- By Anushka Shalya
- Fri, 31 Jul 2026 12:18 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
While liquor consumption is often frowned upon and considered harmful, there exists a deity who is offered liquor as prasad. It may sound surprising, but this centuries-old ritual is practised at the Kaal Bhairav Temple in Ujjain.
Here devotees offer coconut, flowers, and alcohol to Lord Bhairav. The temple priest reverently pours a small amount of liquor into a bowl and offers it to the deity's mouth, where devotees believe the idol miraculously drinks it.
But why is alcohol offered to Lord Kaal Bhairav? Let's understand its spiritual significance.
Who Is Lord Kaal Bhairav?
Lord Kaal Bhairav is the fierce form of Lord Shiva. He is believed to destroy ego, ignorance, and evil. He is often depicted with a dog as his mount, a garland of skulls, and a powerful gaze that pierces through illusion. He is also known as the God of time and death.
Devotees seeking truth, spiritual growth, and protection worship Lord Bhairav. In Ujjain, Lord Kaal Bhairav is regarded as the guardian of the city.
Lord Kaal Bhairav is the fierce form of Lord Shiva (Image: Facebook/kalbhairavujjain)
Why Is Liquor Offered To Lord Kaal Bhairav?
Many misconceptions surround the tradition of offering liquor to Kaal Bhairav. Some people think that because the deity accepts alcohol, then its consumption is auspicious. However, offering liquor actually holds immense spiritual importance. Here's how:
1. It Symbolises Letting Go Of Worldly Attachments
In spiritual traditions, liquor is often seen as the symbol of worldly pleasures and desires that distract a person from the path of spiritual enlightenment. By offering it to Kaal Bhairav, devotees show surrender to these attachments and seek spiritual growth.
2. Influence Of Tantric Traditions
The worship of Lord Kaal Bhairav is closely related to certain tantric traditions. In tantra, nothing is considered pure or impure; instead, it's all about confronting reality without fear.
3. The Protector Of The Fearless And Forgotten
Lord Kal Bhairav is believed to protect devotees from negativity, fear and unseen forces. He is also regarded as the guardian of those who are feeling ignored or abandoned by society. According to beliefs, he accepts offerings that are not commonly accepted by other deities, symbolising that he is available to all forms of worship.
4. A Symbol Of Complete Surrender
Offering liquor is not seen as promoting impure things but as an act of complete surrender. Devotees believe that prayer done with complete discipline, devotion and purity is above the nature of the offering itself.
How Is The Offering Performed?
Devotees buy the liquor from the shops outside the temple. Then they hand it to the temple's priest, who pours a small portion into a bowl and brings it to the deity’s mouth. Here's the most interesting thing: when the priest does this, the idol is believed to drink the liquor. Then the leftover liquor is returned to the devotee as prasad. Devotees either keep the leftover at home or use it in rituals.
Offering liquor is not seen as promoting impure things but as an act of complete surrender (Image: Facebook/kalbhairavujjain)
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By offering liquor to Lord Kaal Bhairav, devotees pray for protection, success, relief from fear or problems and ask for support during difficult times. Offering alcohol may seem a weird offering at first, but it holds immense spiritual importance. This offering represents that faith can be in any form. What actually matters is the devotion and intentions one has while praying.