The city of Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh is popular for the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga temple. Now there is good news for all Shiva devotees. The devotees who earlier had to pass through a congested area can now enter the temple through the newly inaugurated Mahakal Lok Corridor.
Recently, the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the first phase of the Rs 856-crore Mahakaleshwar Temple corridor in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. The event was accompanied by Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Madhya Pradesh chief minister, and Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union minister. The newly constructed corridor at the temple has been named ‘Mahakal Lok’. The length of the corridor is almost 900 meters and it has a colonnade of 108 ornate pillars made with carved sandstones and gushing fountains. The running panel of more than 50 murals depicts the stories from the ‘Shiv Puran’.
Before inaugurating the grand project, the honorable Narendra Modi performed ‘Puja’ at the Mahakaleshwar Temple. After that, he moved towards the main gateway of the corridor, known as ‘Nandi Dwar’ to inaugurate the corridor. The corridor is being constructed around the centuries-old Mahakaleshwar Temple, which is known to be one of the 12 existing ‘jyotirlingas’ in India.
On this grand occasion, Kailash Kher sang a special anthem honoring Lord Shiva, who is worshiped in Ujjain as Mahakal. The new anthem, known as ‘Jai Shri Mahakal’, marks the creation of the new corridor, ‘Mahakal Lok’.
Ujjain Mahakal Corridor Attractions:
- Mahakal Plaza
- Mahakal Corridor
- Mahakal Theme Park
- 200-meter-long walkway
- Grand statue of Nandi
- Night Garden
- 108 Shiva pillars depicting Shiva in different poses, etc.
Significance of the Mahakal temple in Ujjain in Hinduism
As per the Puranas, Lord Shiva pierced the world as an endless pillar of light, known as jyotirlinga. In India, there are a total of 12 jyotirlinga sites, considered a manifestation of Shiva. Besides Mahakal, the other jyotirlingas include Somnath and Nageshwar in Gujarat; Mallikarjuna in Andhra Pradesh; Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh; Kedarnath in Uttarakhand; Bhimashankar, Triyambakeshwar, and Grishneshwar in Maharashtra; Viswanath at Varanasi, Baidyanath in Jharkhand, and Rameshwar in Tamil Nadu.
Mahakal is the only jyotirlinga facing the south, while the rest of the jyotirlingas face east. This is mainly due to the direction of death, which is believed to be the south. Many people worship Mahakaleshwar to avoid untimely death.
As per the local legends, once there was a king named Chandrasena who ruled Ujjain and was a Shiva devotee. The Lord appeared in his Mahakal form and destroyed all of the enemies. Upon the request of his devotees, Lord Shiva decided to reside in the city and become its chief deity.
One can see the narration of the Mahakal temple in various ancient Indian poetic texts as well.
900 M Long Corridor Spreads Around Rudrasagar Lake
The ‘Mahakal Lok corridor which is more than 900 meters in length is one of the largest such corridors in the country. The corridor is spread around the old Rudrasagar Lake, which has also been revived as part of the redevelopment project around the famous Mahakaleshwar Temple.
As per the development phase, two majestic gateways including Nandi Dwar and Pinaki Dwar, which are close to each other, have been erected near the starting point of the corridor, which winds its way to the temple’s entrance. The corridor provides an aesthetic view of the nearby surroundings.
Majestic’ Mahakal Lok
A majestic colonnade of 108 ornate pillars showcases amazing craftsmanship, the corridor is made of intricately carved sandstones, gushing fountains, and numerous murals depicting ‘Shiv Puran’ stories.
All the 108 murals and 93 statues at the pedestrian corridor present stories related to Lord Shiva, such as Shiv Vivah, Tripurasur Vadh, Shiv Puran, and Shiv Tandav Swaroop. Also, the people visiting the temple get access to 128 convenience points, eateries and shopping joints, florists, handicraft stores, etc. all constructed on this pedestrian corridor.
Increase Annual Footfall
As per this development plan, the Mahakaleshwar temple premises of almost 2.82 hectares are being increased to 47 hectares, which will be developed in two phases by the Ujjain district administration. The plan also includes 17 hectares of Rudrasagar lake. The project is anticipated to increase annual footfall in the city of Ujjain from the present 1.50 crore to almost three crores.
Key highlights of ‘Mahakal Lok’:
- The inauguration of the first phase of the ‘Mahakal Lok’ – an over 900-meter-long corridor, is a part of the ₹856 crore Mahakaleshwar Temple corridor development project. The total cost of the first phase of the corridor is ₹316 crore.
- The Mahakal Lok will be near the old Rudrasagar Lake, which has also been revived as part of the redevelopment project around the ancient Mahakaleshwar Temple.
- Two majestic gateways – Nandi Dwar and Pinaki Dwar are separated by a short distance and are located near the starting point of the corridor, which is the temple’s entrance and presents a mesmerizing view along the way.
- Many religious sculptures are crafted in the corridor which depict the life of Lord Shiva.
- The redevelopment plan lays emphasis on the beautification, expansion, and decongestion of Ujjain’s Mahakaleshwar temple and nearby areas.
- As per the media reports, the Mahakaleshar corridor redevelopment is 3X larger than the redevelopments in the Kashi Vishwanath temple premises.
- Mahakal police station will be shifted to a different location. A parking area with the capacity to park 180 cars will also be constructed along with a tourist information center, e-vehicle docking station, and hawkers’ zone
- The old pedestrian walkway between the Mahakal temple and Ramghat will remain as it is. Also, a garden will be constructed between the two points
- To ensure cleanliness inside the temple, separate sewer and stormwater pipes will be laid.
How to Reach Ujjain Mahakal Corridor
By Air: Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport in Indore is the closest airport to Ujjain. The airport is well-connected to domestic flights from cities like Bhopal, Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Patna, Nagpur, Pune, Raipur, Visakhapatnam, etc. The airport is almost 60 km away and travelers can take cabs, buses, and private vehicles to reach Ujjain Mahakal Corridor.
By Rail: Ujjain Railway Station, which is almost 1 km from the city center, is the closest rail station. The railway station is well-connected to various cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru. Travelers can take rickshaws, buses, and taxis from the railway station to reach Ujjain Mahakal Corridor.
What Will be Expanded in the 2nd Phase?
The second phase, worth Rs 310.22 crore, consists of the expansion of the eastern and northern fronts of the temple. The second development phase includes the development of different areas of Ujjain city, like Maharajwada, Mahal Gate, Hari Phatak Bridge, Ramghat façade, and Begam Bagh Road. In the second phase, even the buildings in Maharajwada will be revamped and will be connected to the Mahakal temple campus, while a heritage Dharamshala and Kumbh museum will be built.
The Rs 856-crore worth project is expected to be completed in two phases by June 2023. The development of phase two of the corridor is underway and post-completion, the temple complex, and the holding capacity will be expanded.
