While the festival of Diwali is celebrated across the country with bright lamps and prayers for prosperity in homes and temples, the textile city of Bhilwara witnesses a completely unique and astonishing way of marking the occasion. At the Masania Bhairavnath Temple located in the Panchmukhi Moksh Dham of Bhilwara, a distinctive tradition is followed every year on Diwali. While ordinary people hesitate to even visit cremation grounds after dark, practitioners in this temple sit amidst the crematorium late at night to perform esoteric rituals, special Kapal Puja, and Khappar साधना.
A Tradition Running Continuously For Two Decades
This special ritual of skull worship and Khappar practice at the Masania Bhairavnath Temple has been performed continuously without any interruption for the past 20 years. The spiritual proceedings begin about 10 days prior to Diwali with various religious ceremonies. Late-night chanting of mantras, the eerie silence of the cremation ground, and the esoteric worship of Bhairavnath consistently remain a major center of attraction for devotees and visitors.
Practitioners Perform Strenuous Worship with Khappar
During this ritual, a special vessel called a khappar is used to ignite a fire using camphor, pure desi ghee, Panchadhup, and coconut, along with various other esoteric and ritualistic materials. Subsequently, the practitioners place the blazing, ember-filled khappar on their forehead, hands, back, or chest to perform demanding penance. A unique feature of this practice is that the participating ascetics change every day, completing the worship of Bhairavnath through distinct ritualistic methods.
Prayers Offered for Universal Peace and Public Welfare
Temple priest Ravi Khatik provided detailed insights into this unique tradition, explaining that while common people illuminate their homes with lamps to seek prosperity, he and his practitioners sit on the sacred ground of the crematorium to pray for universal welfare and global peace. The primary objective of this ritual is to ensure that all families remain safe, peace prevails in society, adversities troubling any household are averted, and happiness spreads across the state of Rajasthan and the entire world.
