The Pious Ritual Of Panchkroshi Yatra

The Panchkroshi Yatra is an ancient tradition that is followed religiously till date every year. The yatra involves the pilgrims performing Pradikshina of the holy city of Ujjain by walking for 118 km followed by resting peacefully at the ghats of sacred river Kshipra in order to finish the Ashta Teerth Yatra.The number of devotees for the journey increase drastically during the Simhastha. The Avantikhand of Skandpuran has mentioned clearly about the Panchkroshi yatra.

The Panchkroshi yatra takes place during the month of Vaishakha that falls between May- June. It begins on Vaishakh Krishna Paksha Dashmi and culminates on the day of Amavasya. It is believed that out of the eighty- four Mahadevas, four Mahadev are considered to be the door guardians of the prosperous city of Ujjain. The Mahakaal is believed to be their Kshetradhipati. Also, there are about four dwaras or gates around the Mahakaal van; Pingleshwar in the east, Vilvakeshwar in the west, Uttareshwar in the north and Kayavarohan eshwar in the south.
People gather from different rural areas irrespective of their age and caste, to perform this holy ritual in the worship of the Lord Mahakaal.

It is believed that after performing this divine ritual, the pilgrims get rid of the sins after worshipping the Nagchandreshwar Mahadev (Shivlinga). On the auspicious day of Ekadashi, the devotees reach Pingleshwar and pray to the 81st Pingleshwar Mahadev. Pilgrims have complete faith in the ritual and it is believed that following Panchkroshi yatra their homes are blessed with wealth, prosperity, and wisdom. The pilgrims also worship Kayavarohan eshwar (the 82nd of 4 Mahadevas) on Dwadashi. According to a strong myth, worshipping Kayavarohan on the day of Dwadashi can get people rid of all their past life sins and secure their place in heaven. Following the worship of lord Kayavarohan eshwar, the pilgrims reach Jethal, which is a small village and offer prayers to Darudeshwar Mahadeva(84th Mahadeva). By doing this, it is believed that the forefathers of devotees will attain salvation or Moksha. During the journey, pilgrims often take breaks at various places and sing bhajans. The pilgrims further reach Ujjain on Amavasya and again pray Shivlinga. They further resume their yatra by worshipping Ashwashaskti.

With this parikrama of the holy city of Ujjain, the pilgrims actually perform the parikrama of all the eighty-four Mahadevas. This can get them rid of the eighty-four lakh yonis. It is celebrated as a holy festival and over the years number of women involved in journey have exceeded the number of men. Some worshippers can also be seen assembling stones alongside the road. This is another ancient ritual believed to bless the devotees with splendid homes in their next birth. Millions of devotees travel with complete devotion and dedication for around 24 km on foot daily, in the month of May-June where the summer is at its extreme. Such is the magic of the Yatra, that even in scorching heat the devotees keep walking with a smile without any sign of fatigue on their face. This year the divine Panchkroshi Yatra is coinciding with Simhastha and will be held from 1st to 6th May 2016. To know more about the Panchkroshi Yatra and Simhastha 2016, please visit www.yogalife.co.in