Illustrate pilgrimage on banks of the crowned river Narmada, Omkareshvar shelters one of the twelve Jyotir Lingam (Lingam de Lumière) of India. Lingam are stones of ovoid form which symbolize the Creative Capacity of the Shiva god. They represent, they are the Shiva god in his form most often venerated in India and one finds them in all the temples dedicated to this god. Lingams de Lumière recall celebrates it legend in which, at the end of an argument between the gods Brahmâ (Creative of the Expressed World) and Vishnu (That which Maintient Preserves the World and it destruction) which discuss to determine which of both is largest, Shiva emerges from an immense column of Light in its form of Lingôdbhavamûrti. Brahmâ and Vishnu then recognize its primacy and return grace to him.
Jyotir Lingam are recognized to be Swayambhu, i.e. are autogénérés, created theSame ones, in opposition to the majority of Lingam of the temples which one admits to have been worked with hand of man then devoted by priests according to complicated and precise rites' so that the Divinity resides at it.
It is thus to say that Jyotir Lingam are immensely venerated and that enormous crowd has a presentiment of itself where they are. It will be noted that in this same area of the west of Madhya Pradesh, another Jyotir Lingam is visible in Ujjain with the temple of Mahakaleshvar.
The carpark where the vehicles stop is enough far from the principal temple, a little less than one km. The way is bordered on both sides of various gravers selling for the majority of the religious articles or the food. One crosses the Narmada river on a high pedestrian suspension bridge, where are held of the hordes of limping which claim charity. Formerly, the crossing of the river was done by boats. Indeed, the temple is on an island forming hill in the medium of the river.
After the bridge, one crosses by narrow lanes an animated bazaar, climbing gradually towards the temple, in the medium of crowd. Little before the temple, one will notice on the left, in a part open on the street but protected by grids, a sanctuary where a large statue entirely painted in vermilion is venerated, except for round, white eyes with black pupil. One believes to recognize Ganesh upright with four heads.