VIP Culture at Ujjain's Mahakaleshwar Temple To Be Abolished Soon
The practice of ‘VIP Darshan’ at Mahakaleshwar temple of Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh will be abolished soon. Madhya Pradesh Minister for Tourism and Culture Usha Thakur said that she had requested Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to bring laws for ending this practice.
She said that everyone is equal before God and hence the VIP culture of darshan (praying) should be ended here. She made the comments while talking to the media after performing prayers at the temple today. Her comments came in the backdrop of BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya performing prayers breaking temple protocols, 10 days ago.
Keeping herself away from VIP culture, Thakur visited the temple like a common devotee. She stood behind the first barricading as per protocol and from there she gave a message that nobody is a VIP inside the famous abode of Lord Shiva.
Thakur followed Covid-19 guidelines inside the temple premises and performed prayers in accordance with temple authorities’ rules. She spent about 45 minutes in the temple.
“The VIP culture in Mahakaleshwar temple will be abolished soon. There will be the same arrangement for all. I have requested this to the CM in this regard and he has also given his consent,” she said.
On August 13, BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya and few other party leaders prayed at Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain. According to temple priests, he performed prayer during Bhasm Aarti when no person is allowed inside the shrine’s sanctum sanctorum. The BJP leaders had offered milk and water to the deity on the occasion of Nag panchami.
The priests had alleged that they were stopped from entering the temple premises as the BJP leaders were praying. Due to this, Bhasm Aarti was delayed by half an hour. The temple authorities had demanded that the issue of “VIP darshan” should be solved soon.