On the bank of the Shipra river at Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh stands the celebrated Kal Bhairav temple, dedicated to Bhairava, the fierce form of Shiva revered as the guardian deity of the ancient city of Avanti. Counted among the eight great Bhairava shrines and mentioned in the Avanti Khanda of the Skanda Purana, it is one of the most active temples in Ujjain, drawing hundreds of devotees daily.
Its most striking tradition is the offering of liquor: devotees present a bottle to the deity, which the priest holds to the image's lips, and it is seen to vanish — a rite rooted in the ancient Tantric worship of the fierce Lord. A guardian who removes fear and grants protection, Kal Bhairav of Ujjain is among the most powerful and singular shrines of central India.
