Ujjain: The Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple Management Committee has announced a significant step in its ongoing digitalization efforts, making the booking process for two key daily rituals—the Sandhya (evening) and Shayan (night) aartis—completely online. The new system aims to enhance transparency, streamline management, and improve convenience for devotees visiting the revered Jyotirlinga shrine.

Under the new rules, devotees can no longer make on-site bookings for these aartis. All slots must be secured through the temple’s official website, shrimahakaleshwar.mp.gov.in.

Online Booking Timings and Process

The temple committee has specified separate booking windows for each aarti, operating on a ‘first-come, first-served’ basis. The schedule is as follows:

Sandhya Aarti: Online booking will commence daily at 12:00 PM.

Shayan Aarti: Online booking will open daily at 4:00 PM.

A fee of ₹250 per devotee has been set for participating in either aarti, which is the same as the cost for ‘Sheeghra Darshan’ (express darshan). This move standardizes the fee structure for premium services at the temple.

Entry Rules and Darshan Arrangements

Devotees with successful online bookings for both aartis must enter through Gate No. 1. The committee has also announced strict final entry timings to ensure smooth proceedings.

For the Sandhya Aarti, the last entry will be at 6:00 PM, while for the Shayan Aarti, devotees must enter by 10:00 PM.

The temple management has clarified that the regular ‘chalit darshan’ (moving darshan queue) will continue to operate during the aarti hours. This ensures that all other pilgrims can still get a glimpse of the deity without interruption.

The committee stated that this digital transition is part of a broader objective to create a more transparent, organized, and devotee-friendly system, allowing more people to easily access and experience the sacred rituals.