Omkareshwar Temple

Reckoned among the holiest shrines of India, Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga is one of the 12 treasured jyotirlingas in the country. The temple is perched on the enticing island of Mandhata which falls on the confluence point of the Kaveri and Narmada rivers. Mandhata island has its shape resembling the sacred symbol of “OM, “making this land even more divine.

The temple boasts Nagara-style architecture with detailed and intricate carvings. The beautiful balconies and column carvings of varied shapes add to the visual appeal of the temple. The Jyotirlinga installed on the temple’s base floor remains immersed in water. You may also find 20 shrines that are devoted to several deities including Ganesh, Krishna, Narmada, and Shani.

History of Omkareshwar Temple

There are many legends associated with this temple, the key one being that the Vindyachal mountain range deity decided to worship Lord Shiva with the aim of removing his sins. In order to do this, he created a sacred geometrical diagram and made a lingam from sand and clay for this purpose. Lord Shiva was pleased with him and appeared in front of him as Omkareshwar and Amaleswara – two forms.

Another story revolves around King Mandhata, an ancestor to Lord Ram, who was such an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva that he prayed to him immensely. The Lord pleased with his devotion decided to reside in this place in the form of a Jyotirlinga. In another story. the gods and the demons fought with one another in which the demons won. The god prayed to Lord Shiva who helped them by appearing in the form of Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga and defeated the demons.

The Omkareshwar temple is simply marvelous, surrounded by the majestic river Narmada, which makes it appear as a mystical place where you can surrender to the Lord. The untamed natural environment renders an unearthly beauty to the place, which devotees enjoy as they make their way to the temple. Out of the 12 Jyotirlingas, it is the Omkareshwar Temple that is based on the symbol of ‘Om’, which is very powerful.

Architecture of Omkareshwar Temple

Enjoy the stunning architecture of this massive temple structure which has been designed according to ancient building design ideas. Majestic, impressive, and very divine are the best ways to describe it and its entire beauty. The temple follows the Nagara architecture style, which makes it very stunning and breathtakingly beautiful. Such is the loveliness of the temple's intricate carvings that you will find its interiors to be more like a work of art than just a place of devotion. Reaching the Omkareshwar temple requires that you cross the Jhula Phul else you need to ride on a boat across the river Narmada.

Inside the temple, you will find the Sabha Mandap, which has some 60 pillars made from brownstone and they are 14 feet high. On these pillars, you can see the most beautiful frieze carvings. If you observe more closely, you can see gorup figures here, which resemble sanyasis.

The most interesting aspect about this temple is the Omkareshwar Parikrama or a circular path that runs around the island. It is an absolute must for a pilgrim to walk around this path as it is a sign of reverence and devotion to the Lord. This path is beautiful taking you around some of the most beautiful sections of the island, The path around the temple takes you also into various villages, ashrams and temples.

The lovely Shiva Linga is on the ground floor of the temple and interestingly it is immersed in water. It receives a daily abhishekam that is made of milk, curd and water from the river and this happens three times a day. Right behind the Linga is a Silver image of Goddess Parvati. Right in front of it is a bed laid out for Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati and alongside it a chaupad for them to play before sleeping.