An unusual incident took place in Ujjain’s Mahakaleshwar temple, which has sparked mixed reactions among devotees. On Monday, 18 August, at around 8 PM, the priest was decorating the Mahakal Jyotirlinga with Bhaang Shringar when suddenly the mask broke and fell. The priests quickly redecorated the idol and completed the evening Aarti. The entire episode was captured on CCTV.
As soon as the news spread, people began interpreting the incident differently. Some called it an inauspicious sign of an upcoming mishap, while others dismissed it as a natural occurrence.
Details About Bhaang Shringar
During Bhasma Aarti, Sandhya Aarti and Shayan Aarti, Lord Mahakal is decorated with Bhaang. Around 3 kg of Bhaang is offered daily.
On special occasions and festivals, Lord Mahakal’s decoration changes according to the theme — for example, during Janmashtami, he is adorned as Krishna, and during Ganesh Utsav, as Lord Ganesh.
The tradition of Bhaang Shringar comes from the story of Lord Shiva drinking poison during the Samudra Manthan. Bhaang is used to provide coolness to the deity.
On 18 August (Dashami Tithi of Krishna Paksha), Lord Mahakal’s royal procession was also taken out in the city. Later that evening, the Bhaang decoration collapsed, possibly because it had dried up.
This is not the first time such an incident has happened. Changes in temperature, humidity, and weather often cause the decoration to loosen or fall. Priests usually fix it immediately, but with social media, such incidents quickly turn into discussions and speculations.
Speculations and Beliefs
Astrologer Pandit Amar Dabbewala says that the deity only accepts the decoration if it is done with pure devotion. If there is any mistake or lack of sincerity, the deity may reject it — which can be seen as a divine signal. He also predicted that the coming four months could see unnatural events, including possible floods in the south and west regions.
Many scholars believe that signs from the four Dhams sometimes indicate future events. For instance, the Pahalgam attack happened soon after a bird carried away the flag from the peak of Jagannath Puri temple. Similarly, the Air India plane crash followed the murder of a temple priest and a fire near Achyutananda’s throne. In the same way, it is said that signs of future events are often received from the Dhams of Dwarka, Badrinath, Kedarnath, and Rameswaram.
Out of the 12 Jyotirlingas, Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is considered the only “awakened” (living) Jyotirlinga, and therefore, incidents here are seen as more significant.
Recently too, a few unusual events occurred:
A strong wind knocked down the golden flag from the temple peak.
Soon after, storms damaged parts of the Mahakal Mahalok, including the umbrella of Tripurasur Sanhar’s chariot statue.
Should We Worry?
While some see the Bhaang Shringar incident as inauspicious, others believe it’s simply due to natural reasons like drying or weather conditions.
Still, in a year like 2025, which has already seen natural disasters, accidents, political tensions, and terrorist attack, such events easily fuel public concern. Whether it is a sign of something big or just coincidence, only time will tell.
