Mahakala: Lords of Time and Death

Explore the only south-facing jyotirlinga at Mahakaleshwar in Ujjain, where the Bhasma Aarti uses funeral pyre ashes. Then journey to Omkareshwar, where an island shaped like the sacred Om sits in the Narmada River. Discover why Ujjain was ancient India's prime meridian.

Lessons in this chapter

• Mahakaleshwar: Where Time Dissolves — The only south-facing jyotirlinga and Lord of Time
• Bhasma Aarti: Death as Worship — The sacred ritual using funeral pyre ashes
• Omkara: The Sacred Sound Made Stone — The island shaped like Om in the Narmada River
• Dvaya Mandira: Two Temples, One Linga? — The Omkareshwar and Mamleshwar debate
• Ujjayini: The First Meridian — Ancient India's prime meridian and two jyotirlingas

Back to The Twelve Jyotirlingas