On Tuesday, October 11, PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the first phase of the Mahakaleshwar Temple corridor development project in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain, which has been constructed on the basis of “Shiv Leela” (108 murals and 93 statues illustrating stories relating to Lord Shiva).
The event started with PM Modi performing puja at Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple in Madhya Pradesh. Speaking on the occasion later, PM Modi said, “Phase I of the project will help in enriching the experience of pilgrims visiting the temple by providing them with world-class modern amenities.” PM Modi was accompanied by Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.
PM Shri @narendramodi dedicates Shri Mahakal Lok in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. https://t.co/Xm8eZLO4DL
— BJP (@BJP4India) October 11, 2022
After Varanasi’s Vishwanath temple and Uttarakhand’s Kedarnath shrine, Mahakal temple is the third ‘jyotirlinga’ temple to undergo extensive renovations under the Modi government. The Rs 800-crore Mahakal corridor is four times the size of the Kashi Vishwanath corridor, which was inaugurated late last year by the Prime Minister.
Mahakal Maharaj Mandir Parisar Vistar Yojna is a plan for the expansion, beautification, and decongestion of the Mahakaleshwar temple and its adjoining area in the Ujjain district. The redevelopment project is being carried out in two phases. While the first phase of the Mahakal Temple expansion project has been completed as per the schedule and was inaugurated by the Prime Minister today, reports suggest that the entire project would be complete by June 2023.
In fact in January this year, the Madhya Pradesh government vouched for the development of Ujjain’s Mahakal Temple ahead of the Mahashivratri festival on March 1. “The Teerth in Ujjain will be developed in such a way that there will be a feeling of grandeur and divinity. Necessary works will be completed soon to increase the beauty of the city”, MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan had tweeted.
The Mahakaleshwar Corridor’s first phase has been completed at a cost of Rs 350 crore while the total cost of the project is around 850 crores. Notably, the state budget of the Mahakal Temple Expansion Project is Rs 421 crores with the rest coming from the centre government. The management will further contribute Rs 21 crore to the project.
According to the plan, the 2.82-hectare Mahakaleshwar temple grounds will be expanded to 47 hectares and developed by the Ujjain district administration over two phases. Rudrasagar Lake, which covers 17 hectares, will be a part of this. The initiative is anticipated to boost city foot traffic from the existing 1.50 crore to about 3 crores annually.
First phases of the Mahakaleshwar Temple expansion project
A visiting plaza with two entrances, or Dwaars, known as the Nandi Dwaar and the Pinaki Dwaar, is one of the features of the first phase of the Vistar Yojna. Up to 20,000 pilgrims can congregate in the tourist plaza at once. Additionally, a plan for traffic flow has been created with consideration for how visitors enter the city and get to the temple.
Vehicle travel into the extended temple area has been restricted, and decentralised parking has been made available at a number of entry points. At the entry plaza, amenities like ticketing kiosks have been installed.
The plaza and the Mahakal temple are connected by a 900-meter pedestrian corridor that is adorned with 108 paintings and 93 statues that tell the tales of Lord Shiva, including the Shiv Vivah, Tripurasur Vadh, Shiv Puran, and Shiv Tandav Swaroop. Along this pedestrian strip, there are 128 convenience stores, restaurants, shops, florists, and other businesses.
On October 9, Sunday, Union Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje tweeted a video showing the aerial view of ‘Mahakal Lok.’ He wrote that its “design is inspired by Shiv Leela”.
Preview of Mahakal Corridor.
— Shobha Karandlaje (@ShobhaBJP) October 9, 2022
Newly developed corridor at the Mahakaleshwar temple has been named Sree Mahakal Lok, & its design is inspired by Shiv Leela.
Murals & statues portray various aspects of Lord Shiva.
On Oct 11, PM @narendramodi Ji will inaugurate it.#ShriMahakalLok pic.twitter.com/uK0Tfyg7q6
What would be included in the second phase of redevelopment
The eastern and northern fronts of the temple would be expanded during the second phase. Various portions of the city of Ujjain, including Maharajwada, Mahal Gate, Hari Phatak Bridge, Ramghat façade, and Begam Bagh Road, will also be developed.
The complex of the Mahakal temple will be connected to buildings in Maharajwada, and a historical Dharamshala and Kumbh museum will also be constructed.
The second phase is being developed with funding from Agence Francaise de Development (AFD) under the City Investments to Innovate Integrate and Sustainable (CITIIS) programme.
Once the renovation is completed, the temple will have an almost eight-fold increase in space.
Significance of Ujjain’s Mahakal temple for Hindus
Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is a Hindu temple devoted to Shiva and one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, or shrines believed to be Shiva’s most sacred abodes. It is situated in the ancient city of Ujjain in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The temple is located on the banks of the sacred river Kshipra, which was originally built by Lord Brahma in accordance with Hindu mythology.
The idol of Mahakaleshwar faces south which is why it is also known as ‘dakshinamukhi.’ This is a unique characteristic found only in Mahakaleshwar among the 12 Jyotirlingas as the rest all face east. The temple is regarded as one of India’s 18 Maha Shakti Peeths.
According to the chronicles, the presiding god, Shiva in the lingam form is thought to be Swayambhu, which is self-manifested or in other words, deriving Shakti (power) from within itself, and distinct from any other jyotirlingas in the nation which were ritually established and invested with mantra-shakti.
It is believed that there was once a king named Chandrasena who ruled Ujjain and was a Shiva devotee. God manifested himself in Mahakal form and destroyed his adversaries. Shiva agreed to live in the city and become its deity at the request of his devotees.
Interestingly, Ujjain’s Mahakaleshwar temple finds a mention in several ancient Indian poetic texts. In fact, Kalidasa described the Mahakal temple in the early part of the Meghadutam (Purva Megha), which was written in the fourth century.
History has it that in the 13th century, during an invasion of Ujjain, Shams-ud-din Iltutmish demolished the temple complex. Shams-ud-din Iltutmish was one of the slaves turned son-in-law of Qutb-ud-din Aibak, who had first attacked the Kashi Vishwanath in the 12th century under Mohammad of Ghori’s orders.
In 1734 CE, Ranoji Shinde, a Maratha general, built the present five-storeyed temple structure. Prior to independence, the temple was managed by the Dev Sthan Trust. Following independence, Ujjain’s municipal corporation assumed control. The temple’s administration is currently in the hands of the Ujjain district collectorate office.
