Situated at 77 km from Indore, the name Omkareshwar derives from the word Om, which signifies the most sacred Hindu symbol. This island is shaped like the Om and is about 2km long and 1km wide. It is one of the holiest Hindu sites in India by virtue of the presence a jyotirlingam, one of the twelve in India. As you probably know by now, the lingam is the symbol of Lord Shiva and there must be simply thousands of them in India. The jyotirlingam or the lingam of light, however, is special. It is believed to derive currents of power from within itself as opposed to an ordinary lingam which is ritually invested with mantra shakti (power invested by chants) by the priests.

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.

STHALA PURAN

In the ancient times the Demons defeated the gods or divines. Indra was worried. The Danavas or Demons have wrecked havoc in all the three worlds, i.e., Trilokas. In order to empower the Devas once again, Lord Shiva assumed the form of Jyotirmaya Omkararoop. He came out of the nether world or Patala. Lord Shankar came out in the form of Linga on the banks of river Narmada. The gods or Devas have worshipped the Linga which made them powerful once again. This time they were able to destroy the demons and re-acquiesced their empire in Heavens.

Brahma and Vishnu also lived in the same place as Omkar Amaleshwar. That is why on the banks of Narmada Brahmapuri, Vishnupuri and Rudrapuri are built which are known as Tripuri Kshetra. The Amareshwar JyotiraLinga is situated in Rudrapuri.

Later on, in the mythological era or Purana Kala, Yavanaswa Putra Mandhata came into power here with the blessings of Indra. He served Lord Shankara with great devotion. Lord Shankara was pleased with him. The waters of Narmada emanated from the Arghya (holy water) or Jalahari of the Omkar JyotirLinga and flown through the mountains, downward and later on flow unseen. Narmada joins the deep-water spring located near the Linga idol of Omkareshwar. It flows there eternally. When some bubbles appear at the bottom of this spring, it is said, that Lord Shankar is pleased.

King Mandhata made this holy place his capital. Therefore, this place is also known as Omkar Mandhata. The descendents of Mandhata live here even today. The Vindhya mountain also performed a severe penance and pleased Omkar-Amareshwar. As a result of which, the whole place turned beautiful. Many hermits like Agastya have performed severe penances and japas at Omkar-Amaleshwaram JyotirLingam. They had built their hermitages.

This place of pilgrimage became famous in the historical times too. In 1063 AD, Paramarking Udayaditya installed four stone inscriptions with four Sanskrit Stotras and dedicated them to the Amaleshwar Temple. Pushpadanta’s “Shiva Mahima Stotra” can also be seen as a stone inscription.

Initially aboriginals used to live here on Omkareshwar island as a settlement. It belonged to Kalika devi. Devotees of this goddess were known as Bhairavgan and used to harass pilgrims. They used to sacrifice them. After sometime, a saint by the name Dariyayinath took charge of that place and stopped the atrocities of the Bhairavgan. Since then, pilgrims started moving there freely.

After that, Bhil reign began there. In 1195 AD, King Bharat Singh Cahuhan won over the Bhils and improved the grandeur of the Omkar Mandhata. Even today the palace ruins of Raja Bahrat Singh Chauhan can be seen. The heirs of Bharat Singh Chauhan call themselves the ‘Kings’ of Omkar island, even now staking their right.

The temple was renovated by Peshwa Baji Rao, the second. After Peshwa, Punyashlok Ahilya Devi Holkar, has made several improvements in this ancient shrine. She built strong, expansive and beautiful ghats. The important one among there is the KotirLingarchana schedule.

PLACES OF INTEREST

Sri Omkareshwar Mahadeo Temple: 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.

The Siddnath Temple: 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. The shrine is encircled by verandahs with columns carved in circles, polygons and squares.

24 Avatars: A cluster of Hindu and Jain temples, remarkable for their skillful use of varied architectural modes.

Satmatrika Temple: 6 km from Omkareshwar, a group of 10th century temples.