Mahakal Lok corridor, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh

To boost tourism in the holy city of Madhya Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the first phase of the ‘Shri Mahakal Lok’ corridor in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain.

After Vishwanath temple in Varanasi and the Kedarnath shrine in Uttarakhand, Mahakal temple is the third ‘jyotirlinga’ site to see a major upliftment exercise. The project will help in enriching the experience of pilgrims visiting the temple by providing them with world-class modern amenities.

The project aims to decongest the entire area and also put special emphasis on the conservation and restoration of heritage structures. It has a length of over 900 meters and has 108 elaborate sandstone columns in a row, each with “mudras” of Lord Shiva and a decorative “Trishul” design on top. As per reports, a large-scale “shivaling” covered in strands of “moli” (sacred) threads has been positioned beneath the grand gateway — Nandi Dwar — of the “Mahakal Lok.”

As per a government release on the occasion, “The Mahakal Path contains 108 stambhs (pillars) which depict Anand Tandav Swaroop (A dance form) of Lord Shiva. Many religious sculptures depicting the life of Lord Shiva are installed along the Mahakal Path. The Mural wall along the Path is based on Shiva Purana stories such as the Act of creation, the Birth of Ganesha, Story of Sati and Daksha among others.” 

Mahakal temple in Ujjain’s significance in Hinduism

Puranas say that Lord Shiva pierced the world as an endless pillar of light, called the jyotirlinga. There are 12 jyotirlinga sites in India, considered a manifestation of Shiva.

Among the 12, Mahakal is the only jyotirlinga facing the south, while all the other jyotirlingas face east. This is because the direction of death is believed to be the south. People worship Mahakaleshwar to prevent untimely death.