Aadhar card necessary though not must for Mahakal Bhasma Aarti

The entry for famous "Bhasma Aarti" at Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain would be on the basis of Aadhar card soon though the administration has not yet made it a mandatory requirement.
Mahakaleshwar temple of Lord Shiva is one of the twelve 'jyotirlingas' of the deity.
Orders in this regard have been issued by the In-Charge Administrator of Mahakaleshwar temple management and Deputy Collector Avdhesh Sharma.
"Following the directives of district Collector (also the president of Temple Management Committee), we have informed the staff involved in booking 'Bhasma Aarti' to seek Aadhar card prior to the booking," Sharma told PTI.
He said the decision, which was taken a couple of days back, would be implemented in the phased manner.

"As of now, booking is being confirmed on the basis of other documents as well but Aadhar card would become necessary sometime in the future," Sharma added.

The two-hour "Bhasma Aarti" is the prominent ritual, which is performed at 4 AM with the opening of the temple.
With advance booking, the devotees are provided entry passes to witness the ritual, said to be centuries old, from corridors of the sanctum sanctorum that include Nandi Mandapam, Ganpati Mandapam and Kartikeya Mandapam.
According to Sharma, about 700 people witness the ritual every day.
"The capacity of sanctum sanctorum is over 1500 people and it gets filled during the peak days. However, only 700 to 800 persons are coming these days," he added.

The entry passes for this early morning ritual can be obtained online from the temple website by uploading necessary documents or be procured from a kiosk at Mahakal temple.