No online booking of Bhasma Aarti in the last week of December… Decision taken to control crowd on the occasion of New Year

Let us tell you, 400 devotees are allowed online daily Bhasma Aarti darshan by the temple committee. However, on some important occasions this facility is kept closed for crowd control purposes.

Estimated arrival of 10 lakh devotees in the new year

• There is a flood of faith in Jyotirling Mahakal Temple from 25 December to 5 January. This time also in the new year, more than 10 lakh devotees are expected to come to see Lord Mahakal.
• Devotees coming from all over the country to visit Mahakal definitely want to see the Bhasma Aarti which takes place at 4 am in the morning. In the month of December, online booking of Bhasma Aarti is full till 25th December.
• After this, online booking has been blocked from 26 December to 1 January. During these crowded days, devotees will be allowed offline from the Bhasma Aarti booking counter located near the temple office.

Mahashivratri booking also blocked

Devotees can now book online for Bhasma Aarti darshan two months in advance on the website of Mahakal Temple. The booking option for January and February 2025 is open in the month of December. However, in February there is a booking block for 26th and 27th February.

The reason is that once a year on Mahashivratri on 26th February and on 27th February, Bhasma Aarti will be performed at 12 noon. Thousands of devotees want to see Bhasma Aarti on both the days. But the temple administration has blocked the online booking facility for both the days.

The capacity of Mahakal Annakshetra will be doubled, 10 thousand devotees will be able to eat food every day.

Meanwhile, preparations are being made to double the capacity of the Annakshetra of Mahakal Temple. Now 10 thousand devotees will be able to have food every day. A meeting will be organized by the temple administration regarding this on Wednesday. The menu for seven days will also be determined. The quality of food prepared daily will also be improved.

Annakshetra is operated by the Mahakal Temple Management Committee in the parking complex in front of the Nandi gate of Shri Mahakal Mahaloka. The two-storey state-of-the-art Annakshetra has the facility for 1500 devotees to sit together and have their meal.

At present only the ground floor is being used. Every day around 4 to 5 thousand devotees are taking food prasad. The new plan is to use the first floor along with the ground floor. With this arrangement, about 10 thousand devotees will be able to receive Mahaprasad throughout the day.

Food is prepared by machines in the modern kitchen

The Annakshetra of Mahakal Temple is huge and modern like the Annakshetra of big temples of the country. In this, food is prepared with machines. After offering food to Lord Mahakal at 11 in the morning, food is served to the devotees in the form of Prasad. Prasad facility is available to the devotees till 9 pm.

You will get new taste every day

At present, pulses, rice, roti, vegetables and sweets in the form of saffron rice, gram flour chakki, kheer etc. are made in Annakshetra. This menu has been going on for years. The temple committee has put out a tender for vegetables, yet only one type of vegetable like gourd and gilki is prepared every day.

Sometimes the quality of rice, chickpea etc. also remains weak. The temple administration has also received many complaints in this regard. In this case, the officials will improve the quality of food and determine the menu for seven days. With this arrangement, devotees coming from all over the country will get a new taste in food every day.