Shivala Fest: Ash Aarti and Panchamrit Abhishek at Mahakaleshwar

During the holy month of Sawan, Ujjain’s Mahakaleshwar Temple hosted a spectacular Shivala fest on Tuesday, 4 August. The ceremony began with the ceremonial opening of Baba Mahakal’s gate after a divine order from Lord Veerabhadra, accompanied by rhythmic drums and nagada beats.

Baba Mahakal was beautifully adorned with bhang, sandalwood paste and jeweled ornaments before the ash aarti. The priest then performed a panchamrit abhishek, offering milk, curd, ghee, honey and fruit juices onto the lingam. The aarti was marked by continuous chanting of “Jai Shri Mahakal”, bells, conch sounds and mantra recitations.

A large crowd, many of whom had been waiting since the previous night, observed the traditional dress code—dhoti‑solla for men and saree for women. Following the ash aarti, a maha aarti was held, allowing worshippers to view the sacred fire. Similar crowds gathered at Varanasi’s Kashi Vishwanath Temple, where the flow of devotees prevented direct darshan. Earlier in the month, Uttar Pradesh’s chief minister performed prayers at the same Varanasi shrine.