Located by the holy Shipra River, Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva in India. Thousands of devotees flock to this revered temple every day to seek blessings of the lord. If you want to visit this temple soon, then here’s a little guide to help you plan your trip.
Why Is Mahakaleshwar Temple In Ujjain So Famous?
Ujjain’s Mahakaleshwar Temple is one of the most famous temples in India. The idol of Mahakaleshwar is dakshinamurthi, which means that it faces the south and upholds the tantric Shivnetra tradition. Of all the Jyotirlingas, this feature is unique only to Shri Mahakaleshwar.
According to Wikipedia, the Lingam at Mahakaleshwar is said to be ‘swayambhu’ and the only Jyotirlinga to be so. Swayambhu is a Sanskrit word that means “self-manifested” or “to be created by its own accord.” This basically means that the deity here derives power from within itself, as against the other images and lingams that are ritually installed.
Besides being a Jyotirlingam, the Mahakaleshwar Temple is also one of the 18 Maha Shakti Peetha. Devotees believe that the upper lip of Sati fell here and the Shakti is called Mahakali.
Other Jyotirlingas Across India
Madhya Pradesh is home to two Jyotirlingas–Shri Mahakaleshwar in Ujjain and Omkareshwar Temple in Mandhata. Here are all the 12 Jyotirlingas in India-
1. Somnath, Gujarat
2. Mahakaleshwar, Madhya Pradesh
3. Omkareshwar, Madhya Pradesh
4. Kedarnath, Uttarakhand
5. Bhimashankar, Maharashtra
6. Kashi Viswanath, Uttar Pradesh
7. Trimbakeshwar, Maharashtra
8. Baidyanath, Jharkhand
9. Mallikarjuna Temple, Andhra Pradesh
10. Nageshwar, Gujarat
11. Grishneshwar, Maharashtra
12. Ramanathaswamy Temple, Tamil Nadu
Reaching Mahakaleshwar Temple From Mumbai
Flight: You can take a flight to Devi Ahilyabai Holkar International Airport, Indore, the closest domestic airport (approx. 58 km from Mahakaleshwar Temple). Several airlines operate on this route.
Train: Several trains like Indore Weekly SF Express, Daund – Indore SF Express, and Avantika SF Express run between Mumbai and Ujjain Junction.
Bus: Several buses operate regularly between Mumbai and Ujjain.
Reaching Mahakaleshwar Temple From Delhi
Flight: You can take a flight to Devi Ahilyabai Holkar International Airport, Indore, the closest domestic airport and take a taxi from there to reach the temple. The drive from the airport to the temple is almost 1.5 hours long.
Train: You can book trains like MMCT Tejas Raj, Malwa SF Express, and Ujjaini Express.
Bus: Many overnight buses operate regularly between Delhi and Ujjain.
Reaching Mahakaleshwar Temple From Kolkata
Flight: Non-stop flights are available between Kolkata and Devi Ahilyabai Holkar International Airport, Indore.
Train: Trains like Shipra Express and Bhuj SF Express are available from Kolkata to Ujjain Junction.
Bus: There is no direct bus network between Ujjain and Kolkata.
Reaching Mahakaleshwar Temple From Bengaluru
Flight: You can take a flight to Devi Ahilyabai Holkar International Airport, Indore, and take a taxi from there to reach the Mahakaleshwar Temple. The drive from the airport to the temple is almost 1.5 hours long.
Train: Two trains–YPR DADN EXP and MYS JP EXP operate between these two cities.
Bus: There is no direct bus network between Ujjain and Bengaluru.
We hope this information will help you plan a trip to Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain better.
Cover Image Courtesy: X/@ujjainmahakal
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