Kala bhairav temple - Ujjain

India the land of mysticism,  strange beliefs systems and unique rituals never cease to surprise and amaze  me. The visit to Kalbhairava temple in Ujjain was no different. 

I witnessed an extraordinary ritual where the devotees were queuing up to offer liquor to the deity. This one deity, many who love booze would never fail to admire. 

There are many shops selling liquor and shopkeepers coax you get a bottle before you enter the temple premises. Its not compulsory to carry the bottles. The Lord here blesses everyone who prays in his durbar. 

Once inside the sanctum the priest pours out the content from the bottle on to a plate and holds it close to the mouth of the idol  by tilting the plate little  and one would  see the contents going down. Its a mystery as gallons of liquor goes down and disappears here everyday.

This visit was really  intriguing and felt so happy I could witness this strange ritual.
Check this link to see Kalabhairav temple ritual.

Things to remember: no mobiles and electronic gadgets and avoid carrying huge bags. 

Its at a distance of 6 kms from Mahakaleshwar Ujjain main temple and is on jail road, Bhairavar Garh. 

Sankat Mochan temple and Kalbhairav temple, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

A trip to Varanasi is not complete without a visit to  the  famous temples of Sankat Mochan Hanuman and Kala Bhairava  which are considered to be very sacred by the Hindus.  I have already made a post on  Varanasi Kasi Viswanath temple and Ganga Aarti on My Pilgrimage

Sankat Mochan temple- the presiding deity in this temple  is Aanjaneya, the monkey God who loved  Lord Rama  with his heart and soul . He is considered to be a great devotee of Rama and each breath he dedicates to his Lord.

This temple is situated on  South side of Varanasi and Lord Hanuman here relieves his devotees from all their  problems.
This temple was constructed by Late Sri. Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya who was recently awarded with India's top civilian award Bharat Ratna posthumously.

The deity here appears with Sindur smeared all over the body.
One can also worship Lord Ram along with Seeta and Lakshman in this temple , the shrine is exactly in front of Hanuman's idol  where the devout Hanuman can always feast his eyes on the His Lord.

Temple timings
5 am -10 pm.
cameras all electronic gadgets are not allowed inside the temple . Lockers are available outside the temple for safe keeping.
One can use rickshaws to visit this temple.More details here.

Kalabhairav temple- Vishvesher Ganj
 Lord Kalabhairav is  fierce form of  Shiva . His temple here is of great significance  as he is the one who guards the city of Varanasi, known as Kotwal of Varanasi.  One has to meander through the narrow by lanes of the city to reach this temple.
The Lord sits here with all his silver adornments and one can worship the deity from very close quarters.
The temple timings are
5 AM -1.30 Pm
4.30PM-9.30 pm
The other Bhairavar temples  I have visited are in Tirupathur and  Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu. Read here for details under Vairavar Kovil and Tirupathur Koil.