Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav broke the two-century-old myth by spending the night in the holy city of Ujjain, home to the ancient shrine of Mahakaleshwar, on Saturday.
Mr Yadav who represents Ujjain South Assembly constituency in Madhya Pradesh is perhaps the first chief minister in the country who spent a night in Ujjain city while being in the office, defying the two-century-old myth barring a member of a royal family, chief minister of a state and prime minister of the country from spending night in the holy city.
There is a belief that a member of a royal family, chief minister of state and the prime minister of the county will challenge the authority of Lord Mahakaleshwar, the presiding deity of the ancient shrine in Ujjain, if they spend night in the holy city.
Mahakaleshwar shrine is highly revered by Hindus being home to one of the 12 Jyotirlingas.
“The myth was circulated as a part of a political strategy by the former member of erstwhile Gwalior royal family, Daulat Rao Scindia (1794 AD- 1827 AD), to prevent the city from being captured by an invader when he shifted the capital of his kingdom from Ujjain to Gwalior in 1812 AD”, Mr Yadav, a Ph.D holder, said while launching the ‘Vikasit Bharat Sankalp Yatra’ in Ujjain on Saturday.
Ujjain was part of the erstwhile kingdom of Gwalior of Scindia dynasty.
Historical records suggest that the construction of the shrine was started by the then ruler of Gwalior kingdom Ranoji Scindia ( 1731 AD- 1745 AD), ancestor of Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, and developed by his successors in the Scindia dynasty.
Neither Union minister Mr Scindia nor his father late Madhavrao Scindia, a former Union minister, had ever spent a night in Ujjain city in honour of the myth.
Even former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had never spent a night in the city during his 18-year-long tenure as CM which ended with the appointment of Mr Yadav in the office on December 13.
Former chief minister Digvijay Singh had also honoured the myth by not staying in the city in the night.
“I too believe that a king should not spend the night in Ujjain city. Baba (Lord) Mahakaleshwar is the king and we are all his children. Hence, being the Lord’s children, why cannot we spend the night in the city?” he said.
“I am not a chief minister (of the state), but a ‘Mukhya Sevak’”, he added.
