The complete story of Omkareshwar, a jyotirling situated on an island

The river island of Mandhata in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, is home to the Omkareshwar Temple, enshrining one of the twelve Jyotirlingas.

Origin Story: When the sage Narada visited the mountain deity Vindhya and remarked that he lacked the stature of Mount Meru, whose peaks touch the heavens, Vindhya was deeply distressed and began an intense six-month penance to Lord Shiva on Mandhata Island, building a Shivalinga from mud. Pleased, Shiva appeared and granted Vindhya a boon of unmatched success in all endeavours - a gift Shiva made carefully, knowing Vindhya's nature, by ensuring his own permanent presence there to keep the boon from being misused.

When the gods and sages learned Shiva was present at Mandhata, they begged him to stay forever. Agreeing, Shiva split into two forms: the Omkareshwar Shivalinga, merging with Vindhya's mud linga, and the Sadashiva or Mamaleshwar form, enshrined nearby on the bank of the Narmada.

The small river island is believed to be shaped like the Devanagari letter for "Om" - giving the temple its name, meaning "Lord of the Om sound". Together, the Omkareshwar and Mamaleshwar temples are counted as one of the twelve Jyotirlingas.