The Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga is on Mandhata island in the Narmada river, in the Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh, and is the fourth in the Dvadasha Jyotirlinga Stotra. The stotra says "ओंकारममलेश्वरम्" (Omkara and Amaleshvara), so the Mamleshwar (Amaleshwar) temple on the river’s south bank is also linked with this Jyotirlinga; how the sources count the two is given below.
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- Deity
- Shiva (Omkareshwar)
- Tradition
- Shaiva
- Place
- Mandhata island in the Narmada, Khandwa district
- State
- Madhya Pradesh
- Country
- India
- Official website
- Shri Omkareshwar Mandir Trust (shriomkareshwar.org)
- Map
- OpenStreetMap (22.2456, 76.1511)
Darshan and aarti timings
| Mangal Aarti and naivedya | 4:30–5:00 AM |
|---|---|
| Mangal Darshan | 5:00 AM to 12:20 PM |
| Midday bhog | 12:20–1:15 PM |
| Midday darshan | 1:15 to 4:00 PM |
| Evening shringar | 4:00–4:15 PM |
| Shringar Darshan | 4:15 to 9:30 PM |
| Shayan shringar and aarti | 9:30–10:00 PM |
| Shayan shringar darshan | 10:00–10:30 PM |
According to the trust, darshan is closed before 5 AM, after 10:30 PM and during aarti and shringar, and times may change on festivals. Another table on the same page gives the evening shringar as 4:00–4:30 and shringar darshan from 4:30.
Source: shriomkareshwar.orgChecked: Times can change; check the official source before you go.
The story of Omkareshwar: the penance of the Vindhya
According to the Shiva Purana (Kotirudra Samhita, chapter 18), the Vindhya mountain was proud of itself; Narada told it that Meru was loftier. The Vindhya then made an earthen image of Shiva at Omkara and worshipped it for six months, and Shiva appeared and granted it a boon.
At the request of the gods and sages Shiva stayed there. The Purana says the linga here is twofold: in the Pranava (Om), Sadashiva became known as Omkara, and what arose from the earthen image became Parameshvara. The Omkareshwar Mandir Trust puts it this way: one became Omkareshwar and the other Mamleshwar (Amareshwar); the trust also gives another account in which King Mandhata of the Ikshvaku line did penance here.
About the temple
According to the Shri Omkareshwar Mandir Trust the temple has five floors (Omkareshwar, Mahakaleshwar, Siddhnath, Gupteshwar and the deity of the flag), and three pujas are held every day: by the trust, by the priests of the Scindia house and by the priests of the Holkar house. The trust says no authentic record shows who built the temple or when; in 1959 it was declared a public trust under the Madhya Pradesh Public Trusts Act.
According to the trust, the Mamleshwar temple on the south bank is properly called Amareshwar; Mahimna stotras dated 1063 AD are carved on its walls, it is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India and the Ahilyabai Khasgi Trust looks after it.
How to reach Omkareshwar
- Airport: Devi Ahilyabai Holkar International Airport, Indore, 77 km (temple trust).
- Rail: Sanawad station 12 km, Khandwa Junction 72 km (temple trust).
- Bus: Mortakka bus stand 12 km (temple trust).
Main festivals
Where the sources differ
- Which linga is the Jyotirlinga: (1) according to the Omkareshwar Mandir Trust, the Jyotirlinga is at Omkareshwar and the earthen linga at Mamleshwar; (2) the Khandwa district government site gives both temples equal status and counts both lingas as Jyotirlingas; (3) MP Tourism also calls Mamleshwar a Jyotirlinga and both manifestations of one; (4) the Shiva Purana (chapter 18) calls the linga twofold, Omkara and Parameshvara, and its list (1.21) says "Parameshvara at Omkara"; (5) the Dvadasha Jyotirlinga Stotra says "ओंकारममलेश्वरम्".
- Origin: the Shiva Purana and the trust tell of the Vindhya’s penance; the trust also gives, as "another version", the penance of King Mandhata.
- Distances: the trust gives the Indore airport as 77 km away, MP Tourism about 87 km and the Khandwa district site about 84 km.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Omkareshwar and Mamleshwar?
The Omkareshwar temple is on Mandhata island in the Narmada and Mamleshwar (Amaleshwar) on the river’s south bank. The trust holds the Jyotirlinga to be at Omkareshwar, while the Khandwa district site and MP Tourism call both Jyotirlingas; the stotra names the two together ("ओंकारममलेश्वरम्").
Where is Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga?
Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga is in Mandhata island in the Narmada, Khandwa district, Madhya Pradesh.
What are the darshan timings at Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga?
Mangal Aarti and naivedya: 4:30–5:00 AM; Mangal Darshan: 5:00 AM to 12:20 PM; Midday bhog: 12:20–1:15 PM; Midday darshan: 1:15 to 4:00 PM; Evening shringar: 4:00–4:15 PM; Shringar Darshan: 4:15 to 9:30 PM; Shayan shringar and aarti: 9:30–10:00 PM; Shayan shringar darshan: 10:00–10:30 PM. Source: shriomkareshwar.org, checked 5 October 2026; check the official source before you go.
Which lists of tirthas include Omkareshwar?
The 12 Jyotirlingas (number 4 of 12 in the list).
How to reach Omkareshwar?
Airport: Devi Ahilyabai Holkar International Airport, Indore, 77 km (temple trust). Rail: Sanawad station 12 km, Khandwa Junction 72 km (temple trust).
Sources
- Shri Omkareshwar Mandir Trust (official site): darshan and puja times, shriomkareshwar.org/Schedules.aspx; main temple, /MainTemple.aspx; other temples, /OtherTemples.aspx; how to reach, /HowToReach.aspx; festival calendar, /ParvaPanchang.aspx; the trust, /AboutTrust.aspx
- Khandwa district (Government of Madhya Pradesh): Omkareshwar, khandwa.nic.in/en/tourist-place/omkareshwar; MP Tourism: Omkareshwar, mptourism.com/destination-omkareshwar.php
- Shiva Purana, Kotirudra Samhita, chapter 18 (J. L. Shastri's English translation, wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/shiva-purana-english/d/doc226519.html; numbered as in the Sanskrit text on sa.wikisource; the Gita Press abridged edition numbers chapters differently)
- Shiva Purana, Kotirudra Samhita 1.21–23 (the list of the twelve), Sanskrit text: sa.wikisource.org (शिवपुराणम्, संहिता ४, अध्यायः १)
- Dvadasha Jyotirlinga Stotra ("सौराष्ट्रे सोमनाथं च …"), text: sanskritdocuments.org/doc_shiva/jyotirling.html
- Wikidata Q1093334 (coordinates, CC0)
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