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| Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga Temple Madhya Pradesh |
In India, there are very famous
Lord Shiv 12 Jyotirlingas. Among these very popular Shiv Jyotirlingas,
Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga is situated at the bank of the Narmada River in Khandwa
city of Madhya Pradesh. It is situated about 140 km far from the very famous
Lord Shiva’s Mahakal temple in Ujjain. Omkareshwar is one of the important
pilgrimage places for Hindus and lakhs of Lord Shiva devotees come to visit this
place every year.
Omkareshwar Temple is established
on a small island which is known as Mandhata or Shivapuri. Mandhata Island is
in the Narmada River. There is a dam also in the Narmada River near the Omkareshwar
temple which protects the temple area from the flood. There are two temples one
is Omkareshwar which is more popular and another is Mamleshwar which is less
popular. Mamleshwar temple is situated on another bank of the Narmada River near
the Omkareshwar Temple.
Omkareshwar meaning is Lord of
Omkara and Amreshwar means Immortal Lord. Lord Shiva has both names. Amaleshwar
Jyotirlinga is also known as Mamleshwar Jyotirlinga. Mamleshwar temple in
ancient times was known as Amareshwar temple. Both Omkareshwar and Mamleshwar
Shivalingas are considered the same Jyotirlinga.
Did You Know: Where
you can't offer Prasad to Lord Shiva temple?
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| Mamleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple Madhya Pradesh |
The Main Omkareshwar temple campus is
a five-floor building. There is a temple of Mahakal on the first floor. Omkareshwar
Temple is on the second floor. On the third floor, the Siddhnatha temple is
situated. On the fourth floor, Gupteswar temple is situated, and on the fifth floor is Rajeshwer Mahadev temple. All these temples are Lord Shiva temples and these are
different names for Lord Shiv.
Inside the Garbhagriha on one side,
Omkar Shiv Linga, and on another side Goddess Parvati and Lord Ganesh idols are established. Around the Jyotirlinga always water is filled. You can see also
there are temples of Panchamukhi Ganesha, Govindeshwar, and Maa Annapurna. Omkareshwar
temple is always crowded so there is a queue system. The main entrance gate is
small. You have to walk on the stairs which are more than 50 to 60.
You Should Read: Tapkeshwar Mahadev Mandir Dehradun
The Twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva
As per Hindu legends and as
mentioned in Puranas, Jyotirlingas are those places where Lord Shiva manifested
as Jyoti form and established as Shivlinga. The twelve Jyotirlingas are listed
below.
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| The 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva |
- Somnath Jyotirlinga at Veraval, Gujarat
- Mahakaleswar Jyotirlinga at Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
- Omkareshwar - Mamleshwar Jyotirlinga in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh
- Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga at Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh
- Kedarnath Jyotirlinga in Himalayas, Uttarakhand
- Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga, Maharashtra
- Viswanath Jyotirlinga at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
- Triambakeshwar Jyotirlinga at Nashik, Maharashtra
- Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga, Deogarh, Jharkhand
- Nageswar Jyotirlinga at Dwarka, Gujarat
- Rameshwar Jyotirlinga at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu
- Grishneshwarnear Jyotirlinaa at Aurangabad, Maharashtra
You Should Read: My Kedarnath Trip
History of Omkareshwar Mamleshwar Jyotirlinga
The history of Omkareshwar
Shivling is found in Purans. As per legend, once Narad Muni Ji went to Vindhya Mountain.
Then Vindhya Mountain narrates about his prideful things then Narad Muni Ji
replies you have many qualities but Meru Mountain is higher than you. Then the
Vindya Mountain becomes sad.
Vindya Mountain had jealous to
Meru Mountain. So he decided to do penance of Lord Shiva. Then Vindya Mountain
goes to Omkar place and made a Shivling from clay. He started the very hard penance
of Lord Shiva. After six months Lord Shiva become pleased with the penance of
Vindya Mountain and come in front of them. Lord Shiv shows them their divine
form and blessed them. At that time other gods and Rishi muni came and prayed
to Lord Shiva to stay and be stable here forever.
As per the desire of
Vindhyaparvat, Lord Shiv performed two parts of his Linga called Omkareshwar.
Then one called Omkareshwar and the other Amaleshwar. Even though the place
and the temple of both Lingas are separate, the power and nature of both are
considered the same.
After getting the desired wish
from Lord Shiv, Vindhya Mountain starts to grow and become larger than Meru and
other mountains. It is so big now it starts obstructing the Sun and the Moon.
Peoples now worry and go to the shelter of Agastya Rishi. Agastya Rishi with
his wife goes to Vindhya Mountain and convinced him not to grow further till they do not again come back. But Agastya Rishi and his wife never returned to Vindhya
Mountain.
You Should Read: Khajrana Ganesh Mandir Indore
Mythologies Related to Omkareshwar Mamleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple
As per another legend, once there
was a fierce war between Deities and Monsters. Monsters win the war so the Deities
go to the shelter of Lord Shiva and pray. Lord Shiv get pleased with their
prayer and appeared as Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga near the bank of the Narmada River.
Then Lords or Deities start worship to Jyotirlinga and get powerful and
defeated the Monsters.
As per legends, this temple is
established by King Mandhata who was the ancestor of Lord Ram. King
Mandhata was the devotee of Lord Shiva. He made this place his capital. Then
this place was later famous as Omkar Mandhata. That's why this island is also
called Mandhata. King Mandhata did penance of Lord Shiva here for many years
and pleased them. When Lord Shiva appeared in front of Mandhata then Mandhata
prayed to Lord Shiva for a boon to reside in this area. That is why God got
established here in Omkar form.
Lord Shiva Sleeps at Omkareshwar Mamleshwar Temple
As per Hindu mythology, Lord
Shiva comes to Omkareshwar Mamleshwar temple daily after traveling on the Earth
for the rest of the night. That's why the daily temple priest does Shyan Arti of
Lord Shiva.
Omkareshwar is the only
temple where Lord Shiva's Shayan Arti is done by the priests of the temple.
Omkareshwer temple priest daily at 08:30 pm did Lord Shiv Shayan Arti in a very
secret way.
Om Shaped Parikrama Path at Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga Temple
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| The starting point of the OM parikrama path at Omkareshwar temple |
Mandhata Parvat or Shivpuri is an
island, around this Narmada River is flowing. There is a Parikrama Path on this
island which looks like Hindus' auspicious symbol OM from the height. This Om
Parikrama Path is about 7-8 km long and the way is completely full of temples.
Parikrama Path starts from near Narmadha ghat. Parikrama Path is clockwise around the Omkareshwar temple.
You have to go upstairs to some places and in some places go downstairs. There
are many Aasrams, trusts, and resting places for the devotees in the way. You
have to complete this path by foot only and it takes approx. 3-4 hours easily.
Festivals and Fairs at Omkareshwar Mamleshwar Temple
Maha Shivratri is the main
festival of any Shiv temple. Since it is the Jyotirlinga temple so here Maha
Shivratri is celebrated at a very grand level. Here Maha Shivratri fair is
organized for those days. At that time temples were open at all times. The Temple
committee organizes lots of feasts (Bhandara) for devotees. Temple distributes
Prasad in many places during this time. Lakhs of Lord Shiv devotees come from all over India to get Darshan of Omkareshwar and Mamleshwar Jyotirlinga.
There is a big fair organized on
the Kartik Purnima. Lots of devotees come here and offer Prasad. Lord Shiva
Arti is organized with great grandeur. Ganesh Chaturthi and Anant Chaudas also
celebrated here very promptly.
Timing of Omkareshwar Mamleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple
- Omkareshwar temple opens daily in the morning at 05:00 am and closed in late at night at 10:00 pm after Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga aarti. You can offer milk and water till 04:00 pm only.
- Temple is closed for half an hour from 12:30 pm to 13:00 pm in the afternoon.
- Mamleshwar temple opens daily. The timing of the temple is from morning 5:30 AM to the evening at 9:00 PM.
Visiting Time duration Omkareshwar Mamleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple
The total time required to travel
completely to Omkareshwar and Mamleshwar temple will be 2-3 hours. If you walk on
the Om Path then 3-4 hours more are needed. If you want to do boating and visit
Sangam place then the time also increases up to one hour. If you come from a nearby
city like Khandwa, Ujjain, Indore, etc. then in a day you will complete your
journey.
Best Time to Visit Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga Temple
The best time to visit
Omkareshwar temple is early morning but you can also enjoy in the evening also.
I will suggest to you if you want to walk on Om Path then you can do it in the
early morning or in the evening in summer. In winter the afternoon time will be
good.
Going to Omkareshwar temple is
good any time but if we consider it as per season and location, going to after the rainy season will be the best time. The best season for the Omkareshwar temple is
from September to March. Hills look lush green, rivers will have water and the environment will be so beautiful.
If you want to get the darshan of
Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga easily and without much crowd then you have to go there
after 04:00 pm during normal days.
Ancient Temple below the Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga
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| Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga Main temple |
In the Omkareshwar temple, the
main Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga is not just below the temple peak. As per temple
rule, the main Shivling must be below the temple peak. Archaeologist thinks
that Jyotirlinga was originally located in a small ancient temple. That's why
they want to do a 3D survey of the Omkareshwar temple. They think there is a small
chamber or temple that will be just below the main Shivling.
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Facilities at Omkareshwar Mamleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple
Omkareshwar Mamleshwar is a very
famous temple in India and there are lakhs of devotees who come from all over
India and from abroad countries. That's why there is every type of facility
available from the government.
- Washrooms and Shulabh Shauchalay are available in many places.
- Drinking water and food stalls are available.
- Various types of shops are available like Prashad, sweets shops, wooded items shops, etc.
- Hotels, restaurants, Dharamshala, and lodges are available for tourists.
- The vehicle parking facility is available but at some distance from the Omkareshwar temple.
- Boats are available for going to Omkareshwar or Mamleshwar temple and for Sangam of two rivers.
- Medical facilities are also available.
How to Reach Omkareshwar Mamleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple
For reaching Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga
you have to come to Shivpuri or Mandhata Mountain which is an island. For
reaching Omkareshwar temple you can use the bridge or Jhula Bridge on the Narmada River. You can also go there by boat on the Narmada River they will charge
only 20 rupees per person. Mamleshwar is directly connected to the road so no
need to cross the Narmada River, just go downstairs from the main road and you
will reach the temple.
Omkareshwar is well connected by
road. Connectivity by trains is temporarily unavailable. Omkareshwar has a
railway station named Omkareshwar Road. But it is a small railway station where
mainly meter gauge passenger trains were running. But now its gauge is under
changing process and this will also become a broad gauge railway station in the
near future.
The nearest main railway station
is Khandwa which is about 70 km from Omkareshwar. The second nearest main
railway station is Indore which is approximately 80 km far away from
Omkareshwar. From both places i.e. Khandwa and Indore you will get private
buses easily to Omkareshwar in the daytime but in night frequency of
buses is very rare. There is no government bus service for the Omkareshwar temple.
If you want to reach the nearest
stoppage of the Omkareshwar temple the bus will be best for you. You will get
lots of buses from the Sarvate Bus stand which is near the railway station in Indore, they will drop you at the nearest stoppage of the Omkareshwar temple
within two hours. If you want to come here by airplane then the nearest Airport is in Indore. Then after that, you can come
by private taxi or by Volvo bus.
Omkareshwar Mamleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple Address
Shiv Jyotirlinga Shri Omkareshwar
Temple, Khandwa
Ward No 11, 12, Khandwa - Indore
Road,
Mandhata, Madhya Pradesh
TouristBug’s Recommendations
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| Temples and trusts on the Om Parikrama Path at Omkareshwar Temple |
I have personally traveled to Omkareshwar and Mamleshwar temples more than five times when I was living in
Indore. So on the basis of my personal experience, I share some
recommendations.
- Omkareshwar Temple is good for the photographic session. Here a photographer gets a full package of mountains, rivers, dams, temples, etc. with natural beauty. During the Sunrise and Sunset, Omkareshwar places look so beautiful.
- For Omkareshwar mandir Om's path, you should keep a Travel Backpack Bag in which you can keep all the necessary things that require during Jyotirling visiting, bathing, and trekking.
- Photography inside the main Omkareshwar temple is not permitted. But you can take lots of pics outside.
- I will suggest taking a Boat ride during the evening and early morning, it will be a good experience for you. You will enjoy boat riding on the Narmada River. You can go by boat to the place where the Narmada River divides into two rivers.
- Many devotees due to not being aware properly, visit only the Omkareshwar temple and forget to visit the Mamleshwar temple. So don't forget to go to Mamleshwar Jyotirlinga.
- You can take a bath in the Narmada River, there are many Ghats for the devotees and tourists who want to take a holy dip in the Maa Narmada River. So you have to keep one set of clothes to change there.
- Beware of the unauthorized people, who offer you Jalbhishek of Jyotirlinga, VIP darshan, and special worship, and demand money for that. You can easily go there and do it by yourself.
- There are lots of monkeys in the Omkareshwar temple area so should be careful of monkeys and keep your kids safe from them. Don't give food items to monkeys and don't keep food items or Prasad openly in hand they can snatch it from you.
- You can purchase Prasad from the various shops near the temple or on the way to the temple. Omkareshwar temple trust sells Basan Laddu as Prasad. You can purchase Laddu Prasad from the temple trust outlet. They will take Rupees 100 for 8 Laddus. If you want some special Puja then lots of Priests there who can do it at different charges.
You Should Read: Shri Mahabaleshwar Temple
Nearby Places to Visit in Khandwa
Omkareshwar has lots of tourist destinations for travelers like Kajal Rani Cave, Gauri Somnath Temple, Siddhanath Temple, Peshawar Ghat, Ahilya Ghat, Ranmukteshwar Temple, etc.