Major fire breaks out at Mahakaleshwar Temple's Shankh Dwar in Ujjain; darshan temporarily suspended
PTC Web Desk: A major fire broke out on Monday at Shankh Dwar of the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh — one of the most revered Jyotirlingas in India. Flames and dense smoke were visible from nearly a km away, creating panic among devotees and locals.
The blaze was reported to have originated from a battery explosion near the pollution control board’s air quality monitoring system, which is located above the temple’s CCTV control room. The battery likely overheated or malfunctioned, triggering the fire.
Upon receiving the alert, four fire brigade vehicles were immediately dispatched to the scene. Ujjain Collector Roshan Singh confirmed that the situation was swiftly brought under control. “The batteries at the pollution control board's air quality management system exploded, which caused the fire. Fire tenders reached quickly, and there are no casualties,” he stated.
Due to the fire’s location near the control room, the darshan (devotional viewing) was temporarily suspended. Top officials from the Mahakal Temple Committee are currently on-site, assessing the damage and ensuring the safety of visitors and temple staff.
Fortunately, no injuries or fatalities have been reported. An investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the incident and assess damage to the temple infrastructure.
- With inputs from agencies
