Ujjain, Oct 5 (IANS) Former India cricketer Shikhar Dhawan paid a visit to the Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, and attended the sacred Bhasma Aarti on Sunday.

Dhawan reached the temple early in the morning, dressed in Bhagva Vastra. He joined other devotees in offering prayers and participating in the symbolic ash-based ritual (bhasma aarti) inside the temple.

The peaceful, devotion-filled atmosphere was captured in videos shared online.

The Bhasma Aarti at Mahakaleshwar is regarded as a spiritually powerful ritual, performed in the early morning hours. It holds profound importance for devotees, who see it as a rare chance to witness the divine form of Lord Mahakal in a solemn and mystical setting.

Dhawan was seated in the Nandi Hall section of the temple during the aarti. His visit highlights how sports figures frequently connect with religious traditions, blending their public personas with private faith. For many followers, witnessing a famous athlete partake in a sacred ritual emphasises the widespread appeal of spiritual practices.

Recently, India batter Abhishek Sharma shared the advice Dhawan gave him, explaining how the veteran made him write ‘I’m the best player of India’ in his diary and also instilled the power of visualisation in him.

“Shikhar Dhawan had told me that manifestation is important, just manifest that you have already done it. He invited me to his home to have this conversation. He made me start writing in a diary. One thing is visualising that I will do it, and the other is to visualise that I am doing it. That I am the best player of India, I have won many matches for the team, he made me write this,” he said in an episode of ‘Breakfast with Champions.’

“I do journaling before every game in the morning. So instead of that, I thought to write a chit. I wrote “This one is for Orange Army”. I kept it in my pocket. When I got to my fifty, I did not remember I had it too. I kept playing and the moment I made a hundred and celebrated, I remembered it and took the chit out,” Abhishek added.

— IANS

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