01Born of Shiva’s sweat
The Avanti Khanda tells that when Shiva fought the demon Andhaka at Avantika, a drop of sweat fell from his brow to the earth, and from it Mangal, red and fiery, was born; so the earth is called his mother and he is Bhauma, son of Bhumi. Mangalnath marks the spot. Ujjain was also the zero meridian of Indian astronomy, the line from which the Surya Siddhanta and the panchang makers reckoned longitude, and the old texts say the planet is seen clearly from here.
02The bhat puja
The linga is covered with cooked rice, bhat, shaped over it, and the priest leads the rites for whoever has Mangal dosha, often a young person whose marriage the family is arranging. Tuesdays, Mangal’s day, are crowded. The rice is later given out as prasad. From the temple’s terrace there is a wide view of the Shipra bending below.
Mangalnath is in the north of Ujjain, near Bhairavgarh; book the bhat puja at the temple office in the morning.
