Ujjain, Aug. 19 -- Indian cricketer Nitish Rana offered prayers at the Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple in Ujjain on Tuesday.

The left-hand batter told ANI, "I have been coming to Mahakal for the last 2-3 years. Whatever I have achieved in the last 2 years, it is only because of Mahakal.. If Mahakal's blessings remain with me, I will continue to progress like this."

Shri Mahakaleshwar, one of the twelve revered Jyotirlingas in India, holds a special place in Hindu spirituality. The grandeur of the Mahakaleshwar Temple is beautifully described in the ancient Puranas.

Many Sanskrit poets have eulogised this temple emotively, starting with Kalidasa. Ujjain used to be the central point for the calculation of Indian time, and Mahakala ...