Mahakaleshvar

Temple and sacred site (tirtha) in the
sacred city of Ujjain in the state of
Madhya Pradesh. The temple is named
for its presiding deity, the god Shiva in
his manifestation as the “Lord of Death.”
Shiva is present at Mahakaleshvar in the
form of a linga, a pillar-shaped image.
The Mahakaleshvar linga is one of the
twelve jyotirlingas, a network of sites at
which Shiva is uniquely present. The
linga is in an underground room,
reached only by traversing a long, dark
passageway. This passage may symbolize the darkness and terror of death.
Worship at Mahakaleshvar is believed to
protect one from an early or untimely
death, and at death, bring liberation of
the soul (moksha).
The city of Ujjain has a long history
as a sacred, economic, and political center. One of the Seven Sacred Cities
402
Mahabrahman
(Saptapuri), it also has other important
religious sites. Historically, Ujjain is said
to have been the capital of King
Vikramaditya, founder of the Vikram
Era. Trade routes that passed through it
made it economically prosperous.