BHAGAVAN MAHAKALA OF AVANTIKA

History, legends, inscriptions, monuments seem vying with one another in narrating its glorious past, immortalised by the valorous acts of illustrious monarchs, or glamorous episodes of the damsels born or lived here, or the amorous affairs in which the ruling high absorbed themselves with beauteous damsels. It had several uniques and the narration, if allowed fill pages countless; for, its history began in the remote past, and it was called by different names in different yugas, such as Kanakasringa, Kusasthali, Avanti, Ujjayini, Padmavati, Kumudvati, Amaravati and Visala. With these names, it shone as one of the renowned cities of the Akhanda Barata kanda, and so was deemed one of the seven sacred kshetras, like Ayodhya, Mathura, Kasi, Kanchi, Haridwar, Ujjayin and Dwaraka, listed down for indispensable visitation for yatra to obtain liberation. It was called variously such as Siddhavat, Akshayavat, Banseevat and Buddhavat. Situated on the banks of Sipra, it is a thirtha kshetra, advocated for thirtha yatra. Of the many plus points, - historically and mythologically its importance as the seat of Lord Mahakala tops the list and won crowing glory to the place, followed by many others such as it is the sixth of the twelve Jyothilingas; the sixth of the eighteen sakthipithas, the dominating capital of valorous monarchs, like Vinda and Anuvinda who lent support to Duryodhana in the Kurukshetra war, Vikramadithya, the founder of Vikramarka Saka, king Pradyota of Swapnavasavadatta fame, Jayasimha, the builder of observatory, Munja and Bhoja of great renown.

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