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ABOUT OMKARESHWAR
At the confluence of Narmada and Kaveri rivers, Omkareshwar is an island, shaped like the holy hindu symbol of ‘OM’. Thousands of pilgrims gather at this holy city to offer prayers to the Jyotirlinga (one of the twelve throughout India), at the Shiva temple of Shri Omkar Mandhata. The jyotirlingam and the shape of the island combine to increase the religious importance of the island for devout hindus.
PLACES TO SEE:
Shri Omkar Mandhata: The Shiva temple is constructed from local soft sandstone. Sandstone being soft and easy to work with, the masons and artisans were able to achieve a very high degree of intricate carving, particularly on the upper parts of the temple. It is encircled by verandahs with columns which are carved in geometric shapes of circles, polygons and squares.
24 Avtars: A cluster of Hindu and Jain temples. Though damaged by Mohammed of Ghazni (11th century), these temples have remained intact to a large extent.
Siddhanath temple: A good example of early Brhmanic architecture, it has a frieze of elephants carved upon a stone slab in the outer perimeter.
GETTING THERE:
By Air: The nearest airport is Indore (77 kms away), which is connected by regular flights to Bhopal, Gwalior, Delhi, Bombay, Ahmedabad and Calcutta.
By Rail: Nearest station is Omkareshwar Road (12 kms) on the Ratlam-Khandwa section of the Western Railway.
By Road: Regular bus services connect Omkareshwar with Omkareshwar Road, Indore, Ujjain and Khandwa.
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