotirlinga abodes of Lord Shiva, this revered shrine attracts the devotees from distant corners of the country.

Along with being the center of spirituality, this temple is known for its unique religious rituals and ceremonies performed in honor of Mahadev. Out of many, the most famous ritual of Mahakaleshwar temple is the Bhasm Aarti. To visualise the auspiciousness of Bhasm Aarti, pilgrims travel to Madhya Pradesh from all the states of India.

In this blog, we shall look into the cultural and historical significance and the procedure to book the Bhasma Aarti at Mahakaleshwar Temple.

A Glimpse into the Bhasma Aarti

Bhasma Aarti is a sacred ritual dedicated to the Lord Mahakal and it is performed inside the Garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) of the temple.

• The priests collect the pious ash from the Dhuni, the sacred Akhand fire inside the temple. For your kind information, Dhuni keeps burning in the temple premise continually.
• At the scheduled time of the early morning, the doors are opened, and Pujari starts the Pooja with a bath ritual by Panchamrit. Thereafter, the different kinds of sacred pastes and Chandan are offered to the Mahakal.
• Then the sacred ash also known as Vibhuti in Hindi is brought on a silver plate, and then it is applied on the Shiva Lingam with deep devotion towards the deity.
• In the background, some priests keep reciting the Shiv Mantras in Sanskrit during the entire session of Aarti.
• When the melodious tone of Vedic mantras and visuals of Bhasma Aarti hits the soul, you feel an intense sense of spirituality in the atmosphere.
• All the devotees of Mahakal must attend this unreal early morning ceremony to experience the presence of positive energies.

Bhasm Aarti Timings

• Bhasma Aarti: 4–6 AM (arrive before 4 AM).
• Bhog Aarti: 10:30–11:15 AM.
• Sandhya Aarti: 6:30 PM.

This highly spiritual Bhasma Aarti ceremony is performed early in the morning at 4 AM. Generally it lasts until 6 AM. As it’s a dawn time session, so if you want to attend this, then you must wake up at 2 to 3 Am and reach the temple premises before 4 AM.

For any reason, if you can’t attend this, then the other religious ceremonies, which also hold great spiritual significance, are performed every day. Hence, you can attend that one for your soul satisfaction. Further, the timings of Bhog Aarti are 10:30 AM to 11:15 AM, and Sandhya Aarti begins at 6:30 PM.

Dress Code for Devotees

Considering the cultural value of this revered temple and the holiness of this tradition, the dress code for the devotees is traditional wear.

In detail, Males should wear the Dhoti, and females should wear the Saree. If you are going with your kids, then make them wear something traditional.

How to Attend the Bhasma Aarti

If you wish to witness this blissful event, then here are the details of how you can attend this.

• There is an official website of Mahakaleshwar temple offering the online booking facility. You can easily book from there.
• Due to the crowd of devotees, it’s a must to book in advance, otherwise you will not get to attend.
• Moreover, there are limited seats for each day, as there is physical capacity of the premises.
• Usually, a certain amount is charged, so you have to pay that to finally reserve your seat. However the fee you pay is only used for charity purposes.
• After you submit the form, then you will get a Pass that you should carry during the entrance to the temple.
• This is how you can also witness the divine Aarti held in this Shiva temple.

Important Guidelines:

• The camera and mobiles are not permitted inside the temple, hence you should not carry any kind of smart wearables and gadgets while visiting this religious place.
• You can enter the premises for Aarti Darshan only when you have a printout of your Pass.
• If you want to do Darshan in the sanctum sanctorum, you must visit either at the slot of 7 AM to 12 AM in morning or 6 PM to 8 PM in evening.
• The bookings remain active only upto one day prior. So you should make sure to get it as soon as possible.
• You should follow the queue sincerely; it’s prohibited to make a nuisance inside this holy place.
• As it is a religious site, you should maintain the decorum and just chant the name of Shiva.

Disclaimer on Timings

Sometimes due to weather extremities, the timings of Darshan and Aarti are subject to modification. Although, whenever temple authorities change the schedule, they inform the devotees online as well as offline. So if you experience the changing weather, then it’s advised to cross check the timings on the official portal of Mahakaleshwar temple.

Bhasma Aarti Video

Conclusion

In this blog, we have shared all the important details of Bhasma Aarti in Ujjain. If you have never ever experienced this magical event, then it’s time to plan a pilgrimage to this ancient city and indulge yourself in the devotion of Lord Mahakal. Moreover if you want to know any other information about this, feel free to comment in the below section.

Suggested to Read:

Mahakaleshwar Temple History

Mahakal Bhasma Aarti, Ujjain

Mahakaleshwar Temple Aarti & Darshan Timings

Best Time to Visit Mahakaleshwar Temple

How to Reach Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple