bhagvan bhole shankar ki lila sabse nyari hai. bhang, dhatura, vish, mundmala, sanp sabhi tyajya chijon ko unhonne atmiyata se apnaya hua hai. yahi karan hai ki mahakal ke rup men puje jane vale vahi ek dev hain. ujjain men shipra nadi ke tat par shiv mahakaleshvar jyotirling ke rup men pratishthit hain. mahakal ki nagri ujjain lagabhag puri rat jagti rahti hai. raja vikramaditya ke is pauranik shahar men mahakaleshvar ki vajah se hi lakhon logon ko rojgar mila hua hai. pratah se pahle tin baje se hi pushp malaen v puja ki thaliyan taiyar kar log apni theliyan sajane lagte hain, kyonki yah vakt hota hai brahm muhurt men shuru hone vali mahakal ki arti ke lie logon ke jane ka. shivabhakti ke rang men dube yahan ane vale shraddhaluon ki sankhya jitni adhik hoti hai unmen utni hi tanmayata aur dhairya bhi hota hai. mandir men pure din shivabhakton dvara puja archana karvai jati hai. brahmand ke tinon lokon men sarvapujya tin shivlingon men mahakaleshvar bhi ek hai. pure brahmand men shiv ka ekmatra yahi mandir dakshinmukhi hai, yahan ki gai puja archana ka fal turant milta hai.
mahakal ka avtrn: mahakaleshvar jyotirling ke avataran ke bare men kaha jata hai ki ujjain ka raja chandrasen ek din jab shivarchan men lin tha to panch varsh ka ek gop balak apni mata ke sath udhar se nikla. shiv pujan ko dekhakar vah kautuhal se bhar utha aur svayan bhi shivpuja karne ki man men than kar usne raste se patthar ka ek tukra utha liya. ghar ke pas hi vah us patthar ko shiv rup men sthapit kar gandh, akshat adi se param shraddhapurvak uski puja karne laga aur dhyanamagn ho gaya. is kram men bahut der ho gai, mata us balak ko bhojan ke lie bulate-bulate thak gai lekin uski samadhi bhang nahin hui. mata ne gusse men akar us patthar ke tukre ko vahan se uthakar dur fenk diya aur balak ka hath khinch jabaradasti ghar le jane lagi. par jabaradasti ka koi labh nahin hua. balak jor-jor se dahadane mar kar rone laga. mata to harakar ghar chali gai magar balak ka rona band nahin hua. rote-rote vah muchrchit ho gaya. bhagvan bholenath nishkapat balak ki bhakti se prasann hue. balak ko jyon hi hosh aya to use ratn jarit mandir ke bhitar atyant tej prakashyukt jyotirling dedipyaman hota dikhai diya.
ek anya katha ke anusar dushan namak asur ke atank se logon ko bachane ke lie bhagvan shiv ne mahakal ka rup dhar apni ek hunkar se asur ko mar dala. tab se ve mahakal ke rup men yahin vidyaman hain. bhasm arti- mahakaleshvar ane vale yatriyon ke lie mukhya akarshan bhagvan mahakal ki har roj pratah hone vali bhasm arti hai. pratah 4 baje se 6 baje tak chalne vali bhasm arti ke lie log pratah 3 baje se hi mandir men pahunchna praranbh kar dete hain. halanki shivling ka shringar din men subah, dopahar, sham tin bar kiya jata hai lekin pratah kal ki arti bhasm arti ke rup men prasiddh hai. bhasm arti ke dauran pura vatavaran bhav magn ho jata hai, mantron ke sath bhavon ke udgar prakat karte, bhole baba ki dhun men tallin hote bhakt purn rup se shivamay ho jate hain. aisa anubhav hota hai ki shiv apne nana rup dharan kar pratyek vyakti se apna tadatmya banae hue hain. bhasm arti ke pranrabh men sarvapratham koti tirth ke jal se bhagvan bhole shankar ka abhishek kiya jata hai. uske bad kramshah dudh, dahi, shakkar, ghi, shahad aur bhang se shivling ka abhishek kiya jata hai. uske bad punah ek bar jal se snan kara kar shivling ka shringar kiya jata hai.
roli, chandan, akshat adi vividh vastuon se ankh, kan, manuh, nak bana kar, sir par chandi ka mukut pahna, hath men trishul de kar shivling ko jivant rup diya jata hai. mano pura vatavaran godhuli ki bela men parivartit ho jata hai. uske bad ling ke chehre vale hisse ko kapre se dhakakar pujari bhasm se shiv ki arti karta hai. uske bad munh se kapra hatakar am vyakti ko mahakaleshvar ke darshan karae jate hain. arti sanpann hone ke bad shiv ke shringar ko utar liya jata hai aur prasad svarup sabko vitrit kiya jata hai. yah sanpurn prakriya 2 ghante (4 se 6 baje pratah) chalti hai. kuch logon ki manyata hai ki mahakal ka shringar chita bhasm se kiya jata hai. puranon men bhi shiv ke lie chita bhasm lepan ki bat varnit hai lekin vartaman men yah bhasm gay ke gobar ke uplon se jalne vali akhand dhuni se lai jati hai. bhasm arti ki ek jhalak pane ke lie dur-dur se log ate hain, mahakaleshvar jyotirling ki puja archana karne ke lie apni bari ki pratiksha karte hain. shiv ka shringar saptah men har din alag prakar se hota hai. shivratri par vishesh prakar ka shringar kiya jata hai. anya darshaniya sthal pratham ganesh - is mandir ko bare ganesh ji ka mandir bhi kaha jata hai. yahan ganpti ki vishalkay murti sthapit hai. panchmukhi hanuman - bare ganesh ji ke pas hi panchmukhi hanuman ki murti hai. yah murti dhatu se bani hui hai.
char dham mandir: yahan par badrinath, dvarikadhish, jagannath evan rameshvaram charon mandir bane hue hain.
man harsiddhi mandir: yah mandir nau pramukh shaktipithon men se ek hai. yahan mata parvati ki kohni giri thi. yahan shriyantra bhi pratishthit hai, vahi harsiddhi ka rup hai. harsiddhi devi ujjain ke raja vikramaditya ki aradhya devi hain. mandir ke prangan men piramid ke akar ke do dip stanbh hain jinmen navratriyon men 1000 dip jalae jate hain. prakash stanbh par ek hajar dipmalaon ko ek sath jalte dekhna sachmuch alaukik anubhuti hai.
bhartrihri gufa: is sthan par bhartrihri ne 12 sal tak ghor tap kiya tha. indra ne is bhay se ki kahin unka sinhasan n chin jae bajra se gufa par prahar kar diya. bhartrihri ne apne ek hath se gufa ki chat ki shila ko rok diya, shila men darar to ai magar bhartrihri ne ek hath se shila ko thamakar apna tap pura kiya. aj bhi gufa ki chat ki shila par bhartrihri ke hath ka nishan ankit hai. yahan char dham yatra ka gupt dvar bhi hai. kaha jata hai ki bhartrihri yahin se char dham ki yatra karte the. ek bar kisi angrej ne yahan pravesh karne ki cheshta ki to uski usi kshan mrityu ho gai.
garh kalika: yah mandir raja vikramaditya ke darbar ke nau ratnon men se ek mahakvi kalidas ki isht devi ka hai.
kal bhairav mandir: mahakaleshvar evan harsiddhi mandir ke bad kal bhairav ke darshan karne jaruri hote hain, anyatha darshan labh ka punya nahin milta.
shri maha mangleshvar mandir: is mandir men mangal grah ki shanti karane dur-dur se log ate hain.
sanadipni rishi ashram: isi ashram men krishn v balram ne apne guru sandipni se 64 din men 64 vidyaen aur 16 kalaen sikh li thin. krishn 11 sal 7 din ki umra men hi yahan parhne a gae the. yahan krishna-balaram ke jivan se jure anekanek chitra bhi pradarshit kie gae hain.
kaise jaen: ujjain ke lie nikatatam havai adda indaur hai. pashchimi relve se ujjain desh ke bare shahron se jura hua hai. dilli, munbai, bhopal, gvaliyar, indaur adi sabhi shahron se sidhi basen ujjain jati hain.
kahan thahren: mahakaleshvar mandir men yatriyon ke thahrne ki vyavastha hai. mandir ke aspas hi kai dharmashalaen evan hotal bhi hain. madhya pradesh sarkar ke yatri nivas bhi upalabdh ho jate hain.