Fire breaks out at Shankh Dwar of Mahakal Temple in Ujjain, darshan halted | Video
The flames and smoke were visible from about a kilometre away, causing panic in the surrounding area.

A major fire broke out at the world-famous Mahakaleshwar Temple in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain on Monday afternoon. The blaze was so intense that smoke and flames could be seen from nearly a kilometer away, causing panic in the surrounding area.
The fire erupted on the roof above the Shankh Dwara and CCTV control room of the temple. The Pollution Control Board's Air Quality Monitoring System, installed at the site, was completely destroyed in the fire.
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Upon receiving the alert, four fire brigade vehicles immediately reached the scene to control the blaze. The fire has been completely controlled and no casualties have been reported so far. The officials and employees of the Mahakal Temple Committee reached the spot.
What was the cause of the fire?
The fire at the temple was brought under control after around 20 minutes of intense effort by the fire brigade. It is reported that the blaze originated from a battery placed above the CCTV control room of the temple, which may have overheated or malfunctioned.
Pratham Kaushik, Mahakal Temple Administrator, said, "The fire broke out above the control room area. The Air Quality Management System of the Pollution Control Board was completely destroyed. The cause is yet to be determined."
According to Kaushik, the fire originated above the control room, where several batteries had been stored. These batteries are believed to have sparked the fire, which also consumed the Pollution Board's monitoring system. The exact cause of the fire, however, remains under investigation.
Darshan was halted
Due to the fire, the darshan was temporarily suspended but resumed shortly after the situation was brought under control. Senior officials, including Collector Roshan Kumar, SP Pradeep Sharma, Mahakal Temple Administrator Pratham Kaushik, and Municipal Commissioner Ashish Pathak, reached the site to assess the situation.
Ujjain Collector Roshan Singh said, "Fifteen minutes back, the batteries at the pollution control board's air quality management system exploded, which caused the fire. It is above the control room of the temple. Fire tenders reached and the fire was controlled. There are no casualties. Since the fire was at the control room, the 'darshan' was temporarily halted."
(Report- Prem Dodiya)
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