Mahakali Devi
(9th Shakti Peeth)
Ujjayinyam Mahaakaali
Maha Kaleswareswari
Ksheepraa teerdha Sthitaa Maataa
Vaanchitaardha Pradhaayini
Story behind Astadasa Shakti Peethas
Brahma performed Yaga to please Sakthi and Siva to request Sakthi in creation of Universe. Sakthi separated from Shiva emerge in the form of Sati and helped Brahma in creation of universe. Brahma sought to give back Sati to Siva. Daksha, son of Brahma performed Yagna with an intention to get Sati as his daughter. Sati born to Daksha and in due course she wanted to marry Shiva. At that time Brahma saw Prudhvi with bad intention and Shiva cut the fifth head of Brahma with his trident. Daksha got angry and withdrawn marriage of Sati with Siva. But Sati attracted with Shiva and married him. Daksha got hatred on Shiva.
Daksha intended to perform Nireeswara Yaga and invited all the Gods except Siva and Sathi in Kailas. Shiva warned Sati not to participate in the Yaga in the absence of invitation. Sati has gone to Yaga with Nandi and other followers. Sati started yoga which is not possible to the Yogis moving her five elements from their origin. Fire erupted from her grave status of body and she self immolated in the fire.
Enraged to the death and insult of Sati, Shiva in meditation got angry and performed Tandava Nruthya. Shiva has cut some hair from his head in Tandava and thrown on earth. The piece of hair burned and Veerabhadra born with thousand hands, and black body. Veerabhadra is so horrible with three angry eyes, Trident and other weapons in the hands along with skulls in the neck. Siva ordered to destroy the Yaga. Veerabhadra with skulls in his neck destroyed the Yaga and Lord Vishnu opposes him using Sudarsana Chakra. But Veerabhadra swallowed the Chakra and Vishnu given way to take revenge on Daksha. Veerabhadra killed Daksha and returned to Kailash. Daksha was given re-birth after affixing the head of a male goat to the body of Daksha.
Shiva could not bear the separation grief with Sati and left the duty to safe guard the universe. The Gods praised Lord Vishnu and at the request of the Gods, Lord Vishnu used Sudarshana chakra and cut the corpse in to pieces to release Shiva from the worry of the death of Sati. The body parts of Sati fell at several places of the Indian subcontinent and Groin in Trincomalee of Srilanka. The holy places formed are known as Shakti Peet. There is discrepancy in the number of Sakthi Peet as 108, 51and 52 but the 18 Sakthi Peet are familiar as Astadasa SakthiPeeth. The Goddess Dakshayani accompanies with her consort, Lord Bhairava (Shiva) a manifestation of Lord Shiva in all the Shakti Peeth.
Sri Ujjain Mahakali Devi Shakti Peeth
Among the body parts of Sati, the upper lip part fallen in the 9th Sakthi Peeth. Ayodhya, Madhura, Haridwar, Varanasi, Avanthika (Ujjain), Dwaraka and Kanchipuram defined as places of Moksha places in Gaurdha Purana. The Upper Lip part of Sati fallen in Ujjain as stated in Devi Bhagavatham. It is believed that the Sakthi in incarnation of Mahakali safeguarding Ujjain. Local people called the Mata as Hara Siddhi Mata. The Goddess given re-birth to King Vikramaditya who presented his head for eleven times. She has written Alphabets on the tongue of Kalidas, Sanskrit Pundit in the durbar of Vikramaditya and blessed his Illiteracy to Great Pundit. There is Annapurna picture in thick red color between Maha Lakshmi and Maha Saraswathi in the temple.
As per Legend earlier a demon Adhakasura made Yoga and obtained boon from Brahma for re-birth of more and more Andhakasura from each blood blob spatter from his body in battle. He started to show cruelty on people. Mahakaleswar faced with Andhakasura in battle and made wound on the chest of Andhakasura with his Trident. New Andhakasura started to produce from the each blood blob. Then Adi Parasakthi in incarnation of Kalika Devi stands in battle field along with her matrixes’ swallowed each blood blob and eaten every newly born Andhakasura. Shiva in the incarnation of Mahakaleswar put out the body of Andhakasura towards sky and burned with the fire delivered from his third eye. Agreeing his defeat praised Siva and Siva blessed with Brungi form. The word protected from demons. Local people worship Devi as Graha Kalika. Ujjain is also Dwadasa Jyothirlinga shrine. The third Jyothirlinga Mahakaleswar is in Ujjain.
Accommodation in Dharmasala near Mahakaleswar Temple. There are medium and star hotels near Ujjain Railway Station and Mahakaleswar Temple for accommodation. There are also retiring rooms available in Ujjain Railway Station. Coupons for free meals will be distributed in Ujjain Temple and free meals available in the Dining Hall. The free meals facility organised with the donations of pilgrims and hence it is desirable to give donation to the scheme. The temple may be visited at any time in all week days.
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