The confluence where the Narmada meets the Kaveri and encloses an island shaped like the Om symbol.
The Narmada is believed to be the daughter of Shiva and carries great religious weight for Hindus. The river appears across the Puranas, where a bath in it and a circumambulation of it are said to bring salvation. The Narmada flows through many regions, but when it reaches Omkareshwar it merges with the Kaveri and in doing so forms an island. That meeting point takes on particular significance because the island is shaped like the Om symbol, the most revered of symbolic forms. Beyond its religious merit, the place has striking scenery and plenty of birdlife. The island lies between two high peaks which a deep gorge divides, and the combination of still water, geography and the scale of the hills is why people sit here for hours.
The island formed by the two rivers is held to trace the shape of the Om symbol, which is the reason the confluence matters more than its scenery alone. The form reads best from high ground above the water.
The island sits between two lofty peaks separated by a deep gorge. The scale of the rock walls against the quiet water is the most dramatic thing in Omkareshwar.
The still stretches draw a good deal of birdlife, best watched early in the morning from a boat or from the bank away from the ghats.
The confluence is viewed from the ghats, from the bridge and from high points above the water, and a boat gives the best sense of it. There is no single ticketed entrance.
September to February is the best window, with the rivers full after the rains and clear air over the gorge. Early morning is the right hour. Boating can be suspended in high monsoon flow, so check on the day. Summer afternoons are hot and hazy and lose the view.
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