13/06/2021
Kaal Bhairav Temple of Madhya Pradesh : is dedicated to Kal Bhairav, located on the banks of the Shipra River, temple is believed to have been built by an obscure king named Bhadrasen. It has been mentioned in the Avanti Khanda of the Skanda Purana. The temple walls were once decorated with Malwa paintings. However, only traces of these paintings are visible now. The present-day temple structure shows Maratha influence. According to the local maratha general Mahadaji Shinde offered his pagri (turban) to the deity, praying for victory in his campaign to restore the Maratha rule in North India in the Third Battle of Panipat (1761 CE). The deity's image is a face in form of a rock layered with kumkuma or vermilion. The deity's silver head is adorned with a Maratha-style pagri. The worship of Ashta Bhairava ("eight Bhairavas") is a part of the Saivite tradition, and the Kal Bhairav is considered their chief. The worship of Kal Bhairav was traditionally popular among the Kapalika and Aghora sects. Kal Bhairav is the guardian deity of Ujjain: he is considered Senapati (Commander-in-Chief) of the town. It is one of the most active temples in the city, visited by hundreds of devotees daily.Liquor is one of the offerings made to the temple deity as one of the five ta***ic ritual offerings known as panchamakara: madya, maansa, matsya, mudra and maithuna. In older times, all five offerings were made to the deity, but now only alcohol is offered; the other four offerings are in form of symbolic rituals. The temple priests, as well as several devotees, claim that the slit doesn't have any cavity, and that the deity miraculously swallows the liquor offered to him. Although no official figures are available on how much liquor is offered at the temple daily, the amount is estimated at several hundreds of litres. During the 2016 Ujjain Simhastha, the state government banned liquor sales in Ujjain for a month, but allowed the shops in front of the temple to sell alcohol. It is also believed by some that the temple is almost 6000 years old. The huge religious significance of Kal Bhairav Temple among Hindus makes it one of the top Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) tourist places.
