Ujjain’s Mahakaleshwar Temple Hosts Elaborate Panchamrit Abhishek and Ash Aarti

The Mahakaleshwar Temple’s Ashadha Krishna Paksha Tritiya celebrations featured an elaborate sequence of rites. After the doors of the sanctum were opened with the beat of drums, priests performed a Panchamrit abhishek, pouring a mixture of milk, curd, ghee, sugar, and fruit juices over the idol. The deity was then offered water sanctified with the chant Hari Om. The ceremony reached its zenith when the name of Lord Ram and a Vaishnav tilak were applied to the idol’s forehead. The concluding ash aarti, executed with ash derived from Kapila cow dung and medicinal herbs, was witnessed by a massive congregation chanting “Jai Shri Mahakal” throughout the temple precincts.