Shri Kaal Bhairav Temple

On the banks of the Kshipra, a short ride from Mahakaleshwar, stands the temple of Kaal Bhairav, the fierce form of Lord Shiva who guards the ancient city of Ujjain. Every kotwal, or guardian, deserves respect before the king is visited, and tradition asks devotees to take darshan of Kaal Bhairav when they come to Mahakal’s city.

History of the Temple

The temple’s origins reach deep into the Puranic past, with the present structure associated with the Maratha period. Paintings in the Malwa style once decorated its walls, traces of which survive.

Significance of the Temple

Kaal Bhairav here accepts an offering given at almost no other temple: liquor. The cup is held to the deity’s lips and the liquid visibly disappears. How this happens has never been settled, and the mystery itself has become part of the temple’s power. Devotees seek Bhairav’s protection from fear, enemies and the misuse of time, for Kaal means both time and death.

What to Experience

The offering

Stand near the sanctum during the offering and watch a tradition that has puzzled every generation of visitors.

Bhairav Ashtami

The temple’s greatest day falls in the month of Kartik, when the guardian of Ujjain is honoured with special shringar and night-long devotion.