Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh): The festival of Holi will be celebrated first in the country on Monday at the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain, following centuries-old traditions.
This year only one kilogram of herbal gulal will be symbolically offered to the deity.
During the evening aarti, priests will offer gulal to the deity, after which a Holika made of cow dung cakes will be burned on the temple premises with Vedic chanting.
For security reasons, general devotees will not be allowed near the Holika Dahan site. The temple administration has taken this decision as a precautionary measure in light of previous fire incidents. Senior officials from the division will be present at the Holika Dahan.
Special Decoration and Bhasma Aarti on Dhuleti
The festival of Dhuleti will be celebrated at the Mahakal Temple on Tuesday. During the Bhasma Aarti, which will take place at 4 am, Lord Mahakal will first be offered gulal. After this, the deity will be specially adorned with cannabis and sandalwood.
According to the temple priest, the tradition of celebrating Holi first at the Mahakal Temple dates back to ancient times, symbolically offering gulal (colourful powder) to the deity.
With the onset of Chaitra Krishna Pratipada on March 3, the temple will shift to its summer schedule. Lord Mahakal will be bathed with cold water until Sharad Purnima, and the timings of three out of the five daily aartis will be revised accordingly.
Rules during eclipse
During the Sutak period of the eclipse, the temple doors will remain open, but regular offerings will not be made. Only sugar will be offered to the deity. After the eclipse is over, the temple will be purified and prayers and aarti will be performed.
