Ujjain: Mahakal City all set to celebrate Mahashivratri by illuminating 21 lakh lamps

Ujjain (Madhya PRadesh): The Mahakal City is about to witness one of the most magnificent celebrations of all times this Mahashivratri on March 1 while hosting “Shiv Jyoti Arpanam Mahotsav”. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will grace the occasion. With a target of 21 lakh diyas (earthen lamps) to be lit, Ujjain will be emanating brilliance from all corners of the city. The event will mark the excellence and united participation of the city.

Ujjain Municipal Corporation Commissioner Anshul Gupta informed that the grand Shiv Jyoti Arpanam Mahots aims at establishing Ujjain on the world stage from the point of view of tourism and branding Ujjain for its collective spirit to stand out with distinction.

To celebrate the festival, lamps will be lit at the ghats of Kshipra, all temples, public places and government complexes. All residents of the city shall also be lighting 5-5 lamps in their homes. The event also includes decoration of commercial establishments, markets, and shops beside the lighting of the lamps.

A target has been set to light 13 lakh lamps on the banks of Mokshadayini Maa Kshipra, which will be an attempt to set a Guinness World Record of ‘Largest Display of Oil Lamps’.

Shiv Jyoti Arpanam Mahotsav will be organised on the lines of the world’s largest zero waste programme, he added.

DETAILS OF LAMPS TO BE LIGHTED

Mahakal Temple-151000, Magalnath Temple-11000, Kalabhairav Temple and Ghat-10000, Gadkalika Temple-1100, Siddhavat Temple and Ghat-6000, Harsiddhi Temple-5000, Tower Chowk-100000 and 200000 at other public places. Thus the total number of lamps to be lit in the city - on the banks of river Kshipra, public places and houses - would be 21 lakh. Shiv Jyoti Arpanam Mahotsav event will be celebrated with participation from all sections of the society. Regular meetings are being held and required contacts are being made with all sections and the whole city is actively and unanimously participating in the festival. A total of 13,000 volunteers are required for attempting Guinness World Record on Kshipra ghat, for which 17,593 self-registrations have already been done. This includes 2913 from colleges, 1210 from private schools, 3090 from government schools, 1023 from National Service Scheme, 552 from sports and youth welfare department, 513 from the teerth purohits, pundits and akharas, 56 from Kshatriya Maratha community, 285 from Kayastha community, 30 from Rathore community, 95 from Sen community, 120 from Gujarati community, 100 from Sindhi community, 173 from Agrawal community, 1027 from social organisations/groups/NGOs/social welfare groups, 1300 from coaching institutes, 111 from business organisations, 900 from political parties and 4000 from village panchayats and volunteers from rural areas.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE FESTIVAL

Registration of volunteers (about 13,000) will be based on QR code app and identity cards will be made from recycled paper

After the festival, 13, 00, 000 diyas will be used in the 3R concept of making less impact on the environment i.e. reduce, reuse, recycle.

The remaining wicks will be composted and used as manure

The remaining earthen lamps will be used to develop the world’s largest earthen lamp sculpture which will be installed in the city permanently

After the programme, the remaining oil will be reused for food items at gaushala, etc.

Around 14,000 empty oil bottles will be reused for making chairs, benches, pots, etc in the 3R garden

Paper matchbox will be used to light the candles

Burnt candles will be reused for making night shelter beds

Only bio-degradable cutlery/plates will be used for eating and drinking

Proper arrangement of sanitary pad vending machines, waste paper for wrapping waste pads and separate compartments for their disposal will be kept in all toilets

All the components of the event are being decided as per the guidelines issued by the Ministry (zero waste programme’s standard operating procedure)

Ghats to be blocked till 8 pm on March 1 for preparations

Devotees will be able to observe Deepotsav only after 8 pm on March 1. Under Shiv Jyoti Arpanam Mahotsav, a total of 13 lakh lamps will be lit at places like Ramghat, Dutt Akhara Ghat, Narsing Ghat, Sunhari Ghat etc. Collector Asheesh Singh said that the roads leading to the ghats would be blocked till 8 pm on March 1 for lighting the lamp and its preparations. Visitors and devotees will be able to observe the Shiv Jyoti Arpanam Mahotsav by reaching the ghats after 8 pm. Collector has appealed to all the devotees to reach the ghats only after 8 pm, so that they do not face any inconvenience.

No bathing at ghats except Bhukhi Mata and Karkaraj from Monday afternoon

Due to elaborate arrangements of ‘Shiv Jyoti Arpanam Mahotsav’, devotees will be able to take advantage of bathing only at Bhukhi Mata Ghat and Karkaraj Ghat from 12 noon on February 28 to March 1. The bathing facility will not be available at other ghats. Collector has appealed to all the devotees for cooperation in this regard and said that all the devotees who want to take a bath should visit the Bhukhi Mata and Karkaraj Ghat.

Published on: Monday, February 28, 2022, 11:17 AM IST