Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga

Mandhata island, Omkareshwar, Khandwa district, Madhya Pradesh

Jyotirlinga 4/12
12 Jyotirlingas

About

Omkareshwar is the fourth jyotirlinga. It is on Mandhata island in the middle of the river Narmada, in Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh. The island is said to be shaped like the sacred sign ॐ, and this gives the place its name. There are two main Shiv temples here: Omkareshwar on the island and Mamleshwar, also called Amaleshwar, on the south bank of the river. The stotra names them together, and devotees visit both for a complete darshan. The Narmada ghats, the boat rides and the parikrama of the island make the visit very peaceful.

The story

The Shiv Puran tells that the Vindhya mountain worshipped Shiv here. Vindhya made a Shivling of earth and prayed to it with great devotion for six months without a break. Popular tellings add that he also drew a sacred yantra. Shiv was pleased, appeared, and stayed here in two forms, as Omkareshwar and Amaleshwar.

Another story is about King Mandhata of the Ikshvaku line, an ancestor of Shri Ram. He did hard tapasya on this island until Shiv appeared as a jyotirlinga, and the island and its hill are named Mandhata after him. One more belief says that when the devas lost a war to the danavas, Shiv appeared here at their prayer and helped them.

Omkareshwar is also linked with Adi Shankaracharya. Tradition says the young Shankara met his guru, Govinda Bhagavatpada, in a cave here. In history, the temple was rebuilt in the 18th century by the Holkar rulers of Indore; the work was begun by Gautama Bai Holkar and completed by Devi Ahilyabai Holkar.

Visiting

October to March is the best season; Shravan is crowded. Reach the island by bridge or boat, and do walk the parikrama path around it. On the hill stands Ekatma Dham, with the 108-foot Statue of Oneness of Adi Shankaracharya. Maheshwar is about 65 to 70 km away and Indore about 80 km.

Festivals

Maha Shivratri
Shravan (Sawan) month

12 Jyotirlingas

Sources