Omkareshwar Parikrama

About the Omkareshwar Parikrama

In Hindu practice, walking around a source of positive energy is held to confer that energy on the walker, and circumambulating clockwise has been an established observance from time immemorial. The popular belief at Omkareshwar is that circumambulating the shrine fetches boons and wipes away the sins of whoever undertakes the parikrama. The presence of the Narmada makes the circuit doubly worthwhile. The river is believed to be the daughter of Shiva and is regarded as the purest of rivers, and taking a parikrama of the Narmada is customary for a Shiva devotee. Because Omkareshwar stands on its banks, walking around the shrine is understood to bring both merits together. Those who walk it come for the religious aspect far more than for the scenery, though the route through this landscape is an experience in itself.

Along the route

The riverside stretches

Much of the circuit runs within sight of the Narmada. These are the sections where walkers slow down, and where the reason the river is treated as inseparable from the shrine becomes obvious.

The smaller shrines on the way

The route passes a number of lesser shrines and resting points, most of them unvisited by people who only do the main darshan. Devotees stop at them as a matter of course.

The climbs and the gorge views

Parts of the circuit rise above the water and look down on the gorge and the island. These are the hardest sections and the ones with the best views.

Planning your visit

The parikrama is walked, and it takes a committed half day or more depending on pace and the route taken. Start at first light.

• Begin early; the circuit is poor going in the midday sun.
• Wear shoes you can walk distance in and carry water.
• Ask a local priest or a guide about the current route, which can change with the water level.
• Do not attempt it in heavy rain, when riverside sections flood.

Best time to visit

October to February is the practical season, with cool mornings for the walk. The monsoon makes the riverside stretches slippery and sometimes impassable, and high summer is too hot for a long circuit. Shravan brings the largest number of parikrama walkers of the year, which makes for a powerful atmosphere and a crowded path.