மகாகாளி (ஹர்சித்தி) கோயில் (உஜ்ஜைன்)Mahakali (Harsiddhi) Temple, Ujjain

Sthala Mahātmyam

Mahakali at Ujjain, invoked as 'Ujjainyam Maha kali', is the ninth of the eighteen peethas, in the ancient city of Avanti on the Kshipra river, sanctified also by the nearby Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga. The peetha is popularly identified with the Harsiddhi temple, where tradition holds the elbow of Sati fell; the elbow, an emblem of action and strength, marks this as a seat of potent, active energy. 'Harsiddhi' means 'she who perfectly fulfils wishes', and the goddess has been sought for centuries as a giver of accomplishment. She was the tutelary deity of the legendary King Vikramaditya, whose court flourished at Ujjain. The temple is famed for its twin deepa-stambhas, two tall stone lamp-towers set with hundreds of oil lamps that blaze spectacularly when lit at dusk, especially during Navaratri. Within, Mahalakshmi, Mahasaraswati and Annapurna are also revered alongside the presiding Devi. Chief festivals are Navaratri, when the lamp-towers are illuminated, and the observances tied to Ujjain's grand Simhastha Kumbh Mela, when pilgrims throng the Kshipra and the city's Shakta and Shaiva shrines.