Day 1- 29^th Bangalore – Indore - Omkareshwar

Covering two of the Jyotirlingas in MP was at the back of my head and thus planned for a solo trip. Straight early morning flight from Bangalore to Indore. Hired a cab till Mandhata which is also known as Shivpuri, an island in the Narmada River near Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh, India. The island's shape is said to resemble the word "Om" or "Omkar”. Reached by 4 PM the same day while I had my breakfast, the very famous poha on the way. I had booked a hotel for one night stay. Finding the hotel was a mess at the start. Finally managed to get a glimpse of it from the far. Rested for a while after the lunch. Freshened up and headed towards the Omkareshwar temple which was a km walk from the hotel. It took almost 2 hrs to complete the darshan of Omkareshwar. It was such a blissful and blessed evening. Both Omkareshwar and Mamaleshwar are the form of the same Jyotirlinga. Mamaleshwar iyotirlinga is on the south bank of the Narmada, and Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga sits on the Omkar Parvat towards the north bank of the Narmada.

Mythological Significance:

• Lord Shiva's Manifestation:

According to Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva manifested as Omkareshwar to defeat the Asuras (demons) after they had defeated the Devas (gods).

• Vindhya's Penance:

One legend says that Vindhya, the deity of the Vindhya mountains, performed intense penance to please Lord Shiva. Shiva appeared and calmed the mountain, establishing the sacred space of Omkareshwar. 

• King Mandhata's Devotion:

Another story revolves around King Mandhata, who was known for his piety and devotion to Lord Shiva. He performed penance and was granted the Jyotirlinga by Shiva. 

• The Narmada River's Devotion:

The Narmada River is said to have been deeply in love with Shiva and performed severe penance to be near him. Touched by her devotion, Shiva resided here as the Jyotirlinga, according to historified_in. 

The Mamleshwar Jyotirlinga temple in Omkareshwar is associated with a story of a sage, a demon, and a Kinnar girl. The sage, Bhrigu, married a Kinnar girl named Mamlesha, and to avoid any perceived impurity, he worshipped Shiva, who then manifested as the Mamleshwar Jyotirlinga. The Pandavas, during their exile, are also linked to the temple, having constructed the outer part and battling a demon in the area. 

Here's a more detailed look at the story:

• Sage Bhrigu and Mamlesha:

Sage Bhrigu, a revered figure, was captivated by the modesty of a Kinnar girl named Mamlesha. He married her, but to ensure the purity of the union, he performed penance to Mahakala Shiva. Shiva, pleased with his devotion, manifested as the Mamleshwar Jyotirlinga, and the village became known as Mamel. 

I also witnessed the very famous Narmada arti which takes place every day between 7:30 to 8:00 PM.

Day 2 – 30^th  Omkareshwar to Indore

As I had to check out from the hotel at 11:00 PM, I though of having a walk by the Narmada River bridge and it was fun shopping as well. Took a bus to Indore and reached Indore main bus depot at 2 PM. Reached Hotel Athrav through an auto finally after managing couple of calls to the hotel management for the route. Had a stroll during the evening and called off for the day.

Day 3 – 31^st Indore – Ujjain

Freshened up quite early in the morning by 5 AM and to my luck there was a bus already awaiting towards Ujjain. Reached Ujjain in an hour and walked for a while to reach the Mahakaleshwar temple. There are 4 routes which leads to confusion if one is not familiar with them. To my surprise, finished the darshana in just an hour. One of my dream to visit Mahakaleshwar jyotirlinga was fulfilled. I was happy beyond words.

The idol of Mahakaleshwar is known to be dakshinamurti, facing the South. This is a unique feature, upheld by tantric tradition to be found only in Mahakaleshwar among the 12 jyotirlingas. The idol of Omkareshwar Shiva is consecrated in the sanctum above the Mahakal shrine. The idol of Omkareshwar Mahadev is consecrated in the sanctum above the Mahakal shrine. The images of Ganesh, Parvati and Kartikeya are installed in the west, north, and east of the sanctum sanctorum. To the south is the image of Nandi, the vehicle of Shiva. The idol of Nagchandreshwar on the third storey is open for darshan only on the day of Nag Panchami. The temple has five levels, one of which is underground. The temple itself is located in a spacious courtyard surrounded by massive walls near a lake. The shikhar or the spire is adorned with sculptural finery. Brass lamps light the way to the underground sanctum. It is believed that prasada (holy offering) offered here to the deity can be re-offered unlike all other shrines. The presiding deity of time, Shiva, in all his splendor, reigns eternally in the city of Ujjain. The temple of Mahakaleshwar, its shikhar soaring into the sky, an imposing façade against the skyline, evokes primordial awe and reverence with its majesty. The Mahakal dominates the life of the city and its people, even in the midst of the busy routine of modern preoccupations, and provides an unbreakable link with ancient Hindu traditions.

On the day of Maha Shivaratri, a huge fair is held near the temple, and worship goes on through the night.

The Temple has a shrine for Parvati known as avantika devi(goddess of ujjain city) behind the palki dwar at the back side of Ram Temple.

Had my breakfast in a nearby hotel and back to Indore .

Day 4- 1^st Sep Indore to Bangalore

The day was quite hectic in terms of my health as I had sever cold and cough since the first day of the trip.I had reserved the last day for local sight seeing but couldn’t as the condition was worse and weather was unsupportive due to heavy rains. Flight to Bangalore was at 7 PM and happily reached Bangalore with the blessing of lord Shiva.