The festival of Mahashivratri will be celebrated like Deepawali on February 18, 2023 in Ujjain. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that on Mahashivaratri, residents of Avantika will express their commitment towards Mahakal by lighting 21 lakh lamps. This unprecedented event will be possible only with the participation of society and the government.
Chief Minister Chouhan was reviewing the preparations for the grand campaign of lighting 21 lakh lamps on Mahashivaratri on February 18, 2023 in Ujjain. Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Dr. Rajesh Rajoura, Principal Secretary Sukhbir Singh, Director Culture and officers of Culture Department participated in the meeting held at Samatva Bhawan, Chief Minister’s residence. Higher Education Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, Commissioner, Collector and other officers connected virtually from Ujjain.
To be organized on the principle of zero waste
It was informed that Mahashivaratri Deepotsav has been named “Shiv Jyoti Aparnam 2023”. A Guinness World Record will be created by lighting 21 lakh lamps at the festival. Earlier, in the year 2022, a world record was made in Ujjain for lighting 11 lakh 71 thousand 78 diyas on Mahashivaratri. After this, in the year 2022 itself, a new world record was created in Ayodhya by lighting 15 lakh 76 thousand diyas on Diwali. There is a plan to light 21 lakh lamps on Mahashivratri in Ujjain. This entire event will be on the principle of zero waste.
Decoration is to be done at temples, ghats, and major places in the city
In Shiv Jyoti Aparnam in Ujjain, lamps will be lit in the city’s temples, all commercial places, and house-to-house including the ghats of the Kshipra river. Along with electrical decorations, Rangoli and other decorations will also be done at major places. 3 lakh 10 thousand at Kedareshwar Ghat on the banks of Kshipra river, 1 lakh 75 thousand at Sunehri Ghat, 4 lakh 50 thousand at Dutt Akhara, 2 lakh 50 thousand from Ram Ghat to Bombay Dharamshala, 3 lakh 75 thousand from Bombay Dharamshala to Narsingh Mandir And there is a plan to light 4 lakh 75 thousand lamps at Mali Ghat towards Bhukhi Mata Temple. About 20 thousand volunteers will participate in this work.
Ujjain residents are determined to public participation
Ujjain residents are filling out a resolution letter for public participation in lighting the lamp. People are being linked to the campaign with the hashtag ‘Shiv Jyoti Aparnam’ on social media. Information about the campaign is also being given in the ongoing Vikas Yatras in Ujjain. Lamps will be lit at the main temples of the city, Mahakaleshwar, Mangalnath, Kaal Bhairav, Gadkalika, Siddhavat, Harsiddhi, Chintaman Ganesh, and Tower Crossroads. Major commercial complexes of the city like Dawa Bazar, Shaheed Park, Fountain Chowk, V.D. Cloth Market, Sarafa, Patni Bazar, Chimanganj Mandi, Sabzi Mandi, Nanakheda Haat, and Lakherwadi will have special decorations along with the lighting of lamps. Government departments along with business associations, socio-religious organizations, and Vikram University are actively participating in the event.
