Akshay Kumar is celebrating his 56th birthday today, September 9. To make the day even more special, the actor visited the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. Kumar was accompanied by Team India cricketer Shikhar Dhawan, both of whom performed the bhasma aarti in the wee hours of Saturday morning and sought the blessings of Lord Mahakaal.
A video of Akshay Kumar performing aarti at the Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain has been doing the rounds on social media. In it, the actor is seen offering prayer whilst dressed in an orange dhoti and a scarf. The Rowdy Rathore actor was accompanied by his sister, niece and son Aarav. Cricketer Shikhar Dhawan, who was spotted with Kumar, was also accompanied by his family. Both Kumar and Dhawan, along with their families, reached the Mahakaleshwar temple directly from Indore airport, as per reports.
(Akshay Kumar offers prayers at Ujjain’s Mahakal temple on his birthday | Image: ANI)
Later, the actor addressed the media upon his exit from the temple. When asked about his visit and what he prayed for, Kumar said that the country should continue to grow and Baba’s blessings should remain. When the media persons asked Dhawan if he’d prayed for India to win the World Cup, Kumar interjected, “Yeh sab choti choti cheezein hain.” He added, Mahakaal pe badi badi cheezein maangte hain. World Cup nahi, usse bhi badi. Poore desh ki taraaki maangte hai. (These are small things, one has to wish for bigger things from Mahakaal. Not just World Cup, but the growth of the country).” The World Cup will take place in India from October 5 to November 19.
This is not the first time Akshay has visited the Mahakaleshwar temple. In October 2021, before commencing the shoot for OMG 2 — shot in the city of Ujjain, Kumar had sought Lord Mahakaal’s blessings. In OMG 2, Kumar plays the role of a messenger of Lord Shiva. The film, directed by Amit Rai, also stars Pankaj Tripathi and Yami Gautam in the lead roles.
