Mahakaleshwar Temple Introduces Digital Booking for Evening and Night Aartis
In a significant move to modernize religious services, the Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain has launched an online booking system for its evening and night aartis. This new facility, announced by Administrator Pratham Kaushik on Thursday, allows devotees to reserve spots for the Sandhya Aarti and Shayan Aarti digitally, mirroring the existing Bhasma Aarti booking process.
Enhanced Convenience and Transparency for Devotees
The temple management committee has set a fee of ₹250 per devotee for both aartis. This payment grants access to a seated position in the hall before the deity, while other worshippers will continue to offer prayers in a moving queue. According to an official release from the temple trust, bookings are handled on a first-come, first-served basis, with a capacity of 1,200 people for each aarti session.
The decision to digitalize the booking process aims to ensure greater transparency, improved management of temple crowds, and enhanced convenience for pilgrims. Bookings can only be made through the temple's official website, ensuring security and authenticity.
Streamlined Booking and Entry Procedures
To facilitate smooth operations, online booking for the Sandhya Aarti opens daily at 12:00 PM, while booking for the Shayan Aarti begins at 4:00 PM each day. Entry for both aartis is designated through Gate No 1, with specific cut-off times: the last entry for Sandhya Aarti is 6:00 PM, and for Shayan Aarti, it is 10:00 PM.
Additionally, mobile darshan will continue to operate during both aarti timings, allowing devotees to participate in worship in an orderly manner without disruptions.
Administrative Oversight and Future Plans
Following the launch, Administrator Pratham Kaushik conducted a thorough inspection of the aarti venue, entry routes, counter arrangements, technical control room, and portal operations. He emphasized the importance of maintaining a transparent, accessible, and technically robust online booking system. Kaushik also personally completed the first online booking for the Sandhya Aarti when the portal went live, demonstrating its functionality.
The temple committee highlighted that this digitalization measure enables devotees to book aartis from the comfort of their homes, significantly improving crowd management at the temple premises. This initiative is expected to reduce long waiting times and enhance the overall spiritual experience for visitors.
With this new system, the Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple continues to blend tradition with technology, setting a precedent for other religious sites in India to adopt similar digital solutions for better service delivery.
