There are two jyothirlinga temples within a couple of hours drive
from Indore. The Mahakaleswar temple at Ujjain is about an hour’s
drive whereas Omkareshwar is a couple of hours from the city. Though
they are in close proximity, the experience is as different as chalk
and cheese.
At Omkareshwar, right from the moment you approach the parking area,
you are accosted by ‘intermediaries’ who promise you a ‘direct’
and ‘special’ darshan of the Lord. Then there are the boatmen who
inflate the distance and time needed for darshan and try to cajole you
into using their services for a hefty fee. If you are traveling with
elders, for a moment you are tempted to accept.
We experienced this during a recent visit. Even if you decline, they
follow you to the temple, the ‘rate’ decreasing in proportion to
the distance left! I could get rid of them only by telling them that
my mother was threatening to return without entering the temple
(which she was).
Once inside the sanctum sanctorum, the story was no different – half
the people present were the same ‘guides’ who had brought their
‘tourists’ to the front of the queue!
At Ujjain on the other hand, the flow of pilgrims is regulated by the
authorities and there are no intermediaries selling their ‘wares’.
One can enter the temple premises on their own and spend as much
time as required without anyone interfering.
As you can imagine, the Ujjain experience is that of visiting a place
of worship whereas Omkareshwar did not have the same feel. Sad to say
that these days the latter seems to be the norm.
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