The festival of Rakshabandhan was celebrated in a very special way at Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga in Ujjain. During the Bhasma Aarti around 3 am on Friday, the women of the priest family tied a special Rakhi to Lord Mahakal. According to belief, there is a tradition of starting major Hindu festivals from the courtyard of Baba Mahakal.
For this special occasion, the women of the priest family worked hard for about a week to prepare Rakhi with their own hands. This Rakhi, about 2 feet long, was decorated with silk cloth, silk threads and jewellery. Lord Krishna's favorite peacock feathers and mother cow were also given place in Rakhi.
Rakhi tied to Baba Mahakal in Bhasma Aarti at 3 am
On the day of Rakshabandhan, there was a special religious atmosphere in the temple since morning. The women of the family of priest Om Guru and Rajesh Sharma had reached the temple at around 2 o'clock in the night. Before the Bhasma Aarti started, he chanted mantras and completed the preparations for the puja.
During Bhasma Aarti, ashes were offered to Lord Mahakal. After this the specially prepared Rakhi was dedicated to Baba Mahakal. During this time, an atmosphere of enthusiasm was visible among the devotees in the temple premises.
This tradition of tying Rakhi to Baba Mahakal is considered very special religiously. For devotees, offering Rakhi to God is a beautiful way to connect the feeling of brother-sister love and protection to God.
2 feet long special Rakhi prepared in a week
This time the Rakhi prepared for Lord Mahakal was quite different from the normal Rakhis. The women of the priest family worked hard for about a week to make this 2 feet long Rakhi.
Rakhi was made from silk cloth and silk threads. Along with this, jewelery was used to make it attractive. Different symbols were included in Rakhi keeping in mind the religious sentiment associated with Lord Mahakal.
According to priest Akash Guru, Lord Krishna's favorite peacock feather has also been given a place in Rakhi. Apart from this, the symbol of Mother Cow was also included in Rakhi. In this way, Rakhi was not just a decorative item but was made by associating it with religious sentiments and faith.
Women kept fast throughout Saavan
The women of the priest family, who prepared Rakhi for Lord Mahakal, kept fast and fast throughout the month of Sawan for this special occasion. The month of Sawan is considered special for the worship of Lord Shiva.
After worshiping and fasting for the whole month, women prepared Rakhi for Rakshabandhan. It took about a week to make it. While preparing Rakhi, the form of Lord Mahakal and his favorite religious beliefs were kept in mind.
Offering of 1.25 lakh laddus
On the occasion of Rakshabandhan, along with special worship of Lord Mahakal, laddus were also offered. On behalf of the priest family, 1.25 lakh laddus were offered to Baba Mahakal.
According to religious belief, devotees who observe vrat or fast throughout the month of Shravan, break their fast by consuming laddu prasad offered to Lord Mahakal on the day of Shravan Purnima.
Recognition of starting the festival from the courtyard of Mahakal
The worship of Lord Mahakal in Ujjain and the major religious events held here have special significance for the devotees across the country. It is believed in the local religious tradition that many major festivals of Hindu religion begin from the courtyard of Baba Mahakal.
Under the same tradition, Rakhi was first offered to Lord Mahakal on Rakshabandhan. After this, the devotees celebrated this festival of brother-sister in their respective homes.