Madhya Pradesh: Ujjain lights up with 21 lakh lamps on Maha Shivratri

Madhya Pradesh government created a Guinness record in Ujjain city by lighting 21 lakh lamps as a part of Maha Shivratri celebrations on Tuesday.

Maha Shivratri, which essentially translates to 'the great night of Shiva', is considered one of the most auspicious festivals of the country. It is celebrated annually with much fervour and excitement across India.

The state government hosted a grant event in Ujjain which is commonly known as the city of Mahadev as Mahakaleshwar temple is a popular shrine that comprises one of the twelve major Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva.

Attending the event in Ujjain today, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, "The successful execution of this event is a fine example of the principle of 'Sarva Dharma Sambhaav,' which was espoused by Swami Vivekanand and Mahatma Gandhi. It is my earnest wish and prayer that Lord Shiva will bestow his blessings on all the citizens of the state and will continue to guide us to achieve the dream of Atmanirbhar Madhya Pradesh."

This Mahashivratri, along with organising the Mahadev Utsav for the worship of Lord Shiva, the district administration has registered its name in the Guinness Book by lighting 21 lakh earthen lamps, CMO said.

In order to create this world record, the lamps were lit in temples and homes all around Ujjain city, including the banks of the Shipra river, and the courtyard of the Devasthali Mahakal temple.

The event saw participation from over 17,000 volunteers, who had registered for this massive event. These volunteers represented various voluntary organizations, students, sportspersons, professionals and social organizations, religious institutions, including the saints of all akhadas.

This was a one-of-a-kind event as the city administration took special care to ensure that the event was eco-friendly and achieved the 'zero waste' goal, and adhered to the principle of 3R - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

The eco-friendly steps taken by the administration included volunteer identity cards made from recycled paper, usage of paper matchboxes to light the lamps and candles, usage of biodegradable cutlery and plates for food and drink.

Following the culmination of the event, the earthen lamps will be reused to make idols, pots, kulhads, in-home composting, among other things. Also, the oil bottles will be recycled responsibly.

Informing about the progress of development being carried out in Ujjain, the religious capital of Madhya Pradesh, CM Chouhan added, "Recently, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation stone of 11 road projects worth Rs 5,722 crore for the development of entire Malwa held in Ujjain. This will certainly speed up the rate of development in Ujjain and put Ujjain on the world map as the religious tourism capital of India."

"Our government is committed to introducing world-class facilities to the devotees of Lord Shiva, including the launching of a cable car service from the railway station to the Mahakaleshwar temple," he added.

On this occasion, Chouhan also inspected the ongoing works in the first phase of Shri Mahakal Vikas Vistar Yojana costing Rs 750 crore.

In addition, he examined the plan for the second phase of the campus expansion at Triveni Museum, which was presented by Ujjain Collector Ashish Singh, IAS.

It's believed that while there is a Shivratri every lunisolar month of the Hindu calendar, the Maha Shivratri, happens only once every year, in February or March, when winter comes to an end and spring and summer begin.

Out of the 12 Shivratris observed in any given year, Maha Shivratri is considered especially auspicious, as it is supposed to be the night of convergence of Shiva and Shakti, which in essence means the male and feminine energies that keep the world in balance. Shiva and Shakti are revered as the embodiment of love, power, and oneness.

On this auspicious day, followers and devotees of Shiva observe fast and special pujas are performed in several temples of Shiva across the world. They offer milk to the Shivaling and pray for moksha.

It is believed that those people who perform puja, fast, and offer prayers to Lord Shiva are blessed with good luck. Many people also think that Maha Shivratri fast reminds devotees that pride, ego and falsehood lead to downfall only.

( With inputs from ANI )