Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) [India], May 31 (ANI): Former Union Minister and a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Smriti Irani on Saturday offered prayers at the Mahakaleshwar temple located in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain district and sought the blessings from Lord Shiva.
The BJP leader reached near the gate of the sanctum sanctorum of the temple and worshipped Baba Mahakal. After that, she sat in the Nandi hall of the temple and was seen engrossed in deep devotion on the occasion. 
After offering prayers, Irani spoke to ANI and said that it was her good fortune that she got an opportunity to visit the Mahakaleshwar temple and pray for the well-being of everyone. Additionally, she also prayed for the protection of the soldiers deployed on the borders and their families. 
“I consider it my good fortune that I had a darshan of Baba Mahakal. It is the fortune of every devotee who has faith in Mahadev. Today, I prayed before Lord Shiva to make everyone’s family happy, prosperous, and bless everyone with good health. I wished that the elders should become strong and the younger should get immense love from Baba Mahakal. I especially prayed for the protection of our soldiers deployed on the borders and their families,” Irani said.
The Mahakaleshwar Temple, situated on the banks of the Shipra River in Ujjain, holds immense religious significance as one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. The Bhasma Aarti is one of the most revered rituals here at the Mahakaleshwar Temple, which is performed during the auspicious Brahma Muhurta, between 3:30 and 5:30 AM.
According to temple traditions, the ritual begins with the opening of Baba Mahakal’s doors in the early hours, followed by a holy bath with Panchamrit, a sacred mixture of milk, curd, ghee, sugar, and honey.
The deity is then adorned with cannabis and sandalwood before the unique Bhasma Aarti and dhoop-deep Aarti take place, accompanied by the rhythmic beats of drums and the resonating sound of conch shells.
Devotees from across the country visit the temple to witness this divine ritual, believing that attending the Bhasma Aarti brings blessings and fulfillment of wishes. (ANI)
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