Journey to Omkareshwar : Ujjain where you won’t find Dhaana dal! (Part 2)

Omkareshwar is also one of twelve jyotirlings, located at 150 kms from Ujjain. It is surrounded by Vindhyachal hills. Omkareshwar is located in ‘Aum’ shaped place. Roads are surrounded by beautiful green trees. Some roads very narrow and one side of them is deep valley. So, driver has to drive carefully. First you reach Mamleshwar Mahadev temple. After offering prayer there, by boat or by pool you can reach Omkareshwar. 

Omkareshwar temple in Aum shape (credit : Internet)

When we arrived at Mamleshwar it is ‘Madhyahan’ (Noon) ‘aartee’ time. Then through boat we crossed river. We had purchased Chana to feed fishes in river. To feed fish is also believed bringing good luck. Actually I believe that by telling of luck our founders of hindu dharma cared by ecology. Thus you pour water to tree, you feed cow, you even feed ants, you feed monkeys and feed fishes too. Thus balance in eco system is maintained. And as they say, if you do good, you get good. Ok. We reached Omkareshwar. There was long queue. But for us, waiting to open gates of temple and standing in queue for more than half an hour didn’t get bore as some local women were singing local bhajans in chorus melodiously. I found strange system there. Generally in Shiv or Mahadev temple, you pour water or milk direcetly on Shiv ling. But here you have to pour water or milk in to basin. From there water will run away through pipe and fall on Shivling. There we performed ‘pooja’ with help of Brahmin but that was in veranda. We climbed down and did some shopping. It is also undeclared and untold custom to shop for your kins and relatives. Shopping is mainly of religious things like pendants with some religious deity, religious books. Many religious places offer their state special handicrafts also.

I firmly believe that when Bharat was made of so many states ruled by Rajas, it was till one. Binding factor was this Hindu Dharma or culture. People used to visit other states with business purpose or religious purpose. When they visited with religious purpose, it also served as much wanted break from routine life specially for women which were housewives in those days.

Again in boat we crossed Narmada river. Reached Mamleshwar. Got in car. It was again raining. Car driver played 70’s - 80’s melodious songs like ‘Tuj Sang Preet Lagai Sajna’, ‘Mujhe teri muhabbat ka sahara mil gaya hota’, ‘milke na honge juda’ etc. Thus return journey was converted in to picnic. We had backed Makai na doda (Bhutta) also.

After coming back to Ujjain, we again went to Mahakaal as it is belief that when you enter in Ujjain and when you leave for your home, both time you should go to Mahakaal temple and offer prayer. This time it was night. We stand in queue of general visitors. I thought now in last, Mahakal should give us a chance of doing pooja with ease. (Otherwise it was so much rush of visitors that Pujaris don’t allow you to stand for 1 minute also to offer prayer). Mahakaaljee filled my wish. It was rush at this time also but one pujari who was sitting there called me and I was able to offer ‘Pooja’ with sitting there in ‘Garbh gruh’.

After coming back, all were hungry. We went to have dinner in Raj Kamal Bhojanalay located near Railway station. After reaching there we came to know the old age owner is originally Gujarati. He himself served hot rotis. Shaak and Kadhi (which is again wrongly spelled in English as Curry) were tasty. He was serving with emotion. He was insisting more and more for rotis. This is called in Gujarati as ‘Agrah Kari Ne Khavdavvun’. People from Saurashtra will eat less and also feel bad if you don’t insist for more food, especially sweet items.

Food was such tasty that we need Meetha Pan (leaf filled with Chuna, Kattha, Gulkand etc.) There I came to know that in Ujjain (or may be in Madhya Pradesh) Panwala don’t keep Dhana Daal. Like zerox, dhana daal in Gujarat is also known as Bhagat as person named Bhagat started selling pouch packed Dhana Daal.

We had Meetha Pan without Dhaana Daal and in night at 12.30 am we started our journey back to home.