Surprise Inspection Reveals Devotees Charged ₹2,500 For Bhasma Aarti At Ujjain's Mahakaleshwar Temple; FIR Registered

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A case of illegal money collection from devotees in the name of arranging permission for Bhasma Aarti has come to light at the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain on Friday.

The matter was discovered early Friday morning during a surprise inspection by temple administrator and Additional Collector Pratham Kaushik.

He visited the temple to review arrangements and interacted with devotees who had come to attend the Bhasma Aarti.

During the inspection, Kaushik checked permissions of devotees entering through different routes, including Neelkanth Gate, Mansarovar Route and Gate No. 1.

While speaking with devotees, three people claimed that they had paid Rs 2,500 each to obtain permission for the Bhasma Aarti.

Taking the matter seriously, the temple administration filed a complaint at Mahakal Police Station. Based on the complaint, police have registered an FIR and started an investigation.

According to sources, the Bhasma Aarti protocol permission was reportedly arranged in the name of a Hindu organisation. However, it is still not clear who received the money collected from the devotees.

Officials are now trying to identify the people involved in the alleged illegal collection and determine where the money went.

To prevent such incidents in the future, the temple administration has directed that devotees attending the Bhasma Aarti will be allowed entry only through Neelkanth Gate. Further action will be taken based on the police investigation.