Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The doors of the Nagchandreshwar Temple, located atop the Mahakaleshwar Temple, were opened on Monday for 24 hours on the occasion of Nag Panchami.
The temple is opened only once a year on Nag Panchami, allowing devotees to seek the blessings of Lord Nagchandreshwar.
A large number of devotees gathered in Ujjain as Nag Panchami coincided with the third Monday of the holy month of Sawan.
Around 40,000 devotees had already gathered near the barricades for Nagchandreshwar darshan, Ujjain SP Pradeep Sharma said.
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Madhya Pradesh Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya also visited the Mahakaleshwar Temple and said there was a huge rush of devotees due to Nag Panchami and the third Monday of Sawan.
He said the administration was keeping a close watch on the arrangements and that everyone would be able to get darshan.
Vijayvargiya also prayed that people contribute to the development of Madhya Pradesh and the country.
According to SP Sharma, more than five lakh devotees are expected to visit the Mahakaleshwar Temple on Monday. The third city procession of Lord Mahakaleshwar will also be held at 4 pm, with around 4 to 4.5 lakh people expected to attend.
The temple opened at 2:30 am, followed by the special Bhasma Aarti at 3 am.
Baba Mahakal was then adorned after a grand Panchamrit Abhishek, as devotees thronged the temple to witness the special rituals.
Indian cricketer Umesh Yadav also offered prayers at the Nagchandreshwar Temple on Nag Panchami.
He said the day was special for him as Nag Panchami coincided with a Monday in the holy month of Sawan.
Yadav added that getting darshan at the temple, which opens only once a year, was a special moment for every devotee.
Around 2,400 police personnel have been deployed for 36 hours to manage the crowd and maintain security.
Arrangements for Nagchandreshwar darshan have been made from the Karkraj parking area, while devotees visiting Baba Mahakal will be guided through the Interpretation Centre and other designated areas.
More than 200 CCTV cameras have been installed across the city and along the procession routes.
Three drones have also been deployed to keep a watch on the crowd and ensure smooth darshan arrangements.
