Ujjain: Over 3.5 lakh people take darshan at Nagchandreshwar Temple in 20 hours

Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh): The gates of the ancient Nagchandeswar temple were opened on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday. By 8 pm on Tuesday, 3.50 lakh devotees had performed darshan of the presiding deity. Due to Nagpanchami, there was a lot of crowd in Shri Mahakaleshwar temple as well.

The temple of Nagchandeshwar is situated on the top floor of Shri Mahakaleshwar temple.

Soon after the opening of doors of Nagchandreshwar temple at 12 midnight, fhe first worship was performed by Mahant Vineet Giri Maharaj of Shri Panchayati Mahanirvani Akhara. Veteran RSS leaders Bhaiyyaji Joshi, Deepak Vispute, Makhan Singh Chouhan, state BJP organising general secretary Hitanand Sharma, cabinet ministers Kamal Patel and Mohan Yadav and State Jan Abhiyan Parishad vice-president Vibhash Upadhyay were also present. Soon after the puja, common devotees were given entry for the darshan via the new iron bridge constructed between Mahakal Vishramdham and Nagchandreshwar temple. The customary official puja was held at 12 noon. Divisional commissioner Sandeep Yadav, IG Santosh Kumar Singh, collector Asheesh Singh and SP Satytendra Kumar Shukla along with their wives performed this puja under the guidance of Pt Radhe Shyam Shastri.

Till 12 o'clock at night about 4 lakh devotees are estimated to take darshan. The shikhar of Shri Mahakaleshwar temple is divided into three sections. Lord Mahakal is seated at the bottom, Omkareshwar in the second section and the temple of Nagchandreshwar in the third section. Nagchandreshwar Temple is the only temple in the world in which Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati and Lord Ganesha are seated on a seven-faced snake bed instead of Lord Vishnu. It is said that this statue was brought here from Nepal. Apart from Ujjain, there is no such statue anywhere in the world.