Ujjain Mahakal Bhasma Aarti Booking: Fee, Dates and Steps

Key takeaways

₹200 per person for every online Bhasma Aarti permit (as of Oct 2026, check the portal).
The offline counter closed on 9 April 2026; there is no free seated permit now.
Regular dates open about one month ahead, on the 1st at 8:00 AM, as announced in April 2026; confirm on the portal.
A 300-permit day-before quota opens the day before (8 AM per April 2026 reports; confirm on the portal).
Book only on shrimahakaleshwar.mp.gov.in; shrimahakaleshwar.com is not the official site.

Ujjain Mahakal Bhasma Aarti booking is online only, on shrimahakaleshwar.mp.gov.in, and costs ₹200 per person (as of Oct 2026, check the portal). The offline counter closed on 9 April 2026. Regular dates open about one month ahead, as announced in April 2026. A small day-before quota also opens.

Rules on this page were checked against press reports dated April to June 2026; last reviewed October 2026. For aarti timings, history and the wider picture of Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga in Ujjain, see our Bhasma Aarti booking guide.

Ujjain Mahakal Bhasma Aarti booking fee in 2026

If you searched for the Ujjain Mahakal Bhasm Aarti online booking price, here it is: every Bhasma Aarti permit costs ₹200 per person. You pay it online to the Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple Management Committee through its own portal. Press reports from April 2026 give the same fee for regular permits and for the day-before quota.

Here is the bhasma aarti booking price by booking type. Fees can change, so look at the portal before you pay.

Bhasma Aarti fee by booking type (as of Oct 2026, check the portal)
Booking type	Fee per person	Where to book	When it opens
Regular online	₹200	shrimahakaleshwar.mp.gov.in	About 1 month ahead, on the 1st of the month (announced Apr 2026)
Day-before (Tatkal) online	₹200	shrimahakaleshwar.mp.gov.in	The day before (8 AM per April 2026 reports; confirm on the portal)
Offline counter	Not available	—	Closed since 9 Apr 2026

What ₹200 covers (one devotee, one permit)

The fee is per devotee, not per booking. A family of four pays ₹800 in total. Each person needs their own photo and ID at booking time. The Bhasma Aarti price per person is the same for everyone in your group.

There is no free seated option any more. Until April 2026, about 300 permits a day were given free at the offline counter. That system ended on 9 April 2026, and those permits now cost ₹200 like the rest. The evening seated aartis are a separate booking: Sandhya and Shayan Aarti cost ₹250 per person (as of Oct 2026, check the portal). Our Shayan Aarti guide covers those.

How many people can attend

Before April 2026, about 1,700 permits were issued a day: roughly 1,400 online and 300 offline. Those 300 offline permits became the 300-permit day-before quota. They were part of the 1,700, not extra. The temple has not published a new daily total, so treat any figure you see elsewhere with care.

What changed on 9 April 2026

If you last came to Ujjain before 2026, the system you remember has changed. On 9 April 2026 the temple shut the offline counter for Bhasma Aarti and moved every permit online. The table below puts the old and new rules for Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga side by side, with the source for each row.

Bhasma Aarti booking rules before and after 9 April 2026
Rule	Before 9 April 2026	From 9 April 2026	Source
Offline counter permits	About 300 a day at the counter	Closed	ETV Bharat, Apr 2026
Free seated permits	300 issued free at the counter	None; every permit is paid	ETV Bharat; The Sootr, Apr 2026
Fee per person	₹200 online; counter permits were free	₹200 online	ETV Bharat, Apr 2026
Day-before (Tatkal) quota	None	300 permits; opens the day before (8 AM per April 2026 reports; confirm on the portal)	The Sootr, Apr 2026
Regular advance window	About three months (April 2026 reports; a June 2026 report says it was 15 days until about 2024)	About one month (announced Apr 2026; confirm on the portal)	ETV Bharat; The Sootr, Apr 2026; Dainik Jagran, Jun 2026
Daily permits	About 1,700 in total (1,400 online + 300 offline; the 300 are inside the 1,700)	Total not published; the former 300 offline permits are now the day-before quota	Prime TV, Apr 2026
One mobile number	A similar 90-day lock was used in 2024 and later lapsed	One permit per 90 days, all quotas (reported June 2026; confirm on the portal)	Dainik Jagran, 22 Jun 2026

Two notes on the table. First, the one-number limit was not part of the April change; it was reported in June 2026, after the scam case described further down. Second, rows that say “confirm on the portal” rest on a single report or on April 2026 announcements that may have changed since.

When Bhasma Aarti slots open: a release planner

There are two ways in, and both are online. Regular permits open about one month ahead. As announced in April 2026, the next month’s dates go live on the 1st of the month at 8:00 AM. The day-before quota is your backup. Confirm both times on shrimahakaleshwar.mp.gov.in, because they may have changed since April.

Release planner: when to try for your date (if the April 2026 pattern still applies)
Your Bhasma Aarti date	Regular release (1st of the previous month)	Day-before (Tatkal) release	What to do
15 November 2026	1 October 2026	14 November 2026	Try the regular release first; day-before quota as backup
5 December 2026	1 November 2026	4 December 2026	Same plan
Less than a day away	Passed	Passed	Pick a later date

Release times: 8 AM per April 2026 reports; confirm on shrimahakaleshwar.mp.gov.in.

Worked example for a November or December 2026 date

Say you want the aarti on 15 November 2026. If the April 2026 release pattern still applies, regular permits for November open on 1 October 2026. Be on the portal a few minutes before 8:00 AM that day with every detail ready. If your date is gone by the time you get through, the day-before quota for 15 November opens on 14 November.

For 5 December 2026, the regular release would be 1 November and the day-before release 4 December. Festival seasons such as Shravan (Sawan) can bring special schedules, so read the portal’s notices for those months before you plan.

The day-before (Tatkal) quota in brief

Since 9 April 2026, 300 permits a day are held for a day-before quota. It costs the same ₹200 per person and is booked on the same portal. It opens the day before (8 AM per April 2026 reports; confirm on the portal), and permits go first come, first served. With only 300 seats, treat it as a backup to the regular release, not your main plan.

The 90-day mobile number limit

One mobile number can get a Bhasma Aarti permit only once every 90 days, across all quotas, including protocol requests. This was reported by Dainik Jagran in June 2026, quoting temple administrator Pratham Kaushik; confirm on the portal. A similar 90-day lock was used in 2024 and later lapsed. Plan around it: once a number has booked, expect it to be blocked for about three months.

How to book Bhasma Aarti on shrimahakaleshwar.mp.gov.in

Mahakal bhasm aarti online booking goes much faster if your details are ready before the release opens. The steps below are for the regular release. The portal belongs to the Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple Management Committee. Menu names can change, so follow what you see on screen.

Keep these ready before the release

A mobile number you can reach for the OTP, which has not booked a permit in the last 90 days (per June 2026 reports).
A clear photo of each devotee.
A government photo ID for each devotee. Carry the same ID on the day.
Each devotee’s name exactly as it appears on the ID.
A working payment method for ₹200 per person.
Your first-choice date and a second choice.

Step by step on the portal

Open the official portal, shrimahakaleshwar.mp.gov.in. Type the address yourself instead of tapping an ad or a forwarded link.
Go to the Bhasma Aarti booking section.
Verify your mobile number with the OTP.
Pick your date. If it shows full, try your second choice.
Add each devotee: name, photo and photo ID details.
Check every detail, then pay ₹200 per person.
Download the permit and save a copy on your phone. A printout is a sensible backup.

The ID you enter for each person is the one that person should carry to the temple.

If your date is full, payment fails or the permit does not arrive

Date full. Pick another date, or try the day-before quota for your date. It opens the day before (8 AM per April 2026 reports; confirm on the portal). There are only 300 of those permits, so keep a second date in mind.

Money debited, no permit. Do not pay again straight away. Note the transaction ID and the time. Check your booking history on the portal to see whether the permit was issued. If it was not, contact the temple through the contact details on the official portal. Refund rules for the ₹200 fee were not stated in the reports we checked, so read the portal’s payment terms.

Permit not downloaded. Log in again and look under your bookings before you contact anyone.

Whatever happens, never pay an agent or a stranger to “unlock” a seat. Only the portal issues permits.

On the day: permit, ID, gate and dress

Carry your permit, on your phone or printed, and the same photo ID you used when booking.

Report at the time and gate printed on your permit. Per June 2026 reports, Bhasma Aarti entry was restricted to Neelkanth Gate. Gates change for festivals: at Mahashivratri 2026, entry was via Mansarovar Bhavan and Gate 1.

In the normal season the aarti begins around 4:00 AM and runs for about two hours; the time on your permit governs. Traditional dress is customary; confirm the current rule on the portal.

Seating is outside the Garbhagriha. The sanctum has been closed to general devotees since 2023, and in January 2026 the Supreme Court declined a plea against VIP darshan at the temple. Anyone offering you a “Garbhagriha seat” for Bhasma Aarti is selling something that does not exist.

Fake websites, agents and the ₹2,500 ‘protocol’ case

In June 2026, temple administrator and Additional Collector Pratham Kaushik made a surprise inspection. He found three devotees who had each paid ₹2,500 for Bhasma Aarti permission arranged through a “protocol” request. An FIR was registered at Mahakal Police Station, according to a Free Press Journal report (June 2026). The official fee for the same permit was ₹200.

The only official site is shrimahakaleshwar.mp.gov.in. A search for mahakaleshwar.com bhasma aarti booking can land you on the wrong domain: shrimahakaleshwar.com is not the official site. Here is how to tell the real Mahakal website from fake ones. For VIP and protocol darshan rules, see VIP and Sheeghra darshan prices.

We do not sell Bhasma Aarti permits; every permit is issued only by the temple on shrimahakaleshwar.mp.gov.in. This site is run by Kshitij Kumawat, an independent Ujjain guide. If you use our booking assistance, you still pay only the official ₹200 per person on the portal.

Out-of-date numbers you will still see online

“₹1,500 Bhasma Aarti ticket.” Not a current fee. All permits are ₹200 per person (as of Oct 2026, check the portal).
“Free pass at the counter.” The offline counter closed on 9 April 2026.
“Book on shrimahakaleshwar.com.” Not the official site.
“60-day advance window.” The regular window is about one month (announced April 2026; confirm on the portal).
“Day-before slots open at 10 AM.” Press reports in April 2026 gave 8 AM; some sites say 10 AM. Confirm on the portal.
Tiered “VIP Bhasma Aarti” price lists. None of the official or press sources we checked support them.

Your booking plan in brief

Book on one site only: shrimahakaleshwar.mp.gov.in. Budget ₹200 per person. Aim for the regular release on the 1st of the month before your date, and keep the day-before quota as a backup (both per April 2026 announcements; confirm on the portal).

If you would rather have everything on paper, the full offline checklist is in the guide: the Mahakal Playbook covers release dates, documents and an on-the-day plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the Bhasma Aarti ticket in Ujjain?

The Ujjain Bhasma Aarti booking price is ₹200 per person, paid online on shrimahakaleshwar.mp.gov.in. The same fee applies to regular permits and to the day-before quota. There is no free seated permit and no offline counter since 9 April 2026. Fees can change, so treat ₹200 as correct as of Oct 2026 and check the portal before you pay.

How many days in advance can I book Bhasma Aarti?

About one month. As announced in April 2026, the next month’s dates open on the 1st of the month at 8:00 AM. A small day-before quota of 300 permits also opens the day before (8 AM per April 2026 reports; confirm on the portal). Release rules can change, so check shrimahakaleshwar.mp.gov.in for your month before you plan.

Is there an offline counter or free Bhasma Aarti pass now?

No. The offline counter closed on 9 April 2026. The 300 permits that used to be given free at the counter became a paid online day-before quota, so the Mahakal Bhasm Aarti booking price is now ₹200 for every devotee. Anyone who says they can get you a free or counter permit is working from old rules.

Which is the official website for Bhasma Aarti booking?

Only shrimahakaleshwar.mp.gov.in, the portal of the Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple Management Committee. Domains such as shrimahakaleshwar.com are not official. Type the address yourself, check it before you pay, and never pay an agent or a private site for a permit. Every permit is issued only by the temple through this portal.

How often can one mobile number book Bhasma Aarti?

Once every 90 days, across all quotas including protocol requests. This rule was reported by Dainik Jagran in June 2026, quoting temple administrator Pratham Kaushik. A similar lock was used in 2024 and later lapsed, so confirm the current rule on the portal before you book, and plan repeat visits around this limit.