Overview
- On January 1, players visited Ujjain’s Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga and attended the pre-dawn Bhasma Aarti held around 4 a.m.
- Those seen offering prayers included Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Sneh Rana, Renuka Singh Thakur, Radha Yadav and Arundhati Reddy.
- Temple authorities anticipated 2–2.5 lakh devotees through the day, prompting extensive security measures across the complex.
- Police, cited by SP Pradeep Sharma, deployed about 1,200 personnel with 150 female officers, 200 CCTV cameras, five drones and a mounted unit.
- Rituals reported on the morning included Rudrabhishek and Panchamrit, with the Mahanirvani Akhara leading the sacred ash offering as the Jyotirlinga was adorned with silver ornaments and garlands.