Kal Bhairav Temple, Ujjain

The district administration records that the worship of Kal Bhairav is believed to have been part of the Kapalika and Aghora traditions, and that Ujjain was a prominent centre of both. Wikipedia explains the liquor offering as the one surviving element of the five tantric offerings (panchamakara); priests pour the liquor into a saucer and hold it to the lips of the image, and part of it is returned to the devotee as prasad. Devotees believe that the deity accepts the offering; the image itself is a vermilion-covered face that visitors are not permitted to examine.

When Madhya Pradesh banned liquor sales in Ujjain and other holy towns from April 2025, the offering itself was not stopped. The Daily Jagran reported that devotees may still offer liquor at the temple but must buy it outside the municipal limits, that the two liquor counters near the temple complex were closed, and that the temple committee kept a stock for the ritual offerings.

Kal Bhairav is also linked to the former rulers of the region. Wikipedia records a local tradition that the Maratha general Mahadaji Shinde offered his turban to the deity, and the image wears a Maratha-style headdress; the Free Press Journal and Patrika both report that a turban is still offered on behalf of the Scindia family during the deity's processions.

Large crowds gather at the temple for Bhairav Ashtami and the deity's processions. Liquor may not be bought within Ujjain's municipal limits under the 2025 ban, so devotees who wish to make the traditional offering should follow the current excise rules. Confirm current timings and arrangements with the temple committee or the Ujjain district administration before visiting.

Timings and arrangements change with seasons and festivals. Confirm current details with Temple committee before travelling. Last reviewed 1 November 2026.