Ujjain Mahakali Temple

The city of Ujjain has always been of historic Importance in the folklore of India. There are two Kali temples in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh; the capital city of king Vikramaditya. One is worshiped by king Vikramaditya and other by Maha Kavi Kalidas. The Kali temple in Ujjain is one of the 52 Shakti Peethams. It is said that the elbow of Devi Sati fell here. Some people also believe that it was Devi’s upper lip that fell here. Ujjain is also one of 7 Moksha puris. The city has close to 108 Shiva temples. In this article, we will feature The Harsiddhi Kali temple near the Mahakaleshwar temple. This is a famous temple. Main Deity – The main deity in this temple is goddess Kaali. She is also known by other different names such as Chamunda (destroyer) or Rakta Dantika (Bloodied Teeth). Besides this, there are shrines for Lord Shiva (known as Kapilambar), Devi Mahalakshmi and Saraswati and also Devi Annapurna. Temple Legend – The demon, Andhakasur was the ruler of Ujjain. He had a boon that ensured that whenever Andhakasur would shed a drop of blood, each drop will give rise to a new Andhakasur. Therefore it was very difficult to destroy him. Lord Shiva, pierced Andhakasur with his Trishool and Maha Kaali drank all his blood. This way the new Andhakasurs were destroyed and the demon was defeated. Temple Architecture: This temple is said to have been constructed during the reign of the Maratha Empire. The temple has pillars with 726 lamps on it which is characteristic of Maratha construction. These lamps are lit during Navratri. Outside the temple, there is a small shrine which is located underground for Devi Mahamaya. The only person that enters this shrine is the temple priest. The sanctum also has paintings of 50 Devis on the ceiling. There is also a Shree Yantra that is sculpted inside the temple. Besides these, there are numerous other carved statues that depict the medieval period. Festivals and Prayers: Some of the important festivals that take place in this temple are, Navratri, Durga Puja, Shivratri, Shravan month Pujas and Kumbh Mela. Devotees can also do the Mangala Chandi Mantra Jaap here. Nitya Yatra: This is a holy journey in which the devotee first takes a dip into the holy tank and then proceeds to visit the deities.