ॐ
Har Har Mahadev
Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga, Mandhata Island, Narmada, Madhya Pradesh
04 / 12 · Fourth Jyotirlinga
ओंकारेश्वर

The river drewthe sacred syllable.

📍 Omkareshwar · Mandhata Island, Narmada, Madhya Pradesh

The Narmada splits and rejoins around a hill, and the shape it cuts is said to be ॐ itself. On that island sits Omkareshwar — and on the far bank, Mamleshwar, which many hold to be half of the same jyotirlinga.

Darshan & timingsRead the legend
ShapeThe island traces the ॐ symbol
Two shrinesOmkareshwar & Mamleshwar — both visited
Parikrama~7 km around the island
Photo: Deveshc92 · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Checking…TimingsBookingBefore you goReachPhotosFAQ

The sound before all sounds.Written by a river.In stone, on an island.

04

The legend

Why Shiva is here, and not somewhere else — as the Shiva Purana and local tradition tell it.

Vindhya's penance

The Vindhya mountain, envious of Meru, made a lingam of earth on the bank of the Narmada and worshipped Shiva for a very long time. Shiva appeared and granted the boon it had asked for.

The lingam that split

The gods present asked Shiva to remain. He agreed — and the lingam divided in two. One half became Omkareshwar on the island; the other became Mamleshwar, or Amareshwar, on the southern bank. Tradition is unresolved about which is *the* jyotirlinga, so pilgrims visit both.

The circuit of the island

Mandhata is walked, not just visited. The parikrama runs about seven kilometres around the island past ghats, ruined temples and cliff faces above the Narmada. Doing it barefoot at dawn is, for many, the whole reason to come here.

Shape
The island traces the ॐ symbol
Two shrines
Omkareshwar & Mamleshwar — both visited
Parikrama
~7 km around the island
River
The Narmada, circumambulated in its entirety by ascetics
Darshan

Timings & the daily aartis

Times shown in IST. The status above is live against the temple's published hours.

—
Now in India--:--
Morning5:00 AM – 12:20 PM
Afternoon1:15 PM – 4:00 PM
Evening4:15 PM – 8:00 PM

The temple opens at 5:00 AM and shuts at 9:30 PM. Darshan closes during aarti and shringar. Even on an ordinary day expect a 30–40 minute queue.

Aarti & ritual schedule

  • 5:00 AM – 5:30 AMMangala AartiThe day begins
  • 12:20 PM – 1:15 PMMadhyanh Aarti
  • 4:00 PM – 4:15 PMSandhya / Shringar
  • 8:30 PM – 9:30 PMShayan AartiClosing ritual
ⓘTimings change on festival days, during Shravan and at short notice. Verified 13 August 2026 — confirm against the official temple portal before you travel.
Booking

Darshan, aarti & registration

What can be booked, what is free, and where the official channel actually is.

General darshan

Free, no booking. Join the queue at the island temple.

Sheeghra (VIP) darshan

A paid quick-darshan ticket is available at the counter and online, useful on weekends and through Shravan.

MP temple portal ↗

Abhishek & jalabhishek

Sponsored abhishek at the sanctum can be arranged at the temple office; slots are limited in the morning hours.

Before you go

Dress code, rules & what it costs

Dress code

Men

Modest clothing; traditional dress preferred for abhishek at the sanctum.

Women

Saree or salwar-kameez, or anything covering shoulders and knees.

Not permitted inside

Leather itemsCameras inside the sanctumLarge bags

What it costs

  • General darshanFree
  • Sheeghra darshanPaid at counter / online
  • Boat crossing₹20–₹50 per head
  • RopewayTicketed

Practical advice

  • Cross by boat rather than the bridge at least once — the island approach from the water is the view worth having.
  • Do Mamleshwar on the south bank too. Skipping it is the most common mistake here.
  • Start the parikrama before 7 AM; the rock underfoot gets genuinely hot by mid-morning.
Getting there

How to reach Omkareshwar

Mandhata Island, Narmada, Madhya Pradesh — 22.245°N, 76.1508°E

✈
By air
Devi Ahilyabai Holkar, Indore
~80 km

The nearest airport, roughly two hours by taxi through Sanawad.

🚉
By rail
Omkareshwar Road (Mortakka)
~12 km

A small halt on the Khandwa–Indore line. Khandwa Junction (~70 km) is the bigger, better-connected railhead.

🚌
By road
By bus or car
Direct

Indore ~80 km, Ujjain ~140 km, Khandwa ~70 km, Maheshwar ~65 km. Buses run frequently from Indore and Khandwa.

🗺️ Open in Google Maps ↗
When to come

Best time to visit

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

October to March is ideal — cool enough for the parikrama and the Narmada is full. Summer on the exposed rock is brutal. The monsoon is beautiful but the river runs high and boat crossings can stop.

  • Maha ShivaratriFeb / MarAll-night darshan and a large fair on the island.
  • ShravanJul / AugKanwar pilgrims arrive with Narmada water; Mondays are packed.
  • Narmada JayantiJan / FebThe river's own festival — lamps floated across the water.
  • Kartik PurnimaNovMass bathing and a fair at the ghats.
Around the shrine

What else is here

Mamleshwar temple
South bank

The other half of the split lingam. Older carvings, calmer courtyard, far fewer people.

Island parikrama
~7 km

The full circuit past Gaudi Somnath, Siddhanath and the cliff ghats.

Maheshwar
~65 km

Ahilyabai Holkar's riverside fort and ghats; the source of Maheshwari sarees.

Ujjain
~140 km

Mahakaleshwar, the third jyotirlinga — the standard companion trip.

Questions

What pilgrims ask

Is Omkareshwar or Mamleshwar the real jyotirlinga?
Tradition is genuinely divided — the lingam is said to have split into both. Pilgrims resolve it by visiting both, which takes only an extra hour.
How long does the island parikrama take?
About three to four hours for the full seven kilometres at an unhurried pace, longer if you stop at the smaller shrines. Start at dawn.
Do I need a boat to reach the temple?
No — two bridges connect the island. But the boat crossing costs very little and is the better arrival.
Can Omkareshwar and Ujjain be done together?
Yes. They are about 140 km apart and are almost always visited on the same trip, usually Ujjain first.
How crowded does it get?
A normal weekday queue runs 30–40 minutes. Shravan Mondays and Maha Shivaratri are several hours — take sheeghra darshan then.
Is there a ropeway?
Yes, a ropeway operates on the island and is useful for visitors who cannot manage the steps and the climb.

Have you had darshan here?

Light a lamp for Omkareshwar and it stays lit across the site — your progress towards all twelve is remembered on this device.

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Mahakaleshwar
Ujjain, on the Shipra · Madhya Pradesh
03
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Kedarnath
Kedarnath, Rudraprayag · Uttarakhand
05
Page last updated 13 August 2026 · All twelve jyotirlingas