Omkareshwar Temple to mark 273 years today

Sharad Joshi,who has been managing the temple trust from his house for the last eight years has just taken charge of the office in the temple courtyard,said,“ We will start the day’s preparations with a two-hour bhajan programme. We plan to felicitate some guests before the maha aarti.” While the trust believes that the temple was inaugurated on July 13 after its construction that took nearly two years,historian Mandar Lavate says documents dating back to 1738 clearly mention July 12 as the day of installation of the main idol and its inauguration.

While a lot of changes have crept in due to modern architecture influences,inside one can witness Maratha Era styles. It has a Nagara-styled Shikara made from soft white soap stone with five layers,each having engravings and sculptures of Gods and deities. It is believed that Annapurna,Chimaji Appa’s wife,had committed Sati here after his death in 1741. Upto 1971 a cremation ground existed near the temple. Interestingly,the place was also used during the freedom movement by revolutionaries like Tilak and Savarkar to hold meetings.

Perhaps what reinstates the faith of a lot of believers in the temple is the fact that it remained largely unaffected by the 1961 floods. “Apart from the Vishnu and Nandi temple nothing was affected during the floods. The Vishnu temple was rebuilt later in 1980 and Nandi temple in 1993,” said Lavate.