It is easy to be awed by the magnitude and splendour of the royal procession of Lord Mahakal. Everything happens in excess. Hundreds of thousands of people line the streets eagerly throwing tons of bright orange marigolds at the passing procession.
An abundance of marigold garlands decorate the hundreds of passing floats and hand pushed carts carrying pictures of Lord Mahakal. Ghee wicks burn in little clay bowls in front of the pictures, with more marigolds being offered reverentially to the Guest of Honour.
Also taking part are mounted policemen, a brass band with booming drums, a platoon of ladies in bright orange sari’s and foreheads, putting any self respecting marigold to shame, opulently dressed men in period costumes and so, so much more. Adding humour is the funny man in strange clothes doing a comic robot dance, and adding intrigue – the whirling dervish-like sadhu, not stopping once for the entire 4 hour long walk. All along the way, music from speakers mounted on buildings, drifting mantras, the deafening brass band, excited voices, cries of ‘Jai Mahakal’ and our own exuberant kirtan competes for decibels, turning the ether into a beautiful chaotic symphony. Trillions of bothersome flies add their number to the merriment.
Mixing business with pleasure, scrawny, scruffy little boys sell plastic packets with wilted marigolds to the faithful. Overburdened ladies carry their woes along with infants and baskets containing bright foil covered toy tridents and swords, trying to add a few rupees to their already meagre income. Posing importantly for the cameras, young boys carry their tiny Deities on homemade palanquins, proud of their handiwork.
Leading the procession is the saffron clad brahmacari’s from Sri Sri Radha Madan Mohan Mandir doing joyful Harinam. At the little white auto, with our sound equipment and huge cone shaped speakers, kirtan reaches fever pitch. The young and restless (little boys of course! Little girls sit demurely next to their mothers on stone steps in front of shops and crumbling houses) dance and jump gleefully to the kirtan trying to use some of their pre-pubescent energy.
Lord Mahakal is then taken to Rama ghat to cast His benevolent glance upon the holy waters of the Kshipra. Amidst earnest mantras and puja he allows everyone to have His darshan.
Afterwards everyone disperses happily leaving piles of wilted, trampled marigolds to decompose in the streets.... until next Monday.
It is easy to be awed by the magnitude and splendour of the royal procession of Lord Mahakal - again and again and again. Like centuries before, so also for centuries to come.
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The sawari (royal procession) of Lord Mahakala is a unique celebration for the people of Ujjain to have darsana of Mahakala as the Lord of Avanti. Sri Mahakala moves through the city in a palanquin. The procession is escorted by the District Collector of Ujjain. A platoon of policemen with band and horse flight, perform a march-past throughout the procession. The royal sawari of King Mahakala takes place in the month of Bhadra. There is much festivity throughout the grand procession. Devotees from all corners of the world gather to have a glimpse of their Lord in the form of a king. Lord Mahakala is so benevolent on this day that he comes out from the temple and receives offerings from everyone, of all castes and creeds. The ISKCON devotees also take part in the sawari. They lead the procession with harinama, chanting the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami took part in the first shahi sawari (royal procession) along with the devotees. During the procession he swept the path of Sri Mahakala with a silver broom. From this time onwards it has become a tradition that the ISKCON devotees lead the sawari by chanting harinama which is a great attraction for the spectators. (Avantika – Ujjain News, volume 3, p23, Mahakaleshwar, by Ragahva pandita dasa)
Text: Arati devi dasi
Photos: Nayika devi dasi