Omkareshwar Temple - Madhya Pradesh

Omkareshwar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to God Shiva. It is one of the 12 Shiva Jyotirlingas. It is on an island called Mandhata or Shivpuri in the Narmada river at Khandwa district in Madhya Pradesh, India; the shape of the island is said to be like the Devanagari ॐ symbol. 

History
There are famous story goes on to say that long ago, there was a discussion between lord brahma and Lord Vishnu as to who was more supreme. Seeing this situation, Lord Shiva decided to test them. He set the three worlds in the form of three pillars of light which had no beginning or end. Their task was to find the end of the pillar and the first one to do so would be considered to be the supreme power. Lord Brahma went upwards in search of the end of light while Lord Vishnu took the downwards path. After some time, Lord Brahma declared that he has found the end which was a lie, since the pillars were designed to be endless. However, Lord Vishnu accepted his defeat and proclaimed that he was unable to find the end. As a result, Lord Shiva declared that Lord Brahma would not be worshipped by anyone while Lord Vishnu will be worshipped till eternity. There is another story which is also believed by many. There was once a battle between the devtas and the demons in which the devtas were defeated. They prayed to Lord Shiva for protection. Lord Shiva appeared in the form of Om and defeated all the demons. In the same spot the Omkareshwar Jyotiringa temple is built

Importance/Significance
The temple is very noteworthy since it forms a part of the 12 Shiva Jyotirlingas. Further, the linga is considered to be a self-manifested one and hence holds a different significance altogether. People worship the lord to seek blessings from evils in order to have a happy and peaceful life. Couple's also visit the temple and perform rituals for getting an offspring and for happiness in their lives

Facts/Mythology
A unique fact about this temple is that it is located on an island which is known as Shivpuri, which lies on the river Narmada and miraculously is in the shape of an auspicious Om. This is how the temple has derived its name and this is the only Jyotirlinga to have such a unique feature. Further, the temple does not get damaged by any kind of river waves. There is another feature the linga. It is considered to be a partly swayambhu meaning self-manifested idol and hence is considered to be very sacred.

Events and Festivals in Omkareshwar

The events and festivals at Omkareshwar are celebrated with great pleasure. The festivals of this place are very colourful and their gala ooze out a sense and feeling of integrity and brotherhood.
Here's the list of few major festivals celebrated here:

Mahashivratri: It's a popular festival which is considered as the night of Lord Shiva. According to Hindu calendar, it is celebrated in the month of February- March. During this festival, devotes are found practicing Yoga and Meditation during the night. Not only this, fast are also kept by the devotees and the deity of Lord Shiva is being offered with milk and other articles during the festivities.

Ganesh Chaturthi: This festival is held in the months of August- September and celebrated with great pomp.

Anant Chaudas: This festival is held in the month of September in which the major processions are taken out on the celebration night and huge idols of Lord Ganesha are absorbed in water.

Other festivals of Omkareshwar are Holi and Diwali which are also celebrated here.

How to Reach At Omkareshwar Temple

By Air: The nearest domestic airdrome is Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport in Indore which takes around 2 hours 21 minutes drive to reach Omkareshwar. Other nearest international airdrome is Raja Bhoj Airport in Bhopal which is located at the distance of approx 264 km from Omkareshwar. Many flights to various national and international destinations take off from this international airport.

By Rail: Omkareshwar Railway Station (Approx 12 km) is the nearest railhead from the city, which is located on the major Ratlam-Khandwa railway line. It is linked with major cities of India like New Delhi, Bangalore, Mysore, Lucknow,, Kanyakumari, Puri, Jaipur, Ratlam, etc.

By Road: There are several state government and private buses that connects Omkareshwar to major cities like Khnadwa (73 km), Indore (86 Km), Dewas (114 Km), Ujjain (133 Km), Jalgaon (222 Km), Bhopal (268 Km), Vadodara (376 km), Nagpur (446 Km), and Mumbai (576 km).