Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh): The ancient city of Ujjain which is renowned as the cultural and religious capital of Madhya Pradesh, is also hailed for upholding the traditions. Liquor is form of all worldly evils and ills that can harm not just an individual and his kin but the society as a whole.
However, in Ujjain liquor is offered to the goddesses of city to seek blessings for the prosperity and well-being of to the city.
Like all religious events, in Ujjain the festival of Navratri also assumes a special significance and culminates with a mystic annual event featuring the district collector of Ujjain offering a bottle of liquor to the seven feet high idols of two goddesses, siblings- Mahamaya and Mahalaya, at the Chaubis Khamba Mata Mandir. The temple is in the vicinity of the world-famous Temple of Jyotrilinga Mahakal.
Mahaastami on Wednesday, the eighth day of Navratri, district magistrate (collector) Asheesh Singh and SP Satyendra Kumar Shukla offered liquor to the godlessness. The devis drank the offering to the chants and clapping of a large number of awe-struck devotees who had gathered in front of the temple to witness the annual spectacle and to have a palmful of liquor as Prasad.
A platter of puri, sabzi, bhajiya among other traditional food items were also offered by the district administration to seek blessings of devis for welfare, happiness and prosperity of city-dwellers.
Officials of revenue department and social workers visited over 48 temples across the city with the traditional pomp and gaiety to offer the customary nagar pujan. They unfurled religious flags on the temples. The day-long worship concluded in the evening at Handiphod Bhairav located near the Gadkalika temple.
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