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Missed the Bhasma Aarti pass? Mahakal still gives you two aartis every evening. The Sandhya Aarti begins around 7 PM and the Shayan Aarti runs from 10:30 to 11 PM, and since February 2026 a seat in the hall for either costs ₹250 per person, booked online the same day.
If you book nothing, the free moving darshan continues during both.
The temple keeps a long day, open from about 4 AM to 11 PM. The two evening aartis sit at either end of the night, with the Sandhya Pooja in between.
| Ritual | Time | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Sandhya Pooja | around 5 PM | The evening pooja of the Jyotirlinga, before the aarti |
| Sandhya Aarti | around 7 PM, roughly 30–45 min | Lamps, drums and the evening shringar |
| Shayan Aarti | 10:30–11 PM | The night aarti; Mahakal is put to rest and the doors close |
The Sandhya Aarti shifts with the season. Guides list it at about 7 to 7:30 PM in the warmer months and a little later in winter, so check the day's time on the temple's official portal before you set out. The Shayan Aarti stays at 10:30 PM all year.
From 19 February 2026 the Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple Management Committee moved seated access for both evening aartis online. There is no counter sale and no advance booking for other dates.
Fee: ₹250 per person, paid online on the temple's official portal.
Sandhya Aarti: booking opens at 12 noon the same day, entry until 6 PM.
Shayan Aarti: booking opens at 4 PM the same day, entry until 10 PM.
Gate: both aartis enter through Gate No. 1 only.
ID: carry the original photo ID you used while booking; names are checked at the gate.
Seats are first come, first served, and the Sandhya slots on a Monday or a festival evening are gone within minutes. Set an alarm for 11:55 AM, have every Yatri's ID details typed out, and book the moment the window opens.
If you want the pre-dawn ritual instead, our Bhasma Aarti booking guide explains the ₹200 online pass and the tatkal window that opens one day before.
A paid seat is not the only way to see the aarti. During both the Sandhya and the Shayan Aarti the ordinary darshan line keeps moving, and it passes the sanctum from the Kartikeya Mandapam side.
You will not sit and you will not stop, but you will see the lamps raised in front of the Jyotirlinga. On a weekday evening the moving line is often shorter than at noon. Pair it with the ₹250 Sheeghra Darshan ticket if you want the faster queue; our free versus paid queue guide compares the two.
Plan the evening backwards from the Gate 1 cut-off. This is the timeline that works for a Yatri driving in from Indore, 55 km and about 1 hour 15 minutes away.
11:55 AM — open the official portal, book Sandhya Aarti seats the moment they release at noon.
3:30 PM — leave Indore. Traffic at the Ujjain end slows after 5 PM.
5:15 PM — park at the Mahakal Lok side, walk the lit 900 m corridor to the temple.
5:45 PM — reach Gate 1 with printed or digital booking and original ID.
7 PM — Sandhya Aarti. Expect about 30 to 45 minutes.
8 PM — dinner near the temple; Shayan seats, if you booked them at 4 PM, need you back by 10 PM.
11 PM — temple closes. Walk to your hotel or meet your driver.
With elderly parents: the Sandhya Aarti. The 10:30 PM finish of the Shayan Aarti and the walk back are hard on tired knees.
On a budget: skip the ₹250 seat and take the free chalit darshan during the Shayan Aarti, when the line is thinnest.
On a tight schedule from Indore: Sandhya Aarti, then the 1 hour 15 minute drive back, in bed by 10 PM.
Staying the night in Ujjain: do both. Book Sandhya at noon and Shayan at 4 PM, and keep the hours between for Harsiddhi and the lit corridor.
Avoid: a Monday evening if you have no booking. The chalit line on a Monday can run to a few hours.
Buying a pass from a tout at Gate 1. Fake passes are sold for ₹1,000 to ₹5,000. Pay only on the official portal.
Arriving at 6:30 PM for a 7 PM aarti. Seated entry closed at 6. There is no exception for traffic.
Walking to Gate 4 or the Mahakal Lok entry with a seated booking. Evening aarti seats enter at Gate 1 only.
Forgetting the winter shift. The Sandhya Aarti runs later from Kartik onwards; the day's time is on the portal.
Bringing a dhoti. The strict dhoti and saree rule belongs to the Bhasma Aarti sanctum entry. Modest, clean clothing is enough for the evening hall.
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If you stay for the Shayan Aarti you leave the temple at 11 PM, so stay within walking distance. Rooms within 1 km of the temple, on the Mahakal Road and Harsiddhi side, let you walk back in ten minutes without hunting for an auto.
They also put you on the right side of town for the 4 AM Bhasma Aarti the next morning. Our guide on where to stay for the Bhasma Aarti lists the lanes that work for both.
Missing the Bhasma Aarti pass is not missing Mahakal. Book the ₹250 seat at noon, be inside Gate 1 by 6 PM, and the lamps will rise in front of you all the same. Har Har Mahadev.
Trusted by thousands of Yatris across India.
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Walking distances, darshan timings, where to stay, and how to reach — every yatra question, answered.