In June 2018, just ahead of the assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, the state president of Congress party wrote a letter to the lord of time ‘Mahakal’ complaining about the 15 years of misrule of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The letter that sought the blessings of Lord Shiva for a wave of change though couldn’t save his government on the eve of the Covid lockdown, the prayers were responded to otherwise.
The dream project of the Madhya Pradesh government is going to see the light of the day - ‘Mahakal Lok’, the magnificent corridor surrounding the historic Mahakaleshwar temple of the ancient Ujjain city today is all set to be inaugurated by none other than the Prime Minister himself.
Beefed-up security, relentless sniffing out of possible dangers and thousands of strained eyes roaming around to get a glance of the humongous corridor if are anything to go by, it is not only for the history that people are pulled in, there lies the spectacle of a temple complex that is going to forever change the economic demography of the city.
A Fanfare Unfolded
While the roads towards the corridors are already closed for the security drills, the only way to look at the stretch remains confined within suspense and uncertainty. “I came here to meet Modi ji. First, we went for a Darshan of Mahakal and then got to know the PM is coming. We will go back only after seeing him,” said Shekhar, a B.Sc student at a Kanpur college.
Shekhar had, though travelled the long way just to get a glimpse of Lord Mahakal, the WhatsApp groups that discussed the ‘holy arrival’ of the Prime Minister made him change his plans.
Shekhar is not the only one, there are several people who thronged into the Mahakal temple have nothing to do with the historical veracity of the place, it is more about the spectacle- 108 pillars inscribed with different names of the lord Shiva, the renovated version of revered Rudra Sagar pond, Nandi and Pinaki gates and last but not the least the cherishing probability of having a glimpse of chief patron Narendra Modi.
“I don’t know who is doing the flower decoration in the corridor. But, we can’t go there. We are recruited only to decorate the pillars inside,” said Mayank Goel, a 24-year-old flower decorator deployed only to take care of the Mahakal temple area. Aware of his limits, Mayank said, “Look, we don’t know what is going to be changed in our business but definitely, something is in the air. Something new is going to happen in the city. After all Modi ji is coming.”
Mahakaleswar- A Journey through the Time
History though didn’t matter much to either Shekhar or Mayank, the ‘ancient’ found its true reviver in the chief priest of the Mahakaleshwar temple, Acharya Raman Guru Triwedi. Parking his scooter near the office area as he entered the room, an army of bemused disciples were ready to seek his blessings.
Spreading himself on the Sofa, Maharaja started, “Kal or time has the command over death and life but who does have command over time? This is Mahakal. And the God of Mahakal is Mahakaleshwar- the Lord Shiva. This is giving me immense pleasure to say that the Prime Minister of the country Narendra Modi is coming to seek blessings from our God.”
Stretching the time back to Satya Yug (the era of Truth), Triwedi continued, “This temple has been here since eternity. Kalidas has described in detail the spread of the Mahakal temple across the city of Ujjain. Known as the abode of Maharaja Vikramaditya, Ujjaini is called by several names like Avantika, Vishala, Ujjain, and Ujjaini.”
Referring to the only south-faced Chaturlinga that has its own place among the worshippers, Triwedi said that 2,500 years ago it was the city where lord Krishna came to study in Shantimani Ashram, met Sudama and married Kumari Vrinda. “Thus this historic city is also in-laws of lord Krishna, so it must have some significance,” he added.
According to him, Mahakal Lok is nothing except the revival of the ancient Mahakaleswar temple area that was described in the words of Kalidas. It is believed that the foundational trace of the temple can be found in the 6th Century AD when Kumarasena, the son of a former king of Ujjain, Chandpradyot made it. Later, it was reconstructed under the tenure of 12th Century AD king Udayaditya and Naravarman. The latest trace of renovation is however found during the 18th century AD when Maratha commander Ranoji Sindhe of Peshwa Bajirao-I remade it.
Different layers of architectural patterns like Maratha, Bhumija and Chalukya also point towards the multiple reconstructions of the temple. The written history and its nuances apart, the locals believe in the eternal presence of Mahakal in the land, as Triwedi even pointed out, makes the place timeless.
However, in the utterance of history and proud assertion of the golden ancient past of Vikramaditya’s city lying beside the beautiful Shipra river, the Pujari didn’t forget to express his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for visiting the land. “In 2028, when the next Kumbh will be organised here, I wish Narendra Modi comes here as the Prime Minister of the country. We will pray to Mahakaleswar that he remains the PM and attends our Kumbh in good health.”
Where the Lights are Dim: Beyond the Mahakal
The sounds of celebration were tearing the sky apart to celebrate the visit of Chief Patron, when the lights were not even letting any darkness bubble over the surface, 70-year-old Roru Lala was not in that jovial mood. At the roof of the second workers’ facility, behind the main temple complex, white dhoti-clad Roru said, “They (Police) are asking me to leave now. Where should I go? I have been a security guard in this building for years. In the middle of the night where to go with the family?” With strained eyes and stretched skin, Roru referred to the police officials who were making security arrangements for the Prime Minister.
There was not only one Roru, Piyush Golu Lalwat, a granite worker who has been working in the temple complex for the last three years, revealed something more. Pointing at the renovated Rudra Sagar, one part of which had been filled to pave the way for the corridor, Lalwat said, “Yahan pe pehle Chacha logo ki basti thaa… In log ko paisa de ke bhaga diya. (Earlier here were slums of Muslims, they were evicted with due compensation).”
On being asked, where they have gone, Lalwat was annoyed. “I don’t know. Everywhere you find the temple of lord Shiva, you will see it is surrounded by Muslims. Here, Begham Bagh is just beside the Mandir complex. They stay here only,” he said.
Expectations of a changing world were running through Lalwat’s eye. “There will be several new jobs. In this corridor at least 300 security guards will be required. Several policemen will be deployed as well. The historic city of Ujjain is going to change forever.”
The hopes that will make their way beyond the massive celebrations of the inauguration were not limited to Lalwats, one of the ‘Chahchas’, whom Lalwat said they didn’t allow to enter the temple business, are now selling Samosa nearby. Reflecting on the importance of the Mahakal temple in the city, Abdul Gaffar said, “There is no industry, nothing else is here. All we have is the Mahakal temple. It is the heart of the city.”
However, amidst the celebratory lights and the positive vibes spread across the city, Bharat, a driver in his mid-40s told Outlook, “Sir, I will not take Samosa from this (Gaffar’s) shop. I have taken dikhsha and can’t do this.” The lights on the overbridge certainly started blinking; perhaps it needs some repairs before the Chief Patron enters the corridors of History.
