Omkareshwar

Situated in Khandwa district, Madhya Pradesh on an island called Mandhata or Shivapuri in the Narmada river, the Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga Temple is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is one of the 12 revered Jyotirlinga shrines of  Shiva.

location Madhya Pradesh, Khandwa, Bhopal

Legend

According to the legends, one day Narada visited Vindhya parvat (Mount). Narada told Vindhya Parvat about the greatness of Mount Meru. This made Vindhya jealous of Meru and Vindhya parvat started worshiping Lord Shiva in order to become greater than Meru. Vindhya Parvat practiced severe penance and worshiped parthivlinga (A linga made from physical material) along with Lord Omkareshwar for nearly six months. Pleased with Vindhya parvat's penance, Lord Shiva blessed him with his desired boon, but took a promise from Vindhya parvat that he will never be a problem to Shiva's devotees. On a request of all the Gods and the sages Lord Shiva made two parts of the lingas. One half is called Omkareshwara and the other Mamaleshwar or Amareshwar.As per the boon, Vindhya began to grow and soon forgot his promise and obstructed even the sun and the moon. All deities approached sage Agastya for help. Sage Agastya along with his wife came to Vindhya, and convinced Vindhya that he would not grow until the sage and his wife returned from their travel. They never returned and Vindhya remained there as it was when Sage Agastya and his wife left. According to another legend, King Mandhata of Ikshvaku clan (an ancestor of Lord Ram) worshiped Lord Shiva here till the Lord manifested himself as a Jyotirlinga. Because of this the mountain is named as Mandhata.

This Temple is part of famous 12 Jyotirlinga Darsan Yatra

Architecture

The original temple of Omkareshwar was very small in construction and the information about the structure is not very authentic. Who built the temple is still unknown.
The shrine follows a North Indian style of stone-architecture and is embellished with beautiful carvings in the support structure. The dome of the temple is built by layers of rock. The "Sabha Mandap" is 14 feet high and is rooted on 60 pillars. The temple is known for its extraordinary construction and a highly regarded extravagant style. The beauty of the temple is its tower which is built on the ancient Nagara pattern, and consists of 5 distinct layers, that features the image of various Hindu Gods.

Picture Courtesy: "Omkareshwar Temple 02" by Bernard Gagnon - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons - wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Omkareshwar_Temple_02.jpg#/media/File:Omkareshwar_Temple_02.jpg

Culture

Khandwa is known for its cultural diversity. People celebrate every festival in enthusiasm. In Khandwa many people are still dependent on agriculture for livelihood. The city has a rich history famous for its places of worship like Hindu and Jain temples. Naturally, Jainism is also practised here.

Darsan Info

The Omkareshwar temple is open for Darshan from 5:00 AM till 10:00 PM
Special darshan may be booked from the official website.
Abhishekam is not allowed on special days.

Darsan Dresscode

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Temple Rituals

Pujas at 3 times are carried by representatives of the Omkareshwar Trust (Morning), Scindia Family (Afternoon) & Holkar Estate (Evening)

Special Rituals

Maha Rudrabhishekam, Parthiv Shivling Pooja, Laghu Rudrabhishekham, Mundan, Tuladan.
Group weddings are also organised 2-3 times a year at the Omkareshwar Temple.

Famous Festival

Jan:- Narmada Jayanti
Mar:- MahaShivratri, Bhootni Amavasya
Sep:- Bhootni Amavasya
Nov:- Kartika Purnima

Additional Info