Omkareshwar

Omkareshwar ; ओंकारेश्वर मन्दिर
State :	India
State :	Madhya Pradesh
District :	Khandwa
Sub-district :	Punasa
Location :	22 ° 15 ' N , 76 ° 9' E Coordinates: 22 ° 15 ' N , 76 ° 9' E
Height :	195 m
Area :	12.69 km²
Residents :	10,063 (2011)
Population density :	793 inhabitants / km²
Postal code :	450554
	Omkareshwar - Temple and Maharaja's Palace on the Narmada River

Omkareshwar ( Hindi : ओंकारेश्वर मन्दिर ) is a small town in the Khandwa district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh . Because of the Jyotirlinga worshiped here, it is one of the most important Hindu pilgrimage sites in India.

location

Omkareshwar is located on the holy river Narmada approx. 78 km (driving distance) southeast of the city of Indore at an altitude of approx. 195 m above sea level. d. It is almost 70 km to the south-east to the district capital Khandwa . The climate is warm to hot; Rain (approx. 850 mm / year) falls almost exclusively during the summer monsoon season .

population

Official population statistics have only been kept and published since 1991.

year	1991	2001	2011
Residents	k. A.	6,616	10,063

The city's majority Hindi- speaking population is about 99.5% Hindus ; other religions ( Jains , Sikhs , Christians and Buddhists ) form small minorities. As usual with censuses in northern India, the male population is significantly higher than the female.

economy

Agriculture in the surrounding villages traditionally plays the primary role in the region's economic life; In the village itself there are various handicrafts and service companies and the numerous pilgrims also make a significant contribution to private and urban income.

history

Omkareshwar or its pilgrimage sites are likely to be around 1000 years or older; the oldest temple in town (Siddhanatha Temple) dates from the 13th century and was destroyed by the Muslim invaders a few decades after its completion. In the 15th century the place belonged to the Sultanate of Malwa with the capital Mandu . The sultanate came to an end in 1531 when it was conquered by the Sultanate of Gujarat . In 1561 the area was integrated into the Mughal Empire by the Mughal Mughal Akbar I and came under the rule of the British in 1818 .

Omkareshwar - footbridge and dam in the background

Attractions

The Shiva sanctuary (Mamaleshwara temple) located on a river island contains a stone slab that is venerated as a lingam . but also other gods of the Hindu pantheon such as Shiva and Hanuman are worshiped in their own temples; there are also several small Jain temples.

dam

Almost 1 km upstream from Omkareshwar, a dam was built between 2003 and 2007 to regulate the river and generate electricity . The power plant has an installed capacity of 520 MW; A road leads over the dam.