Place · Shiva temple · India
Amaréshwar
/ɐmɐreːɕʋɐrɐ/
Amareshwar is a Shiva temple on the south bank of the Narmada in Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh, directly opposite the Mandhata island housing Omkareshwar. Some traditions treat Omkareshwar and Amareshwar together as a single Jyotirlinga split across the river, while others regard Amareshwar as a subsidiary shrine whose darshan is required to complete the Omkareshwar pilgrimage.
- Periods
- Classical and Puranic Age, Regional Flourishing, Islamic Age and Bhakti Traditions, Early Modern Age, British Colonial Age, Republic and Living Practice
- Function
- Sacred site & pilgrimage
- Confidence
- Traditional / narrative attribution
- Location
- 22.239, 76.150
Worth knowing
Amareshwar is central to the theological question of what actually constitutes the fourth Jyotirlinga in the Shiva Purana list. The Purana's verses can be read to place the Jyotirlinga on either bank of the Narmada, and Amareshwar's inclusion in the ritual completion of Omkareshwar darshan preserves this ambiguity in living practice. Pilgrims traditionally cross the Narmada by boat or via the recent bridge to complete both shrines in one visit, treating the river-crossing itself as ritually significant.
Connections (1)
- Site adjacencyOmkāreshvara
Amareshwar stands on the Narmada's south bank directly opposite the Mandhata island that holds Omkareshwar. Some traditions treat the two as one jyotirlinga split across the river, others as paired but distinct, and in practice darshan at Omkareshwar is not held complete without crossing to the other bank. The river crossing is therefore part of the rite, which is unusual — most jyotirlingas can be worshipped without going anywhere.
Sources
Wikipedia, “Omkareshwar Temple”. Archaeological Survey of India and State Archaeology monument records, and the standard regional literature.
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