Onkareshwar Temple

Situated on the banks of the Narmada, Omkareshwar is one of the 12 revered Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva. It is located at a distance of about 12 miles from Mortakka in Madhya Pradesh. The river Narmada spits into two and forms an island Mandhata or Shivapuri in the center. The shape of the island resembles that of the visual representation of the Omkara sound, Om. There are two temples here, one to Omkareshwar and one to Amareshwar.

Do you know the legend behind this temple?

Omkareshwar rests at the meeting point of the Narmada and the Kaveri rivers. It is divided north to south by a deep gully. The ground slopes gently along the northern edge but in the south and east there are cliffs over 150m high forming a gorge. The village spreads to the southern bank from the island, now linked by a new bridge, and the river between is said to be very deep and full of crocodiles.

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Also known as the Temple of Shri Omkar Mandhata, it enshrines the jyotirlingam. The temple is made from a locally available soft stone which made possible intricate detailing in the façade, especially in the friezes on the upper parts of the structure.

A classic example of early medieval Brahminic architecture, this one is well worth a visit.

Its most eye-catching feature is a frieze of elephants over 1.5m high carved on a stone slab at its outer perimeter. Elaborate carved figures decorate the upper portion and the roof of the temple.

Despite the damage done by Muslim invaders in the time of Mahmud of Ghazni (11^th century), there are still many temples on this island, both Hindu and Jain. You can spot a huge Nandi Bull (the vehicle of Lord Shiva) carved in the hillside opposite the temple to Gauri Somnath at the western end of the island. Don’t miss the 24 Avatars, a group of Hindu and Jain temples, the 10^th century Satmatrika Temples (6km) and the Kajal Rani Cave (9km), a lovely picnic spot with a great view.

Do you know the transport facility?

Transport
The nearest railway station, Omkareshwar Road, is on the Ratlam-Indore-Khandwa line. Omkareshwar is a mere 12km from the station. Local buses ply on the Indore-Omkareshwar route (68km, Rs 20) at frequent intervals. There are many buses from Indore till 1030 hrs but only one early morning bus from Ujjain.

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