Nagesawaram is one of the 12 jyothirlingas of Lord Siva. ‘nagesam darukavane’[sivamahapuran kotirudra samhita 1/21-24]

It is believed to be the first sivalinga on earth.

Text says Nageswaram is in ‘Darukavana’, which is an ancient epic name of forest in India. Darukavana finds mention in Indian epics like kamyakavana, Dwaitavana, Dandakavana,etc.

According to legend, ‘Balakhilyas’, a group of dwarf sages worshipped SIVA in darukavana for long time. To test their devotion& patience, SIVA came to darukavana as an digmbara ascetic[nude] wearing only Nagas[serpants] in his body. Wives of sages were attracted and ran after the ascetic, leaving back their husbands. Sages got very disturbed and frustruated with this.They lost their patience and cursed ascetic to loose his linga. Sivalinga fell on the earth and whole world trempled.Brahma and VIshnu came to Siva, requested him to save earth from destruction and take back his linga. Siva consoled them and took back his linga.[Vamana purana CH.6th& 45th]

SIVA promised his divine presence in darukavana as ‘jyothirlinga’ for ever. Later darukavana became favourate place of Nagas and Vasuki worshipped Siva here for long and there after jyothirlinga came to be known as ‘Nagnath/Nageswar’.

Also there is a story in Shiv Purana on jyotirlinga nageswaram. It says, a demon named Daaruka attacked a Shiva devotee by name Supriya and imprisoned her along with several others in his city of Daarukavana.This place was a city of snakes and Daaruka was the king of the snakes. On the insistence of Supriya, all the prisoners started to chant the holy mantra of Shiva and instantly Lord Shiva appeared and vanquished the demon and later started to reside here in the form of a Jyotirlinga.

At present, there is a debate on location of epic forest Darukavana so as to identify the jyothirlinga of Nageswaram. Since no other important clues are left in the text which help in locating the place,’darukavana’ remains as the vital clue.

Many SIVA temples across the country are claiming their shrine as Nageswara and their location as darukavana. Out of these, three are most prominent.

1.Nageswara temple near Dwaraka, Gujarat

2.Jageswara temple near Almora, Uttarkhand

3.Nagnath Temple in Audha, Maharashtra

The very name of Darukavana in text is misread as ‘dwarakavana’ by many at their own interest to locate jyothirlinga at Nageswara temple at Dwaraka. In fact there is no legendary forest at this part of dwaraka that finds mention in any of the india epics. In legends of SriKrishna, we find mention of Somnath and adjoining Prabhas theerth, but never there is any mention of ‘Nageswara or Darukavana’ in Dwaraka and outskirts.

Darukavana is again misread as ‘daruvana’ [meaning deodar forest] by many to locate it in almora. Deodar[daru vriksha] is found in western himalayas in abundance and is not found in peninsular India. According to The ancient treatise Prasadmandanam, Thus many identify ‘Jageswara’ temple in Almora, Uttarkhand as Nageswara jyothirlinga.

But ‘Darukavana’ finds mention adjacent to Vindya Mountains in epics. It is south-southwest of Vindyas extending to sea in west.

In dwadasa jyothirlinga sthothram, sri sankaracharya has praised jyothirlinga as ‘Naganath’.

“Yame sadanganagarethi ramye
vibhushithangam vividhaischabhogai
sathbhakthimukthipradameesamekam
srinaganatham saranam prapadye”

which clearly says that it is located south ['yame'] in the beautiful town of ‘sadanga’. ‘sadanga’ is the ancient name of Audh in Maharashtra and is located ‘south’ compared to Jageswara shrine in Uttarkhand and Dwaraka Nageswaram at West end.

This clearly shows that Nagnath Shrine at Audha [Parbhani Dist. Maharashtra] is the real Nageswara Jyothirlinga and Darukavana is located south-west of Vindhyas. Darukavana has nothing to do with Dwarakavana or Daruvana.

Nearest Rail Head is Parbhani Station on Manmad-Nanded line.

Chanting Om is the first step towards meditation. All that you need to do is to hide at a peaceful place, sit down on the floor, gently close your eyes, take a deep breath and chant Om. While doing so, completely relax your muscles. Don’t tighten your muscles; otherwise you won’t be able to feel the energizing effect of chanting Om. Meditation on Om will revitalize your energy and rejuvenate you completely. To know more about Om meditation, read on.

For Aum meditation, it is of utmost importance to retire at a tranquil place, otherwise your concentration will get adversely affected. Try not to let your mind wander and think about other worldly things. Repeat Om several times in a day and try to associate it with the feeling of eternity. Don’t just speak out Om, but also think about its meaning in your heart and then see the magical effects.

When you recite Om, just don’t do it for the sake of it. Instead, make a sincere effort to accomplish the purpose of performing it. If you succeed in doing so, there will be amazing feeling in your heart. There is no fixed time of meditating on Om. You can do it as many times as you wish. When your mind is totally able to concentrate, it is at that point of time that you are in a position to realize the power of divinity.

Om is of utmost importance in the Hindu religion. The symbol Om is considered to be very sacred, as it represents the Brahman, i.e. the source of life. The day of Hindus begins with the chanting of Aum Mantra. Many Hindus wear the pendants of Om, as it is very auspicious. You will find the Om symbol in almost every Hindu temple. In this article, we will tell you the complete meaning of Om, which will give you clarity about Om and its relevance in the day to day life.

Om is an integral part of daily life of Hindus. It is a word that the people of Hinduism keep uttering every now and then. Infact, a Hindu baby is brought into this world by chanting the holy word ‘Om’. When the child is born, he is given a holy bath and it is during this ceremony that the sacred word Om is written on his tongue with honey. Thus, the life of a Hindu begins with Om.

In this section, we will throw light on the following aspects of Om:

Om Symbol
Aum sign is the most prominent symbol of Hinduism. The Om symbol signifies divinity and the oneness of all the creations of God. Om or Aum presents the never ending Brahman, where all forms of life exist.

Power of Om
When you take a deep breath and chant Om, it causes a very calmful effect, which will totally relax your mind and body. It is the first stage of meditation, which aims at drawing your attention away from all other tensions that have occupied your mind.

Om Meditation
Chanting Om is the first step towards meditation. All that you need to do is to hide at a peaceful place, sit down on the floor, gently close your eyes, take a deep breath and chant Om. While doing so, completely relax your muscles. Don’t tighten your muscles; otherwise you won’t be able to feel the energizing effect of chanting Om.

Deities: Lord Shiva
Location: Omkareshwara, Madhya Pradesh
Famous for: One of the twelve jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva
Best time to visit: July to March

Gods of all the Gods Lord Shiva’s Omkareshwar linga is situated on the mountain Mandhata.Shri Omkareshwar temple stands on a one mile long, half a mile wide island that has been formed by the fork of the Narmada.

The sacred island, shaped like the holiest of all Hindu symbols, `Om’, has drawn a hundred generations of pilgrims. The white dome of the temple is constructed of soft soap stone displaying intricate carvings on the upper portions and stone roof of the temple. Verandhas with columns which are carved in circles, polygons and squares encircle the shrine. The tower or Shikhar was built in Nagara style and consists of 5 layers, each representing a different deity.

Before entering the temple one has to pass through 2 rooms. The Omkareshwar is not affixed to the ground, but is naturally installed there. There is always water around it. The significance of this linga is that the linga is not situated below the cupola. The idol of Lord Shiva is situated on the top of the temple.

Situated on the banks of the Narmada, Omkareshwar is one of the 12 revered Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva. It is located at a distance of about 12 miles from Mortakka in Madhya Pradesh. The river Narmada spits into two and forms an island Mandhata or Shivapuri in the center. The shape of the island resembles that of the visual representation of the Omkara sound, Om. There are two temples here, one to Omkareshwar and one to Amareshwar.

Legend has it that the Vindhya mountain prayed to Shiva – Omkareshwara and was blessed here. Legend also has it that upon the request of the Devas, the Shivalinga split into two, one half being Omkareshwara and the other Amaleshwara or Amareshwar. King Mandhatha of the Ishvaku clan is believed to have worshiped Shiva here.

The name Omkareshwar derives from the word Om, which signifies the most sacred Hindu symbol. This island is shaped like the Om and is about 2km long and 1km wide. As you probably know by now, the lingam is the symbol of Lord Shiva and there must be simply thousands of them in India. The jyotirlingam or the lingam of light, however, is special. It is believed to derive currents of power from within itself as opposed to an ordinary lingam which is ritually invested with mantra shakti (power invested by chants) by the priests.

Structure and Significance of Omkareshwar Temple
A special feature of the location of Omkareshwar Temple is that the river Narmada branches into two and forms an island Mandhata or Shivapuri in the center. The Omkareshawar temple is built in the North Indian style of architecture, with high spires. Devotees consider worship to Panchamuga Ganesha, to be very auspicious.

The Omkareshwar Temple is built in the Nagara style and is characterized by a lofty shikhara. There are also shrines to Annapurna and Ganesha here. The Omkareshwar is not affixed to the ground but is naturally installed there. There is always water around it. The significance of this linga is that the linga is not situated below the cupola. The idol of Lord Shiva is situated on the top of the temple.

Other Attraction:
Despite the damage done by Muslim invaders in the time of Mahmud of Ghazni (11th century), there are still many temples on this island, both Hindu and Jain. You can spot a huge Nandi Bull (the vehicle of Lord Shiva) carved in the hillside opposite the temple to Gauri Somnath at the western end of the island. Don’t miss the 24 Avatars, a group of Hindu and Jain temples, the 10th century Satmatrika Temples (6km) and the Kajal Rani Cave (9km), a lovely picnic spot with a great view and Shri Omkar Mandhata, Siddhnath Temple, 24 Avatars, Satmatrika Temples, Kajal Rani Cave.

Festival:
The Temple can be reached by ferry from the banks of the river. A huge fair is organised here on the day of Kartik Poornima.

How to reach:
By Air: Nearest airport is at Indore which is around 77 km away from here. You can take a bus or hire a cab to get here in around 2 hrs.
By Rail: Omkareshwar railhead is the nearest station from here at a distance of 12 km,hiring a taxi is the best way of commuting from station to the Omkareshwar city center.
By Road: There are regular buses in and out of Omkareshwar to all major cities of Madhya Pradesh.