Ujjain Gets Another Reason to Expand Tourism, Mahakal Lok Temple Corridor is Now Open to Visit
On Tuesday, October 11, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Mahakal Lok, the 920-metre-long mega corridor near the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga temple in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. According to reports, during the inauguration, PM Modi removed the curtain by remote from the Shivling, which is made of the Raksha Sutra.
As per reports, before the inauguration, he also went to the Mahakaleshwar Temple to seek blessings. Later on the day, he tweeted, “Blessed to have got the opportunity to dedicate #ShriMahakalLok to the nation. This is an important endeavour which will deepen the connect of our citizens with our rich history and glorious culture.” He also added that Ujjain Mahakal Lok will help boost Ujjain tourism in Madhya Pradesh in a great manner.
Madhya Pradesh Religious Tourism will indeed be expanded vastly with the opening of the Mahakal Lok corridor in Ujjain and that’s what people expect to be along with the prime minister. Ashish Kumar Pathak, the CEO of Ujjain Smart City has said after the opening of Mahakal Lok Corridor that it will become a major tourist attraction in Ujjain and annual tourist footfall is “expected to double” according to him. He quoted, “About 1.5 crore people visit the temple every year. And, this annual figure is expected to double to about three crores after the opening of the ‘Mahakal Lok.”
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Now let’s talk about interesting facts about Ujjain Mahakal Lok
- One of the major Mahakal Lok Highlights is, the mega corridor has a length of around 920 metres.
- The corridor has around 200 statues and it is spread along the Rudra Sagar Lake.
- A total of eight forms of Lord Shiva are available for Mahakal Lok Darshana.
- The corridor also showcases murals of the stories, which are mentioned in the Shiva Purana.
- The corridor has a total of 108 pillars and two grand entrance gates – Nandi Gate and Pinaki Gate.
- This 920-metre long corridor leads to the entrance of the famous Mahakaleshwar Temple and it also offers a mesmerising panoramic view along the way.
- The murals depict the concept of Mahakal Forest from the epic of Meghdoot, written by Mahakavi Kalidas.
- It is the third ‘jyotirlinga’ site to see a major upliftment after Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi and Kedarnath Shrine in Uttarakhand. However, Ujjain’s Mahakal Lok corridor is four times the size of Vishwanath Temple corridor in Varanasi.
- After this upliftment the complex has now become ten times bigger in size. Previously it was spread in only two hectares, but now the entire complex spreads over 20 hectares.
- Ujjain Mahakal Lok Corridor is constructed near Ujjain Mahakaleshwar Temple, which houses the Swayambhu form of Lord Shiva.
- Mahakaleshwar Temple is one of the 12 sacred jyotirlingas in the world and it is one of the must-visit places in Ujjain.
- A sum of Rs. 856 crores has been spent on developing the first phase of the Ujjain Mahakal Lok Temple Corridor.
- Ujjain Mahakal Lok Religious Tour will now include a tour of the temple as well as this newly-opened mega corridor.
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Everything You Need to Know About Mahakal Lok Corridor to Plan a Trip Here
- Visiting timings for devotees open from 6 AM till the sleep aarti, 11 PM.
- The last entry to the corridor will be given till 10 PM.
- The place is around 200 kilometres away from Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh and you can reach here by availing bus or taxi.
- The corridor and the temple both are open throughout the year, but visiting Ujjain Mahakal Lok can be best enjoyed from October to March.
- Asking for the best travel tips to visit this amazing place? Visit it in the evening to experience its beautifully decorated corridor with lights and mesmerising reflections of the corridor in the water.
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Why does Mahakaleshwar Temple and Mahakal Corridor hold a high significance in Hinduism?
According to the puranas, Lord Shiva pierced the world as the jyotirlinga, an unending pillar of light. In India, there are 12 jyotirlinga locations that are thought to be manifestations of Shiva. The others, besides Mahakal, are Somnath and Nageshwar in Gujarat, Mallikarjuna in Andhra Pradesh, Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh, Kedarnath in Uttarakhand, Bhimashankar, Trimbakeshwar, and Grishneshwar in Maharashtra, Viswanath in Varanasi, Baidyanath in Jharkhand, and Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu.
While all the other jyotirlingas face east, Mahakal is the only one that faces south. This is due to the widespread belief that the south is the direction of death. Mahakaleshwar is actually worshipped to guard off an untimely death.
Also Read: Pilgrimage Tourism in Madhya Pradesh
Why does Ujjain hold a special place for Shiva devotees?
According to a local legend, the former ruler of Ujjain, Chandrasena, was a devoted follower of Shiva. The Lord manifested as his Mahakal self and vanquished his adversaries. Shiva agreed to live in the city and take on the role of its main deity after being asked by his followers.
Several old Indian poetical works make mention of the Mahakal shrine. Kalidasa provides a description of the Mahakal temple in the first section of the Meghadutam (Purva Megha), which was written in the fourth century. It is described as having a stone foundation and a timber ceiling structure. Before the Gupta era, temples would not have spires or shikharas.
In the sixth and seventh century BC, Ujjain served as one of the major centres for the study of Hindu scriptures known as Avantika. Later, mathematicians and astronomers like Brahmagupta and Bhaskaracharya settled in Ujjain.
Additionally, according to the Surya Siddhanta, one of the earliest writings on Indian astronomy still in existence from the fourth century, Ujjain is located where the Tropic of Cancer and the zero meridian of longitude meet. According to this idea, the largest Shiva temple in Ujjain is devoted to Mahakal, the deity of time, and many of the temples in the city have some connection to time and space. Maharaja Jai Singh II constructed an observatory here in the 18th century, also called as Vedh Shala or Jantar Mantar. It houses 13 architectural instruments to measure astronomical phenomena.
Places to visit in and around Mahakal Lok
- Mahakaleshwar Temple
- Kal Bhairav Mandir
- Ram Ghat
- Kaliadeh Palace
- Harsiddhi Temple
- Pir Matsyendranath
- ISKCON Temple
- Jantar Mantar
- Bhartrihari Caves
- Mangalnath Temple
- Bharat Mata Temple
The best time to visit Ujjain is between October and March, as the weather remains pleasant and windy this time. Adding the newest Mahal Lok or the mega corridor near the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple to your plan this year will definitely make a memorable trip to Ujjain. So, pack your bags and leave the rest of the thing on us. Contact us for all the details.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Ujjain Mahakal Lok temple corridor located?
Ujjain Mahakal Lok is built near the famous Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh.
What is Ujjain Mahal Lok?
Ujjain Mahakal Lok is a mega corridor with a length of 920 metres, built near the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain.
How can you reach Mahakal Lok corridor from Bhopal?
It is situated at a distance of 200 kilometres from Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh. You can reach here by availing a bus or taxi.
What is the visiting timing in Mahakal Lok?
Devotees can enter the corridor till 10 PM and it is open from 6 AM to 11 PM.
About the author
From the ‘City of Joy,’ Kolkata, Nandini Bhattacharya is a Travel Writer by profession and traveller by passion. She loves to explore places around the world, new cultures, different cuisines and all new things that one can learn outside the home. She also loves to document her journey so that people can be inspired and travel more. Nandini is a nature lover and talks about sustainable tourism. She wants to make this world a good place where people can live healthy and happily.
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