The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister unveiled the 108-foot-tall ‘Statue of Oneness’ of Adi Shankaracharya at Omkareshwar on September 21.
Key points
- The statue depicts Shankaracharya as a 12-year-old child when he is said to have visited Omkareshwar.
- The state government has invested Rs 2,200 crore to develop the temple town located on the Mandhata island of Khandwa district.
- The Mandhata island, nestled on the Narmada River, is home to two of the 12 Jyotirlingas. These are; Omkareshwara (located on the south side of the island) and Mamaleshwar (old name Amareshwara.)
- The area is close to Mahakaleshwara Jyotirlinga at Ujjain, located 110 km to the northwest.
- The island is dotted with Shaivite, Vaisnavite, and Jain temples dating back to the 14th and 18th centuries.
- The name ‘Omkareshwar’ is derived from the shape of the island, which resembles the sacred syllable ‘Om’, and its name means ‘the Lord of Omkara’.
