Rakshabandhan Celebrated with Grandeur at Ujjain's Mahakaleshwar Temple

Ujjain, August 19 (HS): The festival of Rakshabandhan is being celebrated with great enthusiasm across the country, coinciding with the fifth and final Monday of the auspicious Sawan month. In Ujjain, the celebration began early at the world-famous Jyotirlinga Shri Mahakaleshwar temple, where the festival was marked with traditional fervor.

At 2:30 AM, during the Bhasma Aarti, the priests and their families offered a Vedic Rakhi to Lord Mahakal, continuing the temple's tradition of celebrating major festivals first. The Rakhi, prepared over seven days by the women of the priestly families, was made from Tulsi and Bilva leaves along with other sacred ingredients. As part of the celebration, one and a quarter lakh laddus were offered to the deity as prasad.

Ashish Pujari, a priest at the Mahakal temple, explained the significance of the Vedic Rakhi, which symbolizes protection and devotion. The special offering of laddus is a long-standing tradition in the temple, with the sweets later distributed as prasadi to the thousands of devotees who gathered for darshan.

This year's Rakshabandhan held special significance as the month of Sawan began and ended on a Monday. Devotees started queuing up from Sunday night to witness the Bhasma Aarti and participate in the Rakshabandhan celebrations. Lord Mahakal was adorned in divine splendor as the king during the Bhasma Aarti, a sight that attracted a large crowd of worshippers.

In addition to the early morning rituals, the final procession of the Sawan month will take place at 4 PM today, with Mahakal Holkar set to emerge in the form of Mukharvind to observe the people's well-being. Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav is expected to join the procession, accompanied by a CRPF band.

The grand celebration at Mahakaleshwar temple highlights the deep cultural and religious significance of Rakshabandhan in Ujjain, drawing devotees from far and wide to partake in the sacred festivities.