With Sawan 2026 just days away, the Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain has announced a major change to how devotees can watch the evening and night aarti. Every year, the temple town sees a massive surge of pilgrims during the months of Sawan and Bhadon, and this year lakhs of devotees are expected to arrive once again. Anticipating that rush, the temple committee has revised the darshan arrangements for the Sandhya Aarti and Shayan Aarti, a move that will directly benefit those who previously had to leave disappointed after failing to secure a booking.
Kartik Mandapam to open at full capacity
Under the revised system, the temple's Kartik Mandapam will now be opened to its full capacity for devotees. Far more pilgrims than before will be able to pass through this hall for a moving glimpse, known as chalit darshan, of the Sandhya and Shayan Aarti every single day. Temple authorities have made clear that the goal behind the change is to give every devotee a safe, smooth and well organised darshan experience, without the chaos or long waits that large crowds usually bring.
No booking, no problem: darshan opens up for everyone
Until now, devotees wishing to watch the Sandhya and Shayan Aarti had to book a slot in advance, and only a limited number of people could secure one. Roughly 1200 devotees a day would sit inside the Ganesh Mandapam to witness the complete aarti, while everyone else who missed out on a booking simply had to turn back. That will no longer be the case. Devotees who cannot get an aarti booking will now be able to witness the Sandhya and Shayan Aarti through the moving darshan facility at Kartik Mandapam, meaning nobody has to leave empty handed just because they missed the booking window.
Devotees cannot linger inside Kartik Mandapam
One condition has been made clear under the new arrangement: devotees will not be allowed to stop and stay inside Kartik Mandapam, and must keep moving through it for the chalit darshan. Moolchand Junwal, the temple's assistant administrator, said that lakhs of devotees travel to Ujjain from across the country during the holy months of Sawan and Bhadon to see Baba Mahakal, and every one of them hopes for a chance to witness the divine Sandhya Aarti and Shayan Aarti in person. Keeping that sentiment in mind, the temple committee has rolled out this special arrangement under which Kartik Mandapam will be kept completely clear so that as many devotees as possible can get aarti darshan from there.
Ticket holders and protocol darshan remain unchanged
The temple committee has also clarified that the arrangements for ticket holding devotees and those under protocol darshan will continue exactly as before, with no changes to their existing facilities. The broader aim is to ensure that, amid the swelling crowds of Sawan and Bhadon, ordinary devotees too can receive the divine benefit of the aarti in large numbers, which is why the entire darshan system has been made more streamlined than before. Temple authorities believe the change will not only make crowd management easier but will also ensure that devotees travelling from far away are no longer sent back disappointed, and instead get to take home the spiritual benefit of witnessing Baba Mahakal's aarti.
