Kal Bhairav temple introduces paid VIP darshan facility in Ujjain

Times News NetworkUjjain: Kal Bhairav temple in Ujjain has introduced a paid VIP darshan facility from Wednesday, allowing devotees to bypass the regular queue and access the sanctum sanctorum directly after paying Rs 500.Modelled on a similar arrangement at Mahakaleshwar temple, tickets are available at an authorised counter outside the temple premises. General darshan remains free.Under the new system, ticket holders enter through the exit route to reach the garbhagriha door directly. Temple management committee chairman and SDM L N Garg said that the ticketing was currently offline but would move online in due course, adding that the authorised counter was set up after pilgrims were previously defrauded by those offering fake express darshan services.The temple, renowned for the tradition of offering liquor to the deity, draws 20,000 to 25,000 visitors on ordinary days and between 50,000 and 80,000 on weekends and special occasions. Footfall has risen significantly since the development of Mahakal Lok corridor, with many of the two lakh daily visitors to Mahakaleshwar also stopping at Kal Bhairav temple. In view of the growing crowds and the upcoming Simhastha, the government has planned a corridor and infrastructure development at the temple at a cost of over Rs 125 crore.The temple is open daily from 6:30 am to 9:30 pm, with darshan briefly suspended during the aarti at 8 am and 8:30 pm.