Bhasma Aarti On First Monday Of Sawan: First Somvar At Ujjain’s Mahakaleshwar Temple

Priests at Ujjain’s Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple performed the sacred Bhasma Aarti on the first Monday of the holy month of Sawan. Large numbers of devotees reached the temple in the early hours to witness the ritual.

 The temple opened before dawn, and the priests began the traditional ceremony by applying cremation ash to the Shiva Linga. The Bhasma Aarti was accompanied by chanting of mantras, conch sounds, and the beating of drums. The ritual holds immense religious value, and the temple authorities managed the inflow of devotees by deploying security personnel and streamlining entry routes.

The Age Old Ritual Of Bhasma Arti 

The Bhasma Aarti is a unique and ancient ritual exclusive to the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain. Temple priests perform the Aarti daily before sunrise using fresh ash collected from a sacred cremation ground. The ash symbolizes mortality and the ultimate dissolution of the body. The Shiva Linga is first bathed, adorned with flowers, and then covered with the ash as part of the offering. The ceremony is open to a limited number of devotees, and those attending must follow strict spiritual and cleanliness protocols. The ritual reflects Lord Shiva’s role as the destroyer of ego and worldly attachments.

Mythological Significance Behind Bhasma Aarti

According to Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva manifests in Ujjain as Mahakaal, the fierce form who rules over time and death. Scriptures describe how Mahakaal accepted cremation ash as a sacred offering, signifying the impermanence of life and the eternal nature of the soul. The Bhasma Aarti honors this aspect of Shiva by using ash as a spiritual element.

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