LIVE BHASMA (ASHES) AARTI IN LORD MAHAKAL (UJJAIN)

Shiva (Hindu deity): What is the purpose of bhasma arati at mahakaal ujjain?

 

In Mahakaleshwar temple  4 AM Bhasma Aarti – where the aarti is performed with sacred ash – Bhasma. Since ancient times, this bhasma used to be the fresh and burning hot ash from a funeral pyre.It is said that the ash with which the Shiva linga is ‘bathed’ every morning must be that of a corpse that has been cremated the day before.However, now, the temple since about 15 years is performing the aarti with bhasma made with cow dung, what we call Vibhooti.
The legend is that those who watch this ritual will never die a premature death.

 Pyre is to completely reduce maya to it's most basic form - ashes (bhasm).

The answer to this question can only be found when you try to understand how Shiva  and Narayan treat Maya. There are two ways of reaching the peak of  consciousness, one being the left hand (Mainly followed by Aghoris and  Tantrik) and the other one being Right hand (followed by vaishnavas or  the shaivas, followed in form of four paths of yoga). But why the  difference, if it's helping you to reach the same point?

The difference  is how you treat Maya!

Shiva completely rejects Maya, he shuns  Maya completely, where as Narayana accepts Maya as it is, but doesn't get  affected by it.  Unlike Brahma, Vishnu or Shiva never tries to control  Maya, hence both become entities to be revered. Everyone knows the story  of "Samudra-Manthan". Everyone got something from it, even Vishnu, but  when Halahal came out, no one wanted it. So, Vishnu asks Shiva to help,  God whose indifference enables him to accept all that which everyone  rejects (This is what the tantriks and aghoris follow to shun maya).

Here  you can see, that Vishnu acts as a very discerning form of the  Brahaman. He takes side of the devas and helps them out, as can be seen  from the episode of Amrita, which came out of the samudra manthan. Where  as Shiva takes no sides, he neither loves, nor hates the devas or the  asuras. So he becomes Bhole-Nath, who can be appeased very easily.  Because for Shiva nothing has any intrinsic value.

If you look out today, when you go to see  Shiva, you only offer normal milk or Bel-Ptras, which is present in the  basic form of Maya, because shiva doesn't want you to mix any Maya in  it, but the same when offered to Vishnu, is converted to butter or curd,  because Vishnu likes to play wth Maya. Hence Pyre is to reduce this complete shun of Maya.