Another legend pertaining to the temple is that of Mandhata, an emperor and (ancestor of Lord Ram) who left all worldly pleasures and performed penance for 12 years by standing on one leg. At the end of his penance, Lord Shiva appeared to him in the form of Omkar (sound of Om) and blessed him.
Another legend pertaining to the temple is that of Mandhata, an emperor and (ancestor of Lord Ram) who left all worldly pleasures and performed penance for 12 years by standing on one leg. At the end of his penance, Lord Shiva appeared to him in the form of Omkar (sound of Om) and blessed him.
Omkareshwar Temple is a revered shrine situated at
Ukhimath, in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. Located at an elevation of 1,300 meters, the temple serves as the winter abode for the deity of Kedarnath Shrine. In the winter season (November-April), when
Kedarnath temple is covered with snow, the deity is brought down to Omkareshwar temple and worshiped there.
Mythology says that Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath was the venue for the wedding of Usha (Vanasur’s daughter) and Anirudh (Lord Krishna’s grandson).
Moreover, earlier Ukhimath was popular by the name Ushamath that was inspired by Vanasur’s daughter Usha. Furthermore, legends state that Mandhata worshipped Lord Shiva here for 12 years, standing upright on one leg.
Hence, wooed by his worship Lord Shiva appeared before him in the form of Omkar. That’s how the temple got its name.
The temple was built by Lingarajendra II in 1820, supposedly to atone for killing an innocent Brahmin. The temple is in the Indo-Saracenic style, combining typically Keralite tiled roofs with Islamic domes and is about 1km from the Madikeri bus stand.
