Visit the Swayambhoo Jytirlingam Temple in the State of Madhya Pradesh, India

All the twelve Swayambhoo Lord Shiva temples are situated in various parts of India in all the four directions. The temple of Omkareshwar, one of such temples is situated in the State of Madhya Pradesh. As this is one of the most prestigious Lord Shiva temples, the flow of pilgrims continue all through out the year in spite of very rough weather here in this part of the country, particularly during summer.

This Omkareshwar temple is situated on the shore of River Narmada on One Island, known as Mandhata. One can reach this temple by road or by train. If you come by train, you will have to get down at Omkareshwar Road railway station. And if you prefer to travel by bus, you need to get down at Mortappa bus stand. The asphalt road is made so as to reach directly up to the temple on an Island without traveling in a boat in the River Narmada. However, if you like to travel by boat, you can also reach to the temple by boat. Many of the pilgrims prefer this mode of traveling to the temple as this would facilitate them to view the rare site of sangam of the Rivers Narmada and Kaveri. The view of meeting of these two gorgeous Rivers is really breathtaking. Taking a holy bath here at this point is considered very vital as per Hindu religion. This was the place where Lord Kuber had performed tap for 1000 years. The Lord Shiva was pleased due to this long tap and decided to reside here at this Omkareshwar temple forever.

As soon as you enter the main temple, the two marble bulls (Nandis) can be seen. The Lord Shiva Lingam is quiet large and impressive. There is a continuous lamp glowing in the front of this Lingam since last so many years. As the walk way leading to the interior of the temple is extremely narrow and dark, all care must be taken while entering inside the temple. The pilgrims can perform special puja here by booking such puja in advance with the temple priests. The temple opens at early morning at 5 am for the morning arti ritual. This arti ritual is really worth attending and should not be missed. You may need to stay for a night halt here to attend this arti. There are many dharmshalas available here to stay for all the pilgrims at the very nominal rates. Though, there are only very few basic facilities available here at such dharmashalas, some people prefer to stay here. The pilgrims can take bath near the main temple on the Kotitirth Ghat, specifically made for this purpose. There is a facility of taking a bath separately for men and women at this ghat. Some of the pilgrims stay here for a long time. They can get all the utensils and the items to cook their meals in local shops. There are also other temples here like Mahakaleshwar Mahadev, Avimukteshwar Mahadev, Lord Ganesh, and Kalka Mata, all situated near to the main temple.

The early morning boating experience in the silent water of River Narmada is really divine and out of this world. There are only rowing boats available here and that too driven by the sailors who are mostly the boat owners. It is better to fix up the rates for this boating in advace so as to avoid the fight later on. The rates are around Rs.250 ($6.25) for one hour boating in an independent boat having capacity of eight persons. There can be long waits on some festival days and Mondays and you may have to wait in a queue for around couple of hours to enter inside the temple. The local food items available here are very spicy and may not be suitable for the foreigners who are not used to having such items. It is therefore suggested to carry the food as well as drinking water supply with you only. There is also a threat of pickpockets here in case of heavy rush of the pilgrims. Hence, take care of your all precious belongings while moving inside the temple. The tourists can reach this temple by hired car or taxi from Indore, Ratlam, and Ujjain or any major cities of State of Madhya Pradesh.

I was able to visit this beautiful temple last year in November. It would be the best to visit this temple during early winter months from October to December. I am sure these details on this famous Omkareshwar Lord Shiva temple would encourage many of my AC friends to visit it during their next visit to India.