11/12/07

Saree. Omkareshwar.. Madhya Pradesh



A woman drying up a sari at the confluence of the Narmada and Kavery rivers in Omkareshwar.
Omkareshwar is an island, shaped like the holy Hindu symbol of ‘OM'. Thousands of pilgrims gather at this holy city to offer prayers to the Jyotirlingam (one of the twelve throughout India), at the Shiva temple of Shri Omkar Mandhata. The jyotirlingam and the shape of the island combine to increase the religious importance of the island for devout Hindus.
The Shri Omkar Mandhata, a temple dedicated to Shiva, is constructed from local soft sandstone. Sandstone being easy to work with, the masons and artisans were able to achieve a very high degree of intricate carving, particularly on the upper parts.