MP Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya prays for country's welfare at Mahakal Temple on Mahashivratri in Ujjain

Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) [India], February 15 (ANI): On the auspicious occasion of Mahashivratri, celebrated on February 15, Madhya Pradesh Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya visited the renowned Mahakal Temple in Ujjain to offer special prayers.
During his visit to the holy shrine of Lord Shiva, the minister emphasised his devotion by praying for the continued prosperity and welfare of both the state and the nation. The event coincides with the grand commencement of Vikramotsav-2026 in Ujjain, highlighting a period of significant spiritual and cultural celebration in the region.
Speaking to the media, he said the Maha Shivaratri festival is the marriage anniversary of Lord Mahakal and a day when his blessings rain down.
"Mahashivratri celebrates the marriage of Mahakal and marks a day when his grace is said to bless devotees. This is my 51st year visiting, and I pray for the development of both our state and country. Each year, our nation progresses under Prime Minister Modi's leadership, and our state advances under Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. Initially, it was just the two of us who visited this pilgrimage, but now our entire family visit here together, as our children and their spouses have joined us. We come with gratitude for the blessings of Lord Mahakal and to witness our state's growth. This is my prayer to him," said Vijayvargiya.
Raushan Kumar Singh, District Magistrate Ujjain, told ANI, "Jai Shri Mahakal. Happy Maha Shivaratri. As you can see, there is a huge surge of devotees. Thousands have already had Darshan, and Bhasma Aarti is underway, with devotees watching it as they move. The administrative arrangements are running smoothly. Entry is from the Karkraj parking, then through the Chardham zigzag, and joins in at the Interpretation Centre, and via the corridor to the Mansarovar entry point, from where devotees get Darshan," Vijayvargiya added.
"Currently, around 200,000 devotees are visiting Lord Mahakal daily. For Mahashivratri today, we estimate that around 1 million devotees will have darshan of Lord Mahakal," DM added.
Riya, a devotee, said, "Today is the festival of Mahashivratri, and we had the opportunity to come here. We enjoyed Mahakal's darshan very much. It is our good fortune to be standing on this sacred land today and praying to Lord Mahadev."
Another devotee named Kriti said, "We got the chance to be here for Mahashivratri. We feel very lucky to have visited today and had a wonderful darshan of the Lord." (ANI)