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.