Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh): Ujjain’s spiritually significant Mahakaleshwar Temple has completely banned the entry and use of mobile phones inside the temple premises.
The temple committee issued a new order on Thursday evening, citing security concerns and the need to maintain a religious atmosphere.
It is said that the ban has come into effect from Tuesday after several incidents of people making and sharing viral videos with film songs inside the temple.
The temple committee had been preparing for this move for the past two weeks. However, the ban will not apply in the Mahakal Lok area outside the main temple.
No mobile phones in temple premises
The temple management has clearly stated that devotees will not be allowed to even carry mobile phones into the temple premises along with using them. If anyone is found using a mobile inside the temple, strict action will be taken.
Devotees can deposit phone at 3 locations
The temple management has made arrangements for the devotees to deposit their mobile phones before entering the premises at three designated locations - Manasrovar Bhavan, Gate No. 4 near Bada Ganpati and Avantika Gate No. 1.
Locker facilities are available at these points. After depositing their phones, devotees will receive a receipt, which can be used to collect the mobile after darshan.
However, there still are concerns over the availability of sufficient lockers. On an average, 50k to 70k people visit the Mahakaleshwar temple daily. If even half of them bring mobile phones, around 30k lockers would be needed. It’s a challenge before the temple committee to manage the need for lockers without creating trouble for devotees.
