A New tunnel being built at Mahakaleshwar Ujjain Temple | PWOnlyIAS 2023

Context:

• Construction of a 250-meter-long underground tunnel is being carried out on a war-footing at Mahakaleshwar Ujjain Temple.

About Mahakaleshwar Ujjain Temple

• Mahakaleshwar Ujjain which means the Lord of Time, refers to Lord Shiva, the one among the trinity of Hinduism, i.e. Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara, wherein Lord Shiva is also known as Maheshwara. 
• Located on the banks of Shipra river,, this temple is  one of the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas in India. 
• Shri Mahakaleshwar of Ujjayini is known among the twelve celebrated Jyotirlingas in India. 
• As per the records, the temple’s Mahakal lingam is believed to be Swayambhu (self-manifested), and that the idol of Mahakaleshwar idol faces south, which is unlike all the other Jyotirlingas in the country. 
• It’s a popular Hindu pilgrimage site, where the Bhasma-Aarti lures tons of devotees from across the country. 
• The temple complex comes with a spacious courtyard that is adorned with finest sculptures that are believed to be influenced by Chalukya, Maratha, and Bhumija styles of structural design. 
• The temple also houses a tank constructed in the sarvatobhadra style.

Significance Of Mahakaleshwar Ujjain Temple’s Location

• Popularly known as the Greenwich of India, Ujjain is geographically located at a spot where the zero meridian of longitude (Madhyarekha) and Tropic of Cancer (Karkavrutta) intersect. 
• Many religious places in the city are somehow connected to time. Ujjain’s connection to astronomy, hence, shows how the Shiva temple here is dedicated to Mahakal, the god of time.

News Source: The Economic Times