Kal Bhairav Temple

The presence of Kal Bhairav Temple in Ujjain confirms that it is, indeed, one of the most sacred places in Hinduism. The temple is dedicated to the ‘guardian deity of the city. Though Ujjain houses a huge number of temples within its geographical area, Kal Bhairav is among the most prominent ones and records a footfall of hundreds or thousands of devotees every day.

Liquor is offered as chadhaava to the idol of Kal Bhairav at this temple as a part of a tantric ritual. The temple is located on the riverbank of the river Shipra, which adds a magical charm to the air of this place.

It is also believed by some that the temple is almost 6000 years old. The huge religious significance of Kal Bhairav Temple among Hindus makes it one of the top Ujjain tourist places.

What Is It about Kal Bhairav Temple?

If you believed India couldn’t get any weirder, you thought wrong. The Kal Bhairav temple in Ujjain will shock you! Here, the devotees offer liquor to the deity, and it is also given away as ‘prasad’ to the visitors of the temple. Kal Bhairava is a representation of the Hindu Lord Shiva often recognized with a fiery expression and a coiled snake around the neck. In Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, there is a temple of Kal Bhairava where liquor is offered as ‘chadhava’.

It is believed that the liquor offered is only special to Lord Bhairava and shouldn’t be offered to any other Hindu God. You will find vendors outside the temple selling a ‘puja’ basket containing flowers, coconut, and a quarter of country liquor. The liquor for this temple is funded by the state government.

What’s in Kal Bhairav Temple?

In this temple, plenty of devotees come to pray to Lord Bhairava with their ‘offerings’ and with undying faith in God. It is known that the deity ‘drinks up’ a quarter of the alcohol within a couple of minutes. He isn’t fussy about the brands, and mainly the devotees are there to offer country liquor.

The morning ritual starts with a temple priest who offers a big bottle of red wine or rum to the deity along with other puja material. Worshiping is done during that period. The liquor is poured into a shallow cup or plate and put close to the mouth of the deity. The liquor slowly starts going down and the cup is taken away once the deity has taken up all of it.

Once this is done, the leftover alcohol is given to the devotees as prasad.

What Else about Kal Bhairav Temple?

During the festive seasons, hundreds of bottles of liquor are offered to the deity. It has been happening for centuries and no one knows where all the liquor goes.