Omkareshwar Temple

Omkareshwar is a Hindu temple dedicated to God Shiva. It is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines. It is on an island called Mandhata or Shivapuri in the Narmada river; the shape of the island is said to be like the Hindu ॐ symbol. There are two temples situated on the island, one called Omkareshwar and the other Amareshwar.

Omkareshwar temple is the main attraction of the pilgrims at Omkareshwar. Omkareshwar owes its very existence to the temple. As to who constructed the temple and when, is all shrouded in mystery.The sanctum sanctorum containing the Jyotirlinga seems to have been originally a small temple of the old construction style, the dome being made of layers of stone slabs and not of circular cut stones. As this temple is too close to the precipitously deep bank of the Narmada to the south, the great extension is of new construction style. This is the reason why the sanctum sanctorum and the main deity are neither in the front of the main door nor below the higher conspicuous Shikhar or the tower of later construction.

Legend
Puja Timings
Festivals
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According to legend, Narad (son of Brahma), once visited the Vindhya parvat and told him that the Meru parvat was larger. This made Vindhya parvat jealous. Out of determination to be taller than Meru, Vindhya parvat began praying to the Lord Shiva to bless him and make him taller. As a result Lord Shiva was pleased and blessed him with his desired boon.on a request from all the gods, Lord Shiva divided the linga into two parts, one in Omkareshwar and the other in Amareshwar. He granted Vindhya parvat his boon that he would never stop growing but in return Vindhya should not cause any problems for the people. But Vindhya dishonoured his promise. He soon obstructed even the sun and the moon. All deities approached sage Agastya for help.Sage Agastya and his wife made Vindhya promise that he would not grow unltil they returned. Vindhya agreed. The Sage and his wife left and they never returned. The sage and his wife stayed in Srisailam which is regarded as Dakshina Kashi and one of the Dwadash Jyotirlinga.

The Omkareshwar Temple opens at 5:00 AM and closes at 9:30 PM.
The Mangal Aarti is done between 5 AM to 5:30 AM
The Jalabhishek is done between 5:30 AM to 12:25 PM.
The sanctum is closed between 3:50 PM to 4:15 PM.
The evening darshan begins at 4:15 PM and the evening Aarti is conducted from 8:20 PM to 9:05 PM.
Special darshan is available for handicapped people or for people who are unable to stand for general darshan.

Omkareshwar Puja

Parthiv Shivling Pooja – This Pooja is done on request only. 1008 Shiva Lingas are made with mud or wood and their Abhishekam is done by you or on your behalf. It is believed that by performing this Pooja, you can get rid of the Grah Dosh from your horoscope. It is also done to cure diseases, accidental injuries and misfortune.
Maha Rudrabhishekam – This Abhishekam is done by reciting the Rigveda, Samveda, Yajurveda and the Atharva Veda in front of the Linga.
Laghu Rudrabhishekham – It is believed that by doing this Pooja, one can overcome health and wealth-related issues.
Narmada Aarti – Every evening a Maha Aarti takes place on the banks of River Narmada which is spectacular to view. Several lamps are lit and released into the great river Narmada with the hope of achieving health and happiness.
Bhagavan Bhog – Lord Shiva is presented with a Naivedyam Bhog in the evening every day. The Bhog (food) is made of pure Ghee, Sugar and Rice.
Mundan (Tonsure) – Devotees can also perform a Mundan at a nominal price at the Omkareshwar Temple.
Tuladaan – Pilgrims can do Tuladaan at the temple premises. Tuladaan is a ritual where a devotee sits on one side of a Tula and materials that are to be donated placed on the other side of it. When the Tula is balanced perfectly, the amount of material equivalent to the weight of the person is donated to the temple management. The Materials should be arranged by the devotee whereas the apparatus will be arranged by the temple administration.

Online bookings can be done for performing any of the above poojas.

Kartik Festival organised in the month of Kartik is one of the major festivals. It is celebrated for 10 days. The Panchkroshi yatra is organized during this festival which begins from Gomukh Ghat on ekadashi and ends at the Omkareshwar temple on purnima. A fair is also organized on this occasion. Thousands of devotees from all over the country come here for the fair. The Somvati Amavasya is said to be the best time for a dip in Narmada and sees the highest count of devotees.

Mahashivratri in Falgun is also a major festival. Believed to be the wedding day of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, the occasion is celebrated with great pomp and splendor.

Narmada Jayanti in Magh month is also one of the festivals celebrated here. It is supposed to be the Janmotsav or birth anniversary of the Narmada. The entire hill is decorated with lamps and in the evening, the lamps are lit and a mahaarti of the Narmada is performed.

By Air

The nearest Domestic Airport is Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport, Indore, roughly two hour drive from Omkareshwar It is well connected to a spectrum of cities like Varanasi, Delhi, Lucknow, Kathmandu, Bhopal, Hyderabad and Kolkata via Air India, Jet Airways, JetKonnect, Indigo and Spice Jet. The second nearest International Airport is Raja Bhoj Airport, Bhopal, roughly 264 Kms from Omkareshwar. Frequent Flights to various national and international destinations take off from here.

By Train

Omkareshwar has its own Railway Station named as Omkareshwar Railway Station which is located at a distance of 12 Kms from the Omkareshwar city. It is situated on the major Ratlam-Khandwa railway line and is linked with the cities like New Delhi, Bangalore, Mysore, Lucknow, Chennai, Kanyakumari, Puri, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Ratlam.

By Cab/Car

The journey to Omkareshwar by road is probably one of the best and convenient options. With a number of stopovers to enjoy the surrounding landscapes, the journey is quite wonderful.

By Bus

Omkareshwar trip by bus is another convenient means of transport ferrying devotees every single day. The IPS Academy Bus Stop, Navlakha Bus Station and the Bhawarkuan Square Bus Stop are the main bus stations in Omkareshwar facilitating travelers to an Omkareshwar visit by bus. Enabling tourists reserve their seats online or through manned counters, it is a wise move to book tickets early to avail attractive early-bird offers.

Omkareshwar Temple, Ujjain