“Aapne Eid ki namaz padh Li? Waah, milo phir”, words which were full of warmth rang in my ears as I verifyed out from my lodging, clearly named after a Hindu deity and run by visibly Hindu people.
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On my way to the Ujjain railway station, the feel of “Eid-ul-Fitr” was everywhere. Somewhere in my mind, the news of Ujjain Mahakal and communal tensions in the city in 2023 popped up. Just then, my eyes landed on an extremely beautiful visual.
Clad in white kurta-pajamas with skull caps, were two old men, embracing each other to wish Eid, and a Hindu family with tilaks on the foreheads of the young kids, smiling as they viewed the embrace, while walking on the same side of the street. The soul of the city laid bare in front of me in that moment- pious, tolerant, and untarnished.
This moment concluded my 2-day trip to Ujjain, a holy city on the banks of the Shipra river in Madhya Pradesh, known for the “Mahakaleshwar Jyotirling“- one of twelve unique temples dedicated to Lord Shiva in India.
Ujjain Mahakal Effect
“Mahakal“- Shiva who is beyond the forces of time & death, prevails everywhere in Ujjain. From the majestic temple Shikhar of the Mahakaleshwar temple to various small shrines adorning every corner of the city. Looking from a spiritual lens, the city looks ethereal, unbelievably beautiful at times.
Kaal Bhairav: A Mixed Experience
Yet, some things are hard to overlook in Ujjain. A visit to the “Kaal Bhairav Temple“- the protector deity of the city brought me back to the material world. It is believed that one has to visit this temple first before the darshan of Ujjain Mahakal. The lack of sanitation and mismanagement of the crowd full of devotees surely left a bad taste in my mouth on this first visit of mine.
Another thing that felt surreal was- A liquor shop flourishing in the vicinity of the temple, people lined up to buy liquor as an offering to Kaal Bhairav. For some people, it apparently symbolizes surrendering your materialistic desires to the deity, others say it’s due to the rules of the Tantrika tradition.
Well, if the government is so proactive in serving the pilgrims, that selling alcohol so close to the Kaal Bhairav temple is allowed, then adequate measures can definitely be taken to improve the overall management of the temple.
The same can be said about the unbelievable level of pollution in the sacred Shipra river, on whose banks once, Lord Krishna studied in his gurukul.
Sandipani Ashram: Gurukul of Shri Krishna
For a Brajwasi from Mathura, visiting the place where Lord Krishna and his brother, Balarama took their early education from Rishi Sandipani, hits close to the heart more than anything else in the world.
Eyes brimmed with inexplicable emotions as I sat under the canopy of the”Kadamb” tree, with images of young Krishna and his mischiefs filling up all corners of my mind.
A soothing breeze blew by, and I could hear faint sounds of the priest handing-out a “rudraksh” to a little girl while blessing her to do well in her education.
Stepping out of the ashram came with a new, practical surprise. A whole song, composed in the praise of the work done by local Lok Sabha M.P, Anil Firojiya played loudly on an election campaign vehicle as it made its way through the street, grasping attention of everyone present there.
“The mother of democracy” strikes again, I jokingly said to myself with a pinch of annoyance as the spiritual mood of the surroundings started getting replaced by the electoral fervour. People soon got busy with who’s-winning-what debates.
The Temple of Bharat Mata
“Interesting”. A temple dedicated to the motherland. How will they depict Mother India? As an undivided India or the current nation-state? Soon, I had my answers and not going to lie, it was everything I had hoped for.
Conclusion
Ujjain Mahakal lingers in your heart, a melody that demands to be heard again. The city invites you to lose yourself in its vibrant colours and cultural traditions, to solve the puzzle woven into its very fabric. With the promise to return again, I ended my two-day exploration of a place where ancient beliefs mingled so freely with modern realities.