KL Rahul visits Ujjain's Mahakal temple with his parents, before the start of IPL 2024

Indian cricket team star batsman KL Rahul, accompanied by his parents, today visited the Mahakaleshwar temple situated in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain district on Wednesday. The visit included participation in the traditional 'Bhasma Aarti' ceremony, a revered ritual at the temple, which commenced around 6 am.

At the culmination of the ceremony, Rahul proceeded to the inner sanctum of the temple to offer his prayers to Lord Mahakal, seeking blessings for himself and his family. The temple priest, Ashish Pujari, conducted the rituals and presented garlands offered to the deity as Prasad to Rahul and his parents.

Post the prayer session, Rahul opted not to engage with the media present at the temple premises and departed quietly.


'Bhasma aarti', known for its significance, is conducted during the auspicious 'Brahma Muhurta', typically occurring between 3:30 to 5:30 in the morning. Devotees believe that participating in this ritual fulfills their wishes.

It's worth noting that Rahul was absent from the recent fifth and final Test match against England held in Dharamshala. He had also missed out on the second, third, and fourth Tests against England due to injury, following his appearance in the series opener in Hyderabad.

In March 2023, the renowned Indian cricketer Virat Kohli, accompanied by his wife Anushka Sharma, also visited the famous Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain to participate in the sacred Bhasma Aarti ceremony. This visit occurred the day after the conclusion of the third Test match between India and Australia.

Anushka was seen wearing a pale pink saree with a natural appearance, while Kohli's traditional dhoti attire captured the attention of fans. Following the Aarti, the couple spent some time inside the temple premises and then proceeded to perform the Jalabhishek ritual.

Anushka Sharma later spoke to the media, expressing their purpose of visiting the temple to offer prayers and their gratitude for the opportunity to have a fulfilling darshan.